If I breed a Barred rock Roo over BR, Wyandottes and Marans can I tell chicks apart?

[moving coops]

Okay just want to make sure. I asked in speraduc questions in other post put want to put in all here and see if I can tell others.

So I know if I put a barred rock over any the hens that they will all take on his coloring so will not be able to tell based on color.

But if I do BR over Wyandotte then the chicks will have a noticible Wyandottes comb, for sure

And BR over Maran then they will have feathered legs as chicks for sure?

And that way the one that hatch that don't have feathered legs or Wyandotte comb will be my purebred barred rocks, correct.

This it them being all in one pen!

Now if I add Bielefeder hens in there I won't be able to tell the chicks from pure barred rock chicks.

And if I add my Grazer(or what most you call ranger hens). In there I won't be able to tell them from pure barred rock chicks when hatched?

Thanks!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

This does sound correct. All will be barred but if your Marans have good leg feathering likely they will pass that on. I am not sure which was comb inheritance works though. I do know my straight comb rooster has made chicks with my Sebright and they had her comb, and he made chicks with my EE and they had her comb. So perhaps the comb is determined by the mother, but I don't know if that is a rule. Sorry. I suspect the Bielefelders will look like BR but they will also get the other colors (brownish tannish grayish colors) as well, hopefully, so you can tell them from the purebred BR.

The chicken genetics calculator indicates the offspring of the BR and Rangers will look BR (I assumed they are red rangers when I put the info in, though).

http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html

 

[moving coops]

Yes, that is what they are called, our one hatchery here in Canada got to call them grazers. They are the only hatchery bird I have! Kept 20 over for winter as they would lay eggs sooner than my younger heritage birds would and needed more eating eggs. But now considered putting them in my meat collection since I did not end up with enough heritage hens. But don't think I want to take a chance not knowing which are which. Even if they did get some red in them, that would not be till later to reveal themselves which is fine for our 300 we need for ourselves but a lady wants some and as day old chicks chicks which won't show itself then.... Sigh

 

[Ridgerunner]

All this assumes your breeds are pure for the trait.

But if I do BR over Wyandotte then the chicks will have a noticible Wyandottes comb, for sure

The rose comb of the Wyandottes is dominant. You should have no problems telling which came from the Wyandottes.

And BR over Maran then they will have feathered legs as chicks for sure?

Yes, feathered legs are partially dominant so all the chicks should show feathered legs. What I mean by partially dominant is that the feathers will not be as thick on the chicks since they only have one feathered leg gene, but they will have feathers.

And that way the one that hatch that don't have feathered legs or Wyandotte comb will be my purebred barred rocks, correct.

Yep.

Now if I add Bielefeder hens in there I won't be able to tell the chicks from pure barred rock chicks.

At hatch I don’t know of any way to tell the Bielefelder chicks from the pure BR’s. When they feather out you will probably see some red feathers leaking through, but not at hatch.

And if I add my Grazer(or what most you call ranger hens). In there I won't be able to tell them from pure barred rock chicks when hatched?

Same as the Bielefelders, not at hatch.

 

[moving coops]

Thanks so much!

How many hens do you think a barred Roo can handle? I know they are better than some breeds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If he is a fairly young rooster, one to three years old, has the respect of the hens, and has typical vigor, he should be able to keep 20 to 25 hens fertile without any real problem. An older less viral rooster or one that does not dominate his flock could have trouble keeping more than a small handful fertile.

To me it is not about breed, it’s about the personality of your chickens (hens as well as rooster) and your flock dynamics. They are all different.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

If you are able to tell their eggs apart and separate them at hatch, that will help. Are you incubating or using broodies?

 

[donrae]

Just adding that besides combs and leg feathering, the Marans should have white skin, which is dominant. So your white skinned birds would be from Marans mommas.

 

[moving coops]

Thanks everyone again! I am using incubators.

The main Roo is great. As soon as I put him in he started his noises and showing food and they are responding back! He is large and is still under the year mark. So wow if he can handle that many I will be good and might not have to worry if the younger guy doesn't do anything!

I have one other young Roo in there but think o am going to pull him. He should be pure, came from pure stock but he has a little different comb and it is small( he is younger too). And his barring is off look more like a hens barring with wider dark to the white! So maybe he was a mix that happened from not separating long enough in their pens?????

Wish I knew how to load photos from the phone!

 

[donrae]

The younger bird does sound like a mix. If you're wanting meat birds, I'd pull him if he's small-ish.

My younger roosters easily kept 2 dozen hens fertile. Happy to do it, too

My 3-4 year old birds, not so much, and not year round. They take breaks more, like the mature ladies do. But the young guys, always good to go.