Barred rock with white wing feather

[docdubz]

What would cause a barred rock to have one white feather on each wing? She's still a young pullet (9 or 10 weeks, I'd have to check my records) but so far that feather looks very similar to a young slw of the same age's feathers.

 

[HappyDuckie]

Could you add pictures? If it’s a hatchery bird, I wouldn’t worry about it. It also might just be juvenile feathers coming in, the adult feathers should grow in without any white feathers like you described.

 

[black_cat]

Sometimes hatchery quality BRs will have a couple solid white feathers or solid black feathers. Hatchery quality birds aren't perfect and sometimes the coloring isn't very strong (meaning the genes aren't very strong) (I think that's how it works???) Happens with black australorps, too- they'll have a couple white feathers.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Are they hatchery, or Heritage?

 

[docdubz]

I didn't think I could get a picture in the dark but you replied so fast I had to try. This was the best I could do because she didn't like how cold my hands are and that white rock in the picture was throwing a fit about the flash. I had thought she would lose this feather eventually like you said but it's been getting whiter and I just noticed taking the picture that the other feather near it is a lot lighter than it used to be.

To be honest I hope she keeps it. She's so friendly that she's the only hen that I let my son name, he named her penny. Would be a shame if I couldn't tell her from the rest.

 

[docdubz]

Are they hatchery, or Heritage?

"Hatchery heritage" lol so probably all of them are mutts. Learned about hatchery birds the hard way when I ordered "bielefelders" and wound up getting a bunch of violent felons.

 

[Painted Calls]

Get her a leg band. She will lose the white feathers once she molts.

 

[MysteryChicken]

"Hatchery heritage" lol so probably all of them are mutts. Learned about hatchery birds the hard way when I ordered "bielefelders" and wound up getting a bunch of violent felons.

Hatchery, & Heritage Rocks are different.
Here's my Heritage Plymouth Barred Rock.

 

[docdubz]

Hatchery, & Heritage Rocks are different.
Here's my Heritage Plymouth Barred Rock.
View attachment 2432088

Oh wow yea mine are trending much more dull than that. Where do you source good heritage birds? The only breeders I've found online have terrible reviews on the various forums.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Oh wow yea mine are trending much more dull than that. Where do you source good heritage birds? The only breeders I've found online have terrible reviews on the various forums.

Got mine from Meyer's Hatchery. They breed for both quality, & quantity.