Pure Barred Rocks or australorp cross?

[Diveks]

How big are they? Their body shape looks wrong for a pullet. They're also very lanky and don't look full grown.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the seller. There are many stores on here about people who got lied to and sent cockerels the seller wanted to get rid of. It's always best to go see the chicken in person rather than just relying on photos, as the setup they're kept in can give a good idea of how well they've been taken care of. And that way you can sort of tell the cockerels from the pullets, as it's always easier to tell when you have other chickens of the same age to compare with.

They are a bit bigger than my white leghorn hens (full grown)

Guess thats the bad part about buying online, i didn’t have any other choice though, it’s very hard for me to find breeders nearby since I live in the city with mostly high rise buildings nobody really keep chickens here.

 

[Diveks]

How big are they? Their body shape looks wrong for a pullet. They're also very lanky and don't look full grown.

Got some more pics of the chickens. One of the barred rocks stayed out in the rain yesterday morning so s/hes looking a tiny bit better in the feather department.

Looking for saddle feathers, and a comparison to a leghorn. Please excuse the mess and mud, it just rained and we are due for a renovation. Age and gender anyone?

 

[McChooky]

I wouldn't be too concerned about their looks if you're not breeding them for show. Barred rocks lay a lot of eggs.If those feathers had more white you've have boys but they don't

 

[Diveks]

I wouldn't be too concerned about their looks if you're not breeding them for show. Barred rocks lay a lot of eggs.If those feathers had more white you've have boys but they don't

Unfortunately since barred rocks are still pretty uncommon here I'm trying to find some good quality parents for a breeding project . If they are hens though I guess I can still keep them for laying purposes.

Update: The seller has informed me that these were not his chickens and he was helping his friends sell, the one chicken that was still not sent to me will be refunded. Turns out his friend who owned the last one never delivered his. Nevertheless I am not buying from this seller again.

 

[McChooky]

There is no indication they are crossed. They are just not the best quality as MysteryChicken said. Though the barring could and should become better as they mature.

The barred rocks I got from Purely Poultry didn't look any better than these when they were young but they were very pretty after they molted. I won't buy from them again because they sent the wrong birds not because of their dark feathers They were supposed to be dominiques.

 

[McChooky]

Here is a good place to buy decent hatching eggs if you'd like raise dominiques instead. They were used to create the barred rock breed and have rose combs instead. https://www.nantahala-farm.com/chickens-for-sale-s.shtml

 

[Diveks]

The barred rocks I got from Purely Poultry didn't look any better than these when they were young but they were very pretty after they molted. I won't buy from them again because they sent the wrong birds not because of their dark feathers They were supposed to be dominiques.

Well i guess ill wait until they fully moult out

 

[McChooky]

Well i guess ill wait until they fully moult out

These look too dark to be cockerels . Mine were laying in 5 months (20 weeks)

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

These look too dark to be cockerels . Mine were laying in 5 months (20 weeks)

If these are pure Barred Rocks, then yes, they should be pullets. Something to me just looks off. I guess this is just a case of wait and see. Since they are getting good nutrition now, they should soon show what gender they are.

 

[MamaPoult]

Your girls look a lot like my Rock with their yellow legs. I thought she was a barred rock (hints the name) but soon discovered that she was a cuckoo Maran.