Not that kind of Sports. Genetic sports. Genetic oddities that are thrown due to either one in a million genetic combinations, or genetic mutations that occur unexpectedly.

We were given some chickens. Four white, of whom two were obviously leghorns. One black leghorn. One Americauna, one Barred Rock. One unidentified breed with an obvious health problem, who was butchered within a few days, revealing a large tumor in her gizzard (the size of a softball). One Redleg hen (we had been given a redleg rooster previously, so recognized the cross breed). One big old Fayoumi rooster. And one white hen who was too heavy to be a Leghorn, but not heavy enough to be anything else easily identifiable.

Since it was fall, tail feathers were worn, colors were dull, and the hens were looking a little rough. I could not identify the breed of the white hen.

The molt came. That white hen stayed in the second room of the coop, around the corner, and I usually stayed in the first room, so I did not see her for several weeks. Kevin was in the other room twice a day for feed and watering, so if something had been wrong, he'd have noticed.

One day, after I'd noticed the other hens starting to feather out again, a hen ran into the first room that I did not recognize! She was light colored, but not QUITE white. She had a sort of pale silvery bronze color to her feathers - possibly a lace pattern, I can't quite tell because it is so light and she is not letting me get too near. There is no color like this that I can find that is named. It is QUITE gorgeous. I think maybe best described as a light champagne. She looks white if she is not in bright light, or right next to a white hen.

Her shape, and her comb and wattles are classic for Wyandotte. She is a bit smaller than my Buff Wyandottes. It appears she may be a sport of a Silver Laced Wyandotte.

Whatever the color may be, she is purely lovely.

(I have not taken a picture because the color will not show up on camera unless I can get really close, and she is too wild for that - we got her from people who kept the chickens in a large outdoor run, so she isn't used to people being anywhere near her, and stays as far from the door of the coop as she can.)

I will let her hang around and see if we can get eggs from her next spring, and maybe see if that color will pass on to her offspring.