Breed ID help!!!

thequeenamom said:

WHAT???? They were supposed to be sexed!!!

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x2 on Welcome to BYC!

...and in answer to your comment "sexed"...yes, if you purchased from the "sexed" bin, that means you likely got a girl, but it doesn't guarantee it.

"Sexed" means the hatchery had a highly skilled person look at each chick's behind very closely with a magnifying glass to determine if there was a male bump or not...not something the average person should attempt, or most of us really want to attempt, as it has to do with a lot of squishing and squinting, and if you aren't careful you can hurt the chick.

Hatchery sexing of non-sexed breeds, like Brahmas and Barred Rocks, is typically 90% accurate. That means if you got 10 birds, likely 1 would be male...but of course that is the statistical average. Just like the coin toss is 50/50 heads or tails, you might flip it 10 times and get 7 heads and 3 tails, but if you kept flipping it it would even out and you'd get close to 50/50.

So, yes, you can walk out with a male from the feed store even though it came from the sexed chick bin.

However, nothing definitively indicates you've got a roo there...that comb is not worrisome at this stage imho, as I've had plenty of commercial Barred girls develop precociously early (they are bred to develop faster to lay faster), and as stated hatchery Barred Rocks don't meet the neat and tidy indicators for sexing as a carefully bred Barred Rock flock could...which can almost approach an auto-sexing breed. Hatchery stock is bred for large numbers and laying abilities, not for close confirmation to standard.

You'll get good layers...and sometimes a few roo's.

Lady of McCamley

Thanks, that makes me feel a little better. We are in a neighborhood, and don't have the luxury of being able to have unlimited chicks. So, it if is a roo- I would take it back before I get too much more attached.

thequeenamom said:

Thanks, that makes me feel a little better. We are in a neighborhood, and don't have the luxury of being able to have unlimited chicks. So, it if is a roo- I would take it back before I get too much more attached.

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Post pics again at 6 weeks of the Barred Rock...you should have better indicators by then.

Also, check to see if the feedstore will take roo's back (most do). You might consider getting another chick for the Brahma if the Barred does end up being a rooster, or the Brahma for that matter. Chickens need to be in flocks, and if you only have the 1 bird, it will need a friend.

LofMc

We have 5 more that we got from a different feed store- we know their breed
Thanks- I will post pics later.

First chick is probably a Barred Rock. Second chick appears to be a Light Brahma.

Lady of McCamley said:

Top is a Barred Rock
Bottom is likely a Brahma

Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: All Barred Rocks have white dots on the head...this one is a bit more diffuse (females being more crisp in the dot), however it has a lot of black leg wash which is a female trait. Head dot and leg wash are only indicators, not 100% reliable. Many hatchery stock don't meet the typical sexing standards for Barreds, which are NOT an auto-sexing breed, although the indicators often give a predictor. If this is a rooster, the barring will come in such that the bird looks more silvery than dark and the comb will develop early, often around 6 weeks of age, and you typically know by 10 weeks that you've definitely got a roo. Some Barred's though are maddeningly ambiguous and you have to wait until the lay or crow.

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Ditto. I have 3 BR now 2 yo hens. They were sexed hatchery chicks I got at 3 days old. 2 had diffuse spots. I was so afraid both would be roos, and one had more white than black barring as feathers came in and all turned out to be pullets. Keep watching, too soon to know.

Ok- here are pics at approx 9.5 wks old now, can we tell if we have a hen or roo yet?

On a Barred Rock that comb indicates female. A Barred Rock male tends to show up very early and very clearly. Nice on getting the little gal.

Both my barred rocks had white on there heads 1 is a roo 1 is a hen. My roos comb is small still but turning pink and stands up my hens is still yellow and flops over, also my roo looks like he's white with black lines where the hen looks black with white stripes my male has a lot more white, they're easy to tell apart with there color thankfully. My two are very friendly they chatter when they see me and come right up to me. My young roo actually seeks more attention than my female. I have 3 young roos in different breeds (I purchased straight runs at tsc) and all 3 of my roos want to be held and seek attention from me
even my bantam roos are friendly. I'm not worried about how many roos I have I live in the country so I can keep them all

I agree my barred too is a lot lighter than my hen they're around 6 weeks and they're pattern looks opposite my male looks white with black where my hen looks black with white if that makes sense. Both still have very small combs but my roos is turning red and stands up my hens is still yellow and lays over to the side