ARE THESE BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS? 4 WEEKS. If not, then what? sex?

[elabraleon]

I posted pics before and the vast majority said both pullets, but I see differences between the two chicks, in their combs and in their tail feathers, even though they both have dark coloring. For example, one has a slightly larger comb, that looks a little pink, and it's tail feathers look more white and dont seem to lay in the same way as the other chick. The other one's comb is smaller with barely a hint of pink, and it has darker tail feathers that look, well, smoother than the other. Is this a normal variation, or should I still be concerned that one may be a roo?

Thanks again

Here are both tails: Chick 1, Chick 2

Here is chick 1's comb

Here is chick 2's comb

One more, Chick 2 in front, looking at you. Chick 1 in background.

Still think they're both girls?

 

[RAREROO]

Tail and wing feathering rates are not an accurate way of sexing rocks and such. They both have the dark pullet coloring but the one does have more of a roos comb, so it may possibly be a Het barred roo which would make him dark like pullets. But BTW, they'e barring looks more Cuckoo, like a Cuckoo Marans not Barred Rocks. Where did you get them from ?

 

[elabraleon]

I purchased them from a man who had ordered from a hatchery. He had barred rocks and buff orpingtons (all supposed to be pullets). Wow, so they might not even be Barred Rocks?!

Het barred roo

I'm not familiar with what this means, can you explain please?​

 

[halo]

They really don't look like barred rocks, especially with how much wing feathers they already have. There should be a lot of barring on those feathers.

 

[Kenshan1]

My Cuckoo Marans at this age had pink & black marks on the legs but did have more yellow beaks. Barred Rocks have yellow legs which I see in your chicks. My Cuckoos had combs like yours, mine are 15wks & still not showing any signs of being roos. Not sure about Barred Rocks but I'd keep a little eye on the #2.

Shannon

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
I'm not familiar with what this means, can you explain please?

First of all, like some else also said, they dont look like barred rocks so I am voting Cuckoo Marans.


As for the Het Barred thing. Barring is sexlinked in itself and I believe hens only get one copy of barring and males get two. A male with two copies is called Homozygous barred and is usually a good bit lighter than the hens which makes them fairly easy to sex really young. Some of us with experience with them can sex dayolds with about 90ish% accuracy just by looking at them. But one rare occasions when breeding a Homo. Barred male which is what most pure male barred rocks are, sometimes you can get a Heterozygous (Het.) (1 copy) male that will be the same shade as the females and hard to tell apart until his rooster features start showing up.

But say if you are producing sexlinks by breeding a non barred roo to a barred hen, then all of the roos will be barred and they will all be Het Barred. Breeding a Homo. Barred roo to barred or non barred hens gives ALL barred offspring. Breeding a Het. Barred roo to a non barred hen will produce half barred and half non barred in both sexes. Breedin a Het male to a barred hen will give all barred males, half barred females, and half non barred females.

 

[sprawli]

Cuckoo Marans!

 

[halo]

Not cuckoo marans. Their legs are yellow. They almost look like sex linked roosters of some sort.

 

[elabraleon]

I thought Cuckoo Marans had pink skin on the legs. Mine have yellow with a grey wash down the front. Am I mistaken?

 

[RAREROO]

Well either way, their color is Cuckoo, not real ( slow feathering ) Barred. So if they are barred rocks they are very poorly colored but if they serve you for what you want them for and you arent concerned with the color, then it really doesnt matter I guess.