Barred Rock pullets or Black Sex Link cockerals?

[AmyPaperlady]

I had the brilliant idea of calling the feed store to see what they had delivered the day the chicks that I bought arrived, and it could've been either. I did ask in my local thread and they all seem to be leaning towards BR pullets. So we're still evenly split. If they are BSL cockerals, when should I start watching the hackle and saddle areas? Or would crowing come first? And when?

I should've just gotten 4 RSLs, but no, I wanted variety...

 

[AmyPaperlady]

One week older, and not much change...

 

[AmyPaperlady]

7 weeks old now.

Any thoughts?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Barred Rock pullet at 7 weeks. By then, with roo's you'd be seeing a lot more red comb development.

LofMc

 

[junebuggena]

Barred Rock pullet at 7 weeks. By then, with roo's you'd be seeing a lot more red comb development.

LofMc

x2

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Yay! That's what I was thinking, too, especially since the RSLs are looking the same, and I know they're pullets.

 

[Toddrick]

Barred Rock pullet at 7 weeks. By then, with roo's you'd be seeing a lot more red comb development.

LofMc

Totally agree. Seven weeks and a cockerel should be obviously redder and bigger combed. Barred Rock pullets definitely seem to get more early development of their head gear than most standard breeds. This is like the tenth thread I've seen where the consensus was male and it turned out female. I'm not sure why they have so much more variation in growth, especially since Barred Rocks are bred into almost every standard breed at some point from what I've been reading.

Anyways, congratulations, and thanks for sharing!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Totally agree. Seven weeks and a cockerel should be obviously redder and bigger combed. Barred Rock pullets definitely seem to get more early development of their head gear than most standard breeds. This is like the tenth thread I've seen where the consensus was male and it turned out female. I'm not sure why they have so much more variation in growth, especially since Barred Rocks are bred into almost every standard breed at some point from what I've been reading.

Anyways, congratulations, and thanks for sharing!

I think the main reason Barred Rocks are so varied is because of the difference between breeder lines and hatchery lines.

They are a very popular breed, and the hatcheries carry them in abundance with focus on developing their lines for early maturing and productive laying.

So what you get at the feed store could have come from a multitude of different parents and lines and hatcheries.

LofMc