Are my Barred Rocks Mixed heritage?

[sunflour]

You mentioned you originally bought the birds at local pet store/feed store. The source of the birds is thus unknown, but what can be judged is that the birds are not Barred Rocks. To make a bird a reasonably solid representative of the breed, it must be bred to actually BE that breed. The description or Standard established for a breed is much more than color. It is shape, eyes, leg color, skin color, feather color and texture, comb, tail angle, back line, bottom line, etc, etc, etc,

These birds are mixes/mutts and no breed at all.

They are chickens. Breeds are man made ideas and the vast majority of chickens are not bred toward actually being a breed at all.

Even so, do chickens change their color. They have been black and white striped for 18 months, and now in first adult molt are changing color. I didn't know that chickens did this. I really don't care if they are mutts, they lay nearly daily and have great personalities. I really don't care if they turn purple.

Just have never heard that any mixed or pure breed changes their colors? And still just wonder if this is common?

 

[Bill Matthews]

You see this rooster of mine? He's has NO Barred Rock at all in him. He's 1/2 Delaware and 1/2 black whatever-the-heck Tiny is (Ameraucana with Sumatra heritage is what she is, really). His barring comes from the Delaware side and you see the gold and silver and red in his plumage and his slender build comes from his mother.



Your photo here looked very much like Deacon-in fact, it could be him, if I didn't know better:

I know this is an old post..But anyway....If your rooster is 1/2 Deleware he DOES HAVE Barred Rock in him because Delewares were initially a cross between Barred Rock females and New Hampshire males....The light dusty clay look is very common in hatchery Barred Rocks....Your young cockrel is a real looker...All the chickens you post, as well as the ones in the deep background, look great, healthy and well cared for....I think some of the Barred sex linked crosses are the best looking hobby and farm production chickens around......Same goes for the Austra Whites, California Gray Leghorns and Legshires and Red Legs...Thanks for sharing the fine pictures.....

 

[speckledhen]

I know this is an old post..But anyway....If your rooster is 1/2 Deleware he DOES HAVE Barred Rock in him because Delewares were initially a cross between Barred Rock females and New Hampshire males....The light dusty clay look is very common in hatchery Barred Rocks....Your young cockrel is a real looker...All the chickens you post, as well as the ones in the deep background, look great, healthy and well cared for....I think some of the Barred sex linked crosses are the best looking hobby and farm production chickens around......Same goes for the Austra Whites, California Gray Leghorns and Legshires and Red Legs...Thanks for sharing the fine pictures.....

Thanks for posting and for the compliments! Yes, I realize that genetically, Deacon does sport some BR back in the genes of the Delaware, but just not directly. Funny that I have a Delaware-looking pullet out of two barred parents, too, though both parents are 1/2 Delaware themselves. I did expect she would be barred, but surprise! Genes will out, don't they? I do think Deacon is a good looking rooster, too. He's a real pet and constant entertainment.