Barred Rock...Pullet or Cockerel?

[Barred4Life]

We just got ourselves our first 6 chicks...we don't know what we bought, but from what we can read online it seems like we got 3 hens and 3 roosters. Basically going by the colour of the feathers and head? I think it's too early to tell since they haven't fully grown into their feathers yet, but just curious to get some feedback from people with experience We don't care what we get since the extra roosters will become food, but obviously we're hoping we get some hens to get a decent amount of eggs. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!


These are our 6 chicks. The one on top of the feeder is all black. Is that normal for Barred Rock? Or did we get a different bread?


This is one which I would guess to be a rooster just because he has more feathers (bigger) and more white? Some people talk about the hens having more gray on their legs, but all 6 seems to have the front part of their legs gray?


Here's of those I think could be a hen? Almost no white except the strip you see on photo.

 

[builderone]

I am not sure if yours are the same but I feather sex my black australorps at 5-7 days. I have done several batches and been spot on. The wing feathers grow much faster and the tail feathers also. This has worked well for me. I hope it helps.

 

[dragonmorgan]

Males should have thicker white barring than the pullets. Both my BRs had dark/black fluff and dark leg wash when I got them. The all black one is prolly something like a black sex link. We got our 2 barred rocks from our local feed store and then went back and got another after they got in a new shipment in and got another and it is turnin out to look like a black sex link also.

Here are mine so you can have a reference. Mine are 3 weeks old in the pics.

Pullet


Roo


All black chick which is 2 weeks old.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I would say all pullets... but BR's should have white dots on their heads so they dont look like a BR

 

[Happy Chooks]

First chick is not a BR. 2nd is a cockerel. 3rd is harder to tell from the picture, but may be a pullet.

 

[Barred4Life]

So the one that looks like a Black Sex Link now has barred feather on it's breast. Could it mean it's not a black sex link? Each day they change soooooo much, crazy!

 

[Happy Chooks]

So the one that looks like a Black Sex Link now has barred feather on it's breast. Could it mean it's not a black sex link? Each day they change soooooo much, crazy!

Barred as in, black and white? Or is it showing black/red coloring? It may be a black sex link, but by the coloring, it's a pullet. If it were a male black sex link, the barring (black and white) would be all over it's body.

 

[Barred4Life]

Happy Chook - here's an updated photo of the black chick (the one mentionned above), the one you think maybe be Black Sex Link. I checked for some red-orange feathers, but the feathers on her chest are black and white. What do you think? It's white and black...but doesn't really look barred eh? Different pattern. One other thing I've noticed is that it's the only one I have with a black beak?

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

well sex-link or not thats a rooster

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yes, that one is for sure a boy. But that one sure is strange - it doesn't look like barring. I have to admit, I'm intrigued - I'll be interested to see what he looks like when he's fully feathered in.