Barred Rock with red feathers?

[BreeShu]

Random tractor supply chick I added to my flock this summer. Approx 12ws old and very friendly. I noticed today while giving pets some red poking through around the neck and body. At first I feared blood. Turned out it was the feathers themselves. Is this normal for a barred rock?

 

[BreeShu]

Tried to take another picture from a better spot but it's night here now.

 

[Amer]

It's gold leakage. No, it isn't common, but I suppose it is possible. Most barred birds are silver-based, however.

 

[WallyG74]

Black sex link male. I hatched a bunch last year and that’s what all the males looked like. Little random leakage reddish brown spots.

 

[BreeShu]

Black sex link male. I hatched a bunch last year and that’s what all the males looked like. Little random leakage reddish brown spots.

I suspected it was a male but wasn't confident. Started off for the first 6 weeks looking like a roo but now the feathers seem more rounded like my pullets and not pointy like my other young roos.

 

[WallyG74]

I suspected it was a male but wasn't confident. Started off for the first 6 weeks looking like a roo but now the feathers seem more rounded like my pullets and not pointy like my other young roos.

I could easily be wrong, but as soon as I saw your description with the pic, those cockerels were the first thing I thought of. I sold several as chicks but we kept 4 up until 4 months old. I even named them the Quad City DJs. They were the ugliest birds I’ve ever had. The leakage was bad!

 

[WallyG74]

As a baby chick, was it black with a yellow spot on its head?

 

[BreeShu]

As a baby chick, was it black with a yellow spot on its head?

He had white spot on his head and all white chest and belly. Body and wings were black. But it was definitely white not yellow.

 

[WallyG74]

He had white spot on his head and all white chest and belly. Body and wings were black. But it was definitely white not yellow.

White/yellow… I bet he was put in a batch of all female black sex links by mistake. I’m not trying to insult your intelligence by no means, but do you know how to breed to get a black sex link?

 

[BreeShu]

White/yellow… I bet he was put in a batch of all female black sex links by mistake. I’m not trying to insult your intelligence by no means, but do you know how to breed to get a black sex link?

Mildly. I've read a little on it and I have two from last year. But this is still only my second year having chickens and since I'm not in an area that would allow me to have too many to play with genetics, I'm not trying to. Problem was he wasn't labeled at all. They just had a whole bunch of different chicks together labeled straight run and discounted. White silkies, bantams, black and white chicks and a few all grey.