Attn. all experienced Breeders: The best breed to keep in the backyard

[speckledhen]

LOL, I'm still here. I'm no expert on anything, but if you concentrate on a breed you really enjoy, no matter what the challenges are, you'll find the work less like, well, work! Jeff is right, it isn't something you can't change if you aren't satisfied with the direction it's going.

 

[alabama girl]

Kingscall, thanks, appreciate the kind words, I guess I've had barred rocks since I was a 5-yr. old (my grandmother owned them actually) so they don't strike me as something wonderful, but everyone is ABSOLUTELY right, they are the best breed, maybe just not my taste. Hey, you have bantam orpingtons, never seen them before, how are they like? are they ditto in temperament like the standards? what is the rooster like, does he have as loud a pitch???? Please don't sign off before answering my questions.
Amber

 

[Kanchii]

My bantam barred rocks have been very rewarding. They are beautiful, gentle yet entertaining, and lay wonderfully. Fabio, the rooster, is the cutest thing ever. When one of his girls makes a sound that says "i need to lay an egg" he stops what ever he is doing and sprints over to the nest box and rearranges it for her. Then she goes in and inspects it and usually lays her egg promptly, but if she doesn't like it she'll get back up and he'll run over and rearrange it until she likes it, and stands by her while she lays her egg. And if we give him a treat he'll go and drop it infront of his closest gf. If I were a chicken, I'd want Fabio to be my bf!

 

[alabama girl]

Hey, me too Kanchii, but my husband is standing right here reading this with me, so just give a big KISS to Fabio for now.

 

[Brian]

Quote:
Are you referring to the barring of the feather pattern, or are you saying that barred rocks have cuckoo maran genes in them?

 

[greyfields]

"Barring" and "Cuckoo" are patterns on the plumage.

Barring alternates: | | | | | | | | |

Cucko alternates: > > > > > > >

 

[coopist]

Here's a quoted post from a poultry geneticist on another board. It may help:

"Barred Rocks have the same sex-linked allele that the cuckoo barred birds have, but other genes are different. Show quality Barred rocks have a nice even barring through out their plumage. They have traits like Columbian and late-feathering that seems to help them maintain this barred pattern. There are other modifiers of barring that these breeds have.

Cuckoo is an irregular barred pattern. These types usually lack columbian are are early feathering. If you want to describe it, it is just a messy barred pattern. The barring on the tail can have a Z pattern instead of nice straight bars.

These patterns are due to the same major gene of sex-linked barring, but other genes modify the expression of barring to produce the difference. "