Barred Rock: cockerel or pullet?

[fuzzynurse]

Background: I ordered a dozen Turkens (straight run) with the expectation of culling the males. To increase the odds of having enough hens in the end, I also bought 2 Barred Rock pullets and 2 Wyandotte pullets. All were Tractor Supply (and therefore from Hoover's Hatchery), the Turkens by mail and the BRs and Wyans in-store. They are all about 16 weeks now - although the BRs are about a week older than all the others according to the store staff when I bought them.

The one I'm trying to figure out is one of the BRs. For clarity, I'll call them A and B. A is noticeably (though not terribly) larger than B and has always been the dominant one in the flock, but that may be partly due to age and size. A generally stands guard while the others eat (at least initially) and... is the only one crowing so far. I've had a few hens crow on occasion in the past, but A is pretty serious about it. It may be because there is a rooster in our neighbors' yard (they sometimes holler back and forth).

Other than size and demeanor, though, I can't see much difference between them. Both have similar rose combs (so I suspect they're not pure BRs because they should have single combs). Coloring is the same on both. Hackles look pretty similar. The most (non-vocal) difference is the tail. A's is longer and arches, B's is shorter and more upright.

The pic of the BRs on Hoover's site shows them to be darker than mine and with a single comb, so I think they're probably from a lighter strain than those in the website pic.

The first several are A with B in the background on one:

A's tail with B in the background:

The rest are B:

 

[DobieLover]

They look like Dominique cockerels.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, these are both cockerels. They are also dominiques, not barred rocks.

 

[Cyprus]

Both are male dominiques.
Dominiques are a different breed of chicken that is basically a BR with a rose comb.

I've never understood how hatcheries can so drastically mess up sexing AUTO SEXING breeds. They literally hatch different colors. Not that hard.
I've been better than the HATCHERIES at selecting pullets from bins of autosexing chickens.

 

[lilmillefleur]

I swear someday I will work at The chick bin at TSC just so I can restore balance to the universe

 

[Gray Farms]

Both are male dominiques.
Dominiques are a different breed of chicken that is basically a BR with a rose comb.

I've never understood how hatcheries can so drastically mess up sexing AUTO SEXING breeds. They literally hatch different colors. Not that hard.
I've been better than the HATCHERIES at selecting pullets from bins of autosexing chickens.

I bet the hatchery bloodlines of Dominiques are not sexable at hatch.

 

[Pyxis]

Since you picked these up from Tractor supply it is more likely that the mistake was theirs rather than the hatchery they came from. TSC are notorious for mixing chicks up and likely someone else got your BR pullets if they ordered them in specially for you but if you just got them out of a bin at TSC off the cuff there is even more chance of it being their mistake. I'm in the UK and have never set foot in America but from reading these threads I am well aware of how often chicks get mixed up at TSC and people end up with something other than what the label on the bin said or a member of staff told them at TSC.
I guess you will have two more chicken dinners now!

Yep, I bought four chicks out of a "Barred Rock Pullets" bin at TSC this spring. Two were barred rocks. Two were dominiques. They don't come in labeled so the workers, who get no training, just guess what they think they are and label them as such.

Oh, and in the same visit I actually bought "leghorn pullets". Which were actually turkeys. I could tell that right away and knew before I bought them but the workers had no clue and just slapped leghorn pullets on them for their label.

 

[CacklingRanch]

Those are both cockerels.

They are also Dominique not Barred Plymouth Rocks.

How old are they? They look fairly young yet. Dominique are fairly slow to mature.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Okay, so cockerels. Bummer. What are you basing that conclusion on? Trying to learn.

I suspected early on that they weren't 100% BR. But their white is way whiter and the barring more clean than any of the Dominiques I've had. Maybe BR/Dom cross? That would make them R/r and S/s and explain the rose comb and white(er)ness.

Totally agree with the rest hatchery quality Dominique cockerels. Here's how we can tell:
The saddle feathers, and the double barring, making them appear so light. What applies to a Barred Rock for barring in males and females, applies to a Dominique.

 

[Pyxis]

Right. Dominiques show up as a dirtier white rather than a gold. At least that's what I've read in the past.

I think what you're describing is the difference between barred and cuckoo, maybe? Barring is much more crisp and defined. Cuckoo is more 'smudgy' with less clear definition in the transition between the colors.

Also, when out in the sunlight, over time any white on birds can become 'brassy' and look yellowed.

Here's a picture of a very nice dominique cock I took at a show. He won best of breed.