Barred Rock crossed with ??

[kimschicks26]

I have a couple of my barred rock boys who look like this






and this rooster who looks like a Barred Roo should ( at least from what I've seen)



Are they most likely crosses and what do you think they may be crossed with, they have those dark blue wing and tail feathers and a couple of very small splashes of red... nice big boys tho. Any thoughts?

 

[KellyAndMark]

Our rooster looks identical to your top 3 pics, and when we got them as chicks the lady said a few of those barred rocks may be mixed with her reds

 

[KellyAndMark]

 

[Michael OShay]

You roosters are Black Sex Link roosters, which are produced by crossing a red gene rooster with a silver gene hen. The chicks can be sexed by color at hatching. Male chicks are black with a white spot on the tops of their heads and female chicks are solid black. These color distinctions remain with them as they mature. Black Sex Link roosters look similar to Barred Rocks and Black Sex Link hens are black with some reddish or copper colored feathers around the neck area.

 

[StarMeKritten]

I agree. They look like black sex link roosters. Black sex links are a cross between barred hens and a non-barred, non-white rooster. The barred hens pass the barring gene to their sons only which makes them easy to sex at hatch by the white spot on the heads of the makes. Not to be confused with red sex links which are a cross between a silver hen and a red rooster.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Your roosters look like Black Sex-Links to me.

 

[kimschicks26]

Thank you everyone.... appreciate your knowledge!

 

[BantamLover21]

They look like Black Sex-link roosters to me, too.

 

[Michael OShay]

You roosters are Black Sex Link roosters, which are produced by crossing a red gene rooster with a silver gene hen.

Typo correction (something I definitely know better than). BSLs use a barred gene hen, not a silver gene hen. Red Sex Links use the silver gene hen. Seems my PC is making a lot of these typos lately. )

 

[Michael OShay]

I agree. They look like black sex link roosters. Black sex links are a cross between barred hens and a non-barred, non-white rooster. The barred hens pass the barring gene to their sons only which makes them easy to sex at hatch by the white spot on the heads of the makes. Not to be confused with red sex links which are a cross between a silver hen and a red rooster.

I know that. How in the world I typed in "silver" instead of "barred' is beyond me. I must have been really tired when I typed my post. )