# Old age?



## ba13 (Nov 18, 2012)

My australorp's head feathers have been turning white or gray over about the past month. Anyone know if this is normal, or a sign of a problem?


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Interesting question. You have my curiousity now since I have an Australorp too. How old is yours? Mine will be 3 this Spring.


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## ba13 (Nov 18, 2012)

About a year and a half. Give or take.


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## klouden (Mar 29, 2013)

I had 1 lorp roo with a red neck and a hen with 1 red feather on the back of her neck.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Lilah (who is 3 yrs old) still has her full black feathers on her head so I'm assuming its not old age then. Anyone else here have some thoughts or input?


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

On some of my hens their light under feathers poke through on their heads because of an amourous rooster.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Did your bird just go through a molt? Its not uncommon for them to do an adult molt and have unseen colors pop up. I've seen it happen a few times with Silkies, almost always with the males.


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

Robin, I have a black chicken many have told me is either an Austrolorp or a JG. Just recently her neck and chest is turning grey...lol I know this sounds odd but she hasn't gone thru a molt recently, 
So I believe what the person who began th thread because mine is doing the same. She is about 3 1/2 yrs old. Only lays about 1 time a week now.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

OK, now I need to find out if anyone else has seen this. When mine did it, it wasn't an obvious molt. Just the sneaky kind that Silkies can have that you don't realize is going on until you get up and close to them. My little d'Uccle guy had red show up in his black as he got older.


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

3 of mine, including Rooster, started showing grey/white. I figured it was winter wear, but now I'm curious to see if they go back to black in spring.


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