Barred Rock- Heritage or ?

[FaerieChicken]

How do you tell a Heritage BR from a non?

I have 5 BR hens, 1 is a NN bantam and then there are 2 that are very large girls and their Bars are distorted, per-say. Then the other 2 are a bit smaller, not bantam, but Bars are quite prominent!

Ill post pics later, I don't think I have any saved on this puter

Obviously, this is the NN bantam, she is only a 8 months old!

 

[FaerieChicken]

This is one of the smaller BR girls. She has obvious white bars.
I'll get picture of the larger girl.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The term "heritage" is a recent marketing term. The real issue is whether the birds are bred to the Standard for the breed. Birds sourced from feed stores or hatcheries are not. They are mass produced and are to chickens what McDonald's is to fast food. Cheap, available and healthy. (the chicks that is, not McDonalds' food necessarily, LOL)

Judging from your photo, your female is of hatchery type stock.

The only way to get Standard bred poultry is to get them from those who love the breed, preserve the breed and are quality breeders. That' it. The industry, neither meat nor egg industry, have any use for these old time birds, as they've gone to super hybrid on both the egg side and the meat side of the equation. Thus, only preservation minded breeders have kept these old breeds up to snuff.

Yes, I am one of these folks.

 

[FaerieChicken]

Here is one of the 2 larger girls!
We have noticed that these larger girls are very testy when lying on the eggs ( I don't think they are trying to hatch them)
They will lay on other chickens eggs while waiting to lay their own!
The 2 smaller girls are more brut to the other chickens when in the yard!
Interesting behaviors!
I'm not looking for show lines, after all these were all given to me and we are interested in the eggs and company. I didn't realize that hatcheries are like puppy mills until I have been reading up on BYC!
I really like all of my birds. I am just trying to understand the differences! I use to raise fancy ring neck doves! I use to love the colors I would get!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here are a little male and female at about 9 weeks. Click on any photo to enlarge. These are bred to Standard, fancy Barred Rocks. They are 20% larger than a hatchery bird, have the proper type and have barring you'll never, ever get from anything sourced from a feedstore or hatchery.

 

[FaerieChicken]

H

Here are a little male and female at about 9 weeks. Click on any photo to enlarge. These are bred to Standard, fancy Barred Rocks. They are 20% larger than a hatchery bird, have the proper type and have barring you'll never, ever get from anything sourced from a feedstore or hatchery.

Oh my, they are darling! Very distinctive bars too. Thanks for sharing, I now can see a difference! I think the 4 I have are of course hatchery/feed store but the 2 smaller girls look more closely to standard perhaps! I am still uncertain of the term heritage?

 

[Fred's Hens]

The term "heritage" was coined a few years ago as essentially a marketing ploy. The term isn't defined well, sort of like "heirloom" garden seeds.

 

[aoxa]

The true definition of heritage is something that was passed down through generations (i.e. and historic). We use it when describing a breed of chicken to mean they are of the quality they were submitted to the SOP as many, many decades ago.


Also, it is much, much more than just colour and precision of barring. I have some that the barring is out of this world, but their type really was really not something to behold unfortunately.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have Heritage Plymouth Barred Rocks, & they're just gorgeous.
2 are 4 week old chicks, & 1 is a 10 month old pullet.
I'm gonna try to get a picture of my 10 month old, but she's a little muddy do to wet weather.
Enjoy my handsome little cockerel for now though.

 

[Leilukka]

Thank you for the education! I live in Fort Worth and am in search for true breed standard heritage barred rock laying hens. Do you all have any idea which company/farm/homestead sells them?