Barred Rock cross...with what?

[MontanaDolphin]

I spoke to someone at the hatchery (again) and he said they are probably a couple of different breeds...BR being the dominant breed, but with the white chest, probably has white leghorn in the mix somewhere.

 

[buckaroogirl]

Is this a common mistake for hatcheries? Do you get some sort of reimbursement if that isn't what you ordered?

 

[dretd]

Hmm...so I'll never know then, huh? Crap.

Well, let me ask ya'll this: What if I gave a list of the chickens they do carry? Would that help?

Aroucana/Ameraucana-No-comb
Black Giant
Black Sex Link (RIR male/BR female cross)
Buff Orpington-No-white shanks
Cornish Rock Cross (Cornish male/White Rock female cross)-no comb
Hubbard Golden Comet
Light Brahma-No pea comb/feather feet
Buff Brahma-No- pea comb/feather feet
Dark Brahma-No- pea comb/feather feet
Golden Laced Wyandotte-No-Rose comb
Silver Laced Wyandotte=No-Rose comb
New Hampshire
Partridge Rock
Rhode Island Red
Brown Leghorn-Unlikely, may have white ears, some with a rose comb
Babcock White Leghorn-Unlikely, may have white ears
Production Red (NH/RIR cross)
DeKalb Amberlink
Columbian Rock Cross (RIR female/Columbian male cross)
Red Cross (RIR male/Columbian female cross)
Tetra Tint (RIR male/White Leghorn female cross)
Dixie Rainbow

You can eliminate any breed that has feathered feet, a beard/muffs, has white shanks or a crest, also the girls have a straight comb so eliminate all rose/pea/cushion/etc combs


Because the barring is sexlinked and girls only have one copy of the barring gene, that would have to come from the rooster (he has 2 copies in a purebred and one in a cross). So while they may have used a black sexlink as a female, the male has to have barring. A black sexlink female is a cross between a barred female such a Barred Rock and a (usually) red-based Rooster like a RIR--the girls will be black with varying degrees of gold in the hackles and the boys will be barred (one copy so a muted barring).

So if they are using breeds they have on hand, the male has to be a yellow-legged, straight combed barred rooster. If all of the girls are barred then he will have 2 copies of the barring gene so he is not a sexlink and I think will have to be a Barred Rock. If they are not using purebreds, you will have no idea other than you know he will have the barring genes, straight comb, yellow legs.

The girls--who knows. From that list the choices are many--I would assume they would only keep purebreds (including production red here) for breed purposes and many of the 'breeds' you list are sexlinks (crossbreds and wont breed true). I do agree about the chest being paler so I see why they were thinking (light brown) leghorn. They just don't look very Leghorn-y to my eye. I would say the female is in decreasing order of likelihood: a Partridge Rock, Production Red, New Hampshire, RIR, LB Leghorn, Black Giant

In any case, although you can't show them as a breed, they will have hybrid vigor and should be dynamite layers.

 

[buckaroogirl]

You can eliminate any breed that has feathered feet, a beard/muffs, has white shanks or a crest, also the girls have a straight comb so eliminate all rose/pea/cushion/etc combs


Because the barring is sexlinked and girls only have one copy of the barring gene, that would have to come from the rooster (he has 2 copies in a purebred and one in a cross). So while they may have used a black sexlink as a female, the male has to have barring. A black sexlink female is a cross between a barred female such a Barred Rock and a (usually) red-based Rooster like a RIR--the girls will be black with varying degrees of gold in the hackles and the boys will be barred (one copy so a muted barring).

So if they are using breeds they have on hand, the male has to be a yellow-legged, straight combed barred rooster. If all of the girls are barred then he will have 2 copies of the barring gene so he is not a sexlink and I think will have to be a Barred Rock. If they are not using purebreds, you will have no idea other than you know he will have the barring genes, straight comb, yellow legs.

My eyes started to cross reading all that! You sure know your genes. Lol!

 

[itybitychiknfrm]

I have mostly Leghorns, and those head pics look exactly like a leghorn face, but leghorns have much larger combs. I also have production reds and they have the thick leg and butt feathers and the smaller combs just like yours. The barred color gene would have to be very strong for them to be barred and not red, though because I've hatched chicks out of my reds, and they are always mostly red. But of course, some genes may not show up in their parents that could've been from farther back like grand or great grand parents. I'm sure they are mixed with more than one breed, though.

 

[thebanthams]

Hatcheries are like puppy mills, you never know what your going to get, Thats why the sell them cheap too

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Sigh. Curiosity killed the cat...I guess I'll have to stop letting it bother me that I don't know what they are.

 

[thebanthams]

as long they are healthy I will keep them !!

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Oh keeping them isn't an issue. They are supposed to be superb layers, and that's why I got chickens. I just have a seriously inquisitive mind...I have to solve every puzzle I come across. I'm sorta OCD about it

 

[dretd]

Oh keeping them isn't an issue. They are supposed to be superb layers, and that's why I got chickens. I just have a seriously inquisitive mind...I have to solve every puzzle I come across. I'm sorta OCD about it

I hope my long answer didn't create more of a puzzle! If you like to play with puzzles, try the chicken calculator: http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html This is a genetic calculator for chicken colors. It is only semi-accurate as chickens frequently have hidden genes that only come out when you mate them with a different variety or color. So in general if you choose the picture of the male barred rock then click a picture of a hen then press calculate, you will get a rough estimate of the cross but it won't tell you that there is less barring over red pigments and that male crosses frequently have red color bleeding through the shoulders on top of the ground color. But it is fun to play with and will get you in the ball park.