Barred Rock Crosses Not So Easy...Just an FYI

[speckledhen]

CityGirlintheCountry, he's a handsome guy!


LizzieMac, I didn't figure it out, lots of long time chicken raisers are aware of it. It's just that so many folks have BR crosses and think they're pure BRs and because of that, they also believe they have pullets, judging from the darker color, dark wash down the legs, etc, which you would go by if the bird in question was pure. Just wanted folks to be aware that a BR cross cockerel can look very much like a BR pullet.

 

[LizzieMac]

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[donrae]

Thank you for posting this, I've also noticed the same thing..."but it's dark, it's got to be a pullet". That only works if it's a pure rock. Those sex-link boys can fool you!

 

[Pele]

Thanks for posting this information, it is really helpful.

I don't think it'll impact the tide of predictions, unfortunately. Everyone here is working on generalizations, and assumptions. When someone posts a BR, we assume it is, just for the sake of sanity. Everything posted here could possibly be a cross, so unless we assume it's not, or the owner says it is, the best we can all do is take a shot using general working principals.

You have beautiful birds btw!

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks for the compliment. These Phoenix/BR crosses were supposed to be pure BRs, but there was some unauthorized breeding that took place and I ended up with these guys. At first, they had me fooled, too, but no BR pullet gets a red comb at 4 weeks old, LOL, then I noticed the barring was really off, too, and the tails were a tad too long as well. I rehomed them so no idea how they turned out.

The Phoenix/BR cross pullet was named Raven and gifted to my friend who gave me the eggs. She turned out to be a very pretty hen and was with them for several years. Sometimes accidents are happy ones! Here was Raven when older:

I love BRs and BR crosses. Am especially partial to BR over BBS Ameraucana, but from all the ones I've had, I know that sexing them is rarely as easy as the pure BRs and a BR cross, just like the black sex link males, can look like a pure BR for the longest time.

 

[JodyJo]

interesting...I am one who posted my shots of my pullets and roos...for me it worked, all the lighter ones were roos and the darker ones are pullets.

My BR roos (actually all these are roos, even the Australorps)

and the pullet:

thanks for posting...I am new to chickens, only one year now...had my turn with all 9 roos last year, now have pullets...there is so much to learn!

thanks again!

oh BTW, that is one AWESOME roo you have there!

 

[meepitqueenie]

I was wondering if i could jump on here and ask a question.

this chick hatched out of a blue egg. its a dominique X EE.

since doms are barred I thought someone might help me its 3-4 days old now.

it has puffy cheeks like a EE. but what I read that doms can be sex link and it looks like this could be a female. but since its a cross any thoughts.

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
From what I understand pullets get their coloring from their father, so this would explain your results.

For example breeding silver and gold; if breeding a gold cock bird over silver females, all the resulting female chicks will be gold and the male chicks would carry both colors.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Meep- I cross ameraucanas with barred rocks, which is not exactly the same as your scenario, but it pretty close. Here is what I find happens here for what it is worth. With the AM father and barred rock mother I get black chicks with a pea comb and fat cheeks. They look like your pictures. As they start to feather out the males all develop barring and the females stay solid (like Speckledhen was saying). All the babies initially look like your chick though. I never know until the feathers start coming in. They do ALL have the puffy cheeks and a pea comb though.

Interestingly enough, I did a second generation cross of the barred EE rooster pictured and a plethora of hens, including some other EEs and some pure barred rocks. That hatch is a really interesting mix of pea combs and single combs on the little black and barred chicks. I'm afraid my sexing tips have all failed me and I must just wait for them to grow up before I will know gender.

Glad you all like SamIAm. He is such an interesting looking boy that I couldn't stand to sell him. He's here to stay. He has the sweet personality of the ameraucana roosters. At the moment he is deep into adolescence and is merrily making more little chickies (and driving the girls crazy). I hatched three more just like him back in March, so it seems that ameraucan x barred rock mix will keep making green and black striped boys like him.

 

[Cats Critters]

I have two boys whose mom was an EE, dad a Barred Rock. They have the dark coloring of a BR pullet, with splattering of coloring (they do have muffs, but the girls must not like beards they pulled them out):