14-weeks old Barred Rock... Hoping for Hen but wife thinks is a Rooster...help please?

[sentryd]

Hi, they both used to look the same until about two weeks ago. Lola upfront now is starting to look a lot different and the wife think she might be a Lalo (rooster) instead. the back of his/her head started to turn white-ish, although the rest of the more still looks like the other one. And the wabble well, you can see the difference. could it be mixed? They are both 14 weeks old. anyone thinks there's still a chance that it a She? Thanks!

 

[junebuggena]

When did the comb turn red? Does it have any thin, pointed, shiny feathers around the base of the tail? Also, those birds have white feet. Barred Rocks have very yellow legs and feet. You have cuckoo Marans.

 

[Kev]

They are mixed or crossed. It's true barred rocks are to have yellow legs and marans have white.. but since Lalo(yep, that is a male- besides the comb, I see rooster feathers coming on neck and the area on wing) is about the same shade of color as the girl and his legs are not clear(still has the black pigmentation), it means he is not pure for the barring gene..... an indication of crossing or mixing of some sort.

This is because the gene for cuckoo and barring has a dose effect, which means the roosters are normally a full shade or two lighter than the hens.

Also, his barring is far too crisp and very un-cuckoo like I have a hard time believing it's supposed to be a cuckoo marans. (barring and cuckoo is the same gene, the difference in appearence is due to other causes)

The apparent lightening of his neck is another possible indication of mixed breeding, especially if he gets a lot more white on neck and maybe on his back and wing bow area. It's a normal result of breeding basically a solid black or a pure barred chicken with a chicken of a different color. It causes some color to "leak" in the mixed color offspring, usually later on the rooster's necks and backs.

My guess as to possible parentage- due to the barring(instead of cuckoo pattern( and white skin, perhaps barred rock and light sussex(especially if you are not in USA- sussex are not really common in USA but very popular in Australia and other countries). I struggle to think of cross with a cuckoo marans that would give this sort of barring and body type...

They are nice looking birds.

 

[Michael OShay]

I agree with Kev; it looks like a Barred Rock mixed cockerel (it has something in it's bloodline besides pure BR).

 

[Chicken Girl1]

They are mixed or crossed. It's true barred rocks are to have yellow legs and marans have white.. but since Lalo(yep, that is a male- besides the comb, I see rooster feathers coming on neck and the area on wing) is about the same shade of color as the girl and his legs are not clear(still has the black pigmentation), it means he is not pure for the barring gene..... an indication of crossing or mixing of some sort.

This is because the gene for cuckoo and barring has a dose effect, which means the roosters are normally a full shade or two lighter than the hens.

Also, his barring is far too crisp and very un-cuckoo like I have a hard time believing it's supposed to be a cuckoo marans. (barring and cuckoo is the same gene, the difference in appearence is due to other causes)

The apparent lightening of his neck is another possible indication of mixed breeding, especially if he gets a lot more white on neck and maybe on his back and wing bow area. It's a normal result of breeding basically a solid black or a pure barred chicken with a chicken of a different color. It causes some color to "leak" in the mixed color offspring, usually later on the rooster's necks and backs.

My guess as to possible parentage- due to the barring(instead of cuckoo pattern( and white skin, perhaps barred rock and light sussex(especially if you are not in USA- sussex are not really common in USA but very popular in Australia and other countries). I struggle to think of cross with a cuckoo marans that would give this sort of barring and body type...

They are nice looking birds.

x2

 

[flowerchild88]

That's gonna be Lalo not Lola lol no way he is a she

 

[BantamLover21]

Cockerel.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I agree with Kev; it looks like a Barred Rock mixed cockerel (it has something in it's bloodline besides pure BR).

Agreed.

 

[sentryd]

Thank you everyone so much we still have to learn. It sounds like I am stuck with a Lalo which is a mutt. and I'm also short an egg layer, might need to get a couple more chickens to make up for it . not sure if the neighbors will be ok with a rooster next door but the wife really doesn't want to get rid of (eat) Lalo. We'll see how it goes.

junebuggena the wable turned red around 10 weeks we think.

Kev we are in the US of Texas, we bought the "pullets" from a small farm in San Antonio as barred rocks, we didn't know any better.

 

[junebuggena]

Thank you everyone so much we still have to learn. It sounds like I am stuck with a Lalo which is a mutt. and I'm also short an egg layer, might need to get a couple more chickens to make up for it . not sure if the neighbors will be ok with a rooster next door but the wife really doesn't want to get rid of (eat) Lalo. We'll see how it goes.

junebuggena the wable turned red around 10 weeks we think.

Kev we are in the US of Texas, we bought the "pullets" from a small farm in San Antonio as barred rocks, we didn't know any better.

Then it is definitely a boy. Are these two the only chickens you have? You will most likely need to get more hens so that he doesn't over breed your current hen, or rehome him and get your girl two more hen buddies.