Barred Rocks!!

[CRSelvey]

Not an opinion. A fact. Have kept, raised and bred Rocks for nearly 55 years. Don't need to guess anymore than I'd guess about a young whitetail deer with buttons on his head would be a button buck, not a doe.

They are both cockerels. There is a physiological difference between the males and females. They are different, not only because of their sex, but the secondary characteristics that distinguish them as surely as bucks have antlers and does do not.

The males carry two genes for barring. Thus, the male presents with barring far different than the female. The body types are also different. The male is designed to stand tall, to be watchful over his flock and since he doesn't lay eggs but rather mounts the females, his legs are taller, thicker and his body is shaped differently. His comb matures at 7 weeks and shows red, as well as sprouting red wattles. The females, the pullets, do not display these secondary sex characteristics until nearer the onset of laying. The females barring, with one gene, gives the bird a darker, blacker appearance. The female is lower to ground in body stance as she needs to be mounted for fertility and lower to the ground to lay eggs.

The tails are different, the head shape is also different and finally, the feathering itself is altogether different.

Those are extremely handsome young cockerels you have there. Congratulations.

So you couldn't break that to me gently huh?

. Out of 6 chicks I brought home, it turns out that 4 are now cockerels. Thank you, I really do appreciate the answer even if it wasn't what I was hoping.

 

[Brookhavens]

Not an opinion. A fact. Have kept, raised and bred Rocks for nearly 55 years. Don't need to guess anymore than I'd guess about a young whitetail deer with buttons on his head would be a button buck, not a doe.

They are both cockerels. There is a physiological difference between the males and females. They are different, not only because of their sex, but the secondary characteristics that distinguish them as surely as bucks have antlers and does do not.

The males carry two genes for barring. Thus, the male presents with barring far different than the female. The body types are also different. The male is designed to stand tall, to be watchful over his flock and since he doesn't lay eggs but rather mounts the females, his legs are taller, thicker and his body is shaped differently. His comb matures at 7 weeks and shows red, as well as sprouting red wattles. The females, the pullets, do not display these secondary sex characteristics until nearer the onset of laying. The females barring, with one gene, gives the bird a darker, blacker appearance. The female is lower to ground in body stance as she needs to be mounted for fertility and lower to the ground to lay eggs.

The tails are different, the head shape is also different and finally, the feathering itself is altogether different.

Those are extremely handsome young cockerels you have there. Congratulations.

x2. Definitely 2 cockerels.

 

[leahy]

That is the way it goes sometimes. This year the chicks I got were sexed perfect, all pullets. Other yrs I've had almost 50% be roosters. Having raising chickens for 50 yrs, barred rocks are on of my favorites too, but the last batch I got came from a not so good strain. They grew up to be really small, like a white leghorn. Also, after 1 yr a couple of them started acting like they were having a nervous breakdown, even with being top of the pecking order. They were constantly running around nervous, cackling at the top of the lungs, not laying, and getting the rest of the flock all stirred up. I ended up culling them because it went on for months. Never had trouble before, think I got a bad strain from the hatchery.

 

[Delight30]

Not sure if these guys are old enough to tell the difference, but wondering if I have any cockerels in this bunch.... I have 3 BR and I think I may have at least one cockerel. They are 4wks in these pictures. Thanks for the help.

 

[HughesFowlFarm]

New to the barred rocks, but so far they are my favorite! I got 3 chicks, 3 days ago, told that they are 2 weeks old

 

[Brookhavens]

PULLET



PULLET



Thinking Cockerel here



PULLET



Not sure if these guys are old enough to tell the difference, but wondering if I have any cockerels in this bunch.... I have 3 BR and I think I may have at least one cockerel. They are 4wks in these pictures. Thanks for the help.

 

[Delight30]

Thank you Brookhavens

 

[strssdmom]

Hello! I am new to chickens and I just got a speckled egg from one of my girls. I didn't know any of them would lay speckled eggs. Now I am searching for who it belongs to.

What color eggs do barred rocks lay?

Here is the egg...


It is difficult to see the speckles, but it is the one on the top left.

 

[HughesFowlFarm]

I've got three 2 week old chicks, one has brown around it's eyes and has crooked toes and already has small tail feathers. Can anyone tell me how to fix it's feet? And what does the brown around it's eyes mean?

If I can fix it's feet, will it's genetics cause it's off spring to have crooked feet?

 

[HughesFowlFarm]