Barred Rock Bantam Chick Gender?

[Rhodebar Lover]

I agree. The barring is that of a cockerel. When I raised Barred Rock Bantams the females barring was a much darker color. Easy to tell

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

@Mosey2003 I know you breed the large fowl Barred Rocks, do you think cockerel or pullet? I was actually going to say cockerel, based on how clean/crisp the white barring is, but I could be off. My roommate has a trio of Barred Rock Bantams and I could pick the cockerel out as soon as they started feathering in because he was so different than the pullets.

Agreed. VERY sharp contrast between the sexes with them

 

[JayC]

@Mosey2003 Thank you for your input! Oh dear, we've got a Grover
@Rhodebar Lover Thank you for your replies as well.

He'll have a good home with some hens!

 

[JayC]

8 week old Barred Rock Bantam!
Any changes? Kinda looking pullet? Not sure if pure or a mix!

 

[black_cat]

View attachment 2216013 8 week old Barred Rock Bantam!
Any changes? Kinda looking pullet? Not sure if pure or a mix!
View attachment 2216021View attachment 2216022

The coloring is saying cockerel, but the comb and wattles say pullet.....a friend has a full size barred rock of about 6 weeks, and its comb is the same size. No reddening on either your bird or hers, and neither have any wattles. This one's confuzzling me!

 

[JayC]

The coloring is saying cockerel, but the comb and wattles say pullet.....a friend has a full size barred rock of about 6 weeks, and its comb is the same size. No reddening on either your bird or hers, and neither have any wattles. This one's confuzzling me!

Yeah! A toughie, I wanna still say pullet. The coloring on this chick has been very clean, so comparing pictures to 'barres rocks' around the same age was no help!

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I think cockerel still

 

[Mosey2003]

That's still a cockerel, just a slow maturing one. Another clue is the pure yellow legs - usually cockerels will start out with some dark wash on them at hatch, but then it fades and goes completely, whereas a pullet will keep at least some of that as she grows.

The crispness vs muddiness of the barring has nothing to do with sex, it's a reflection of the quality of the breeding. To have the crisp barring, you need to be breeding lines that mature slower, as that is what influences how sharp the bars are defined. That's why hatchery Barred are so muddy, they breed for fast maturity and egg laying, not markings.

Where did you get him? He's actually rather nice.

 

[JayC]

@Mosey2003

I'll have to get a better look at the feet, I recall some wash on the tops of the legs still? Do hens at full growth keep darker legs usually, too?

I got Clover more local, a mountain town not too far from mine but I'm not sure where their feed store gets their chicks!

Thank you!

 

[orloffer]

I also think it is a cockerel. Pullets have very dark barring.