Barred rock

[medders]

Are all barred Rock hen darker then the roosters?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the roosters are purebred Barred Rock with two barred genes and the hens are purebred Barred Rock with only one barred gene they should be. That's the simple answer. Unfortunately there are usually exceptions to any rule. There are so many different genes that can modify others that it's hard to say for absolute certainty.

Not sure why you are asking but photos might help. Where did you get them, hatchery or a breeder?

A quick example where there could be an exception. If somehow the hen is not pure BR but for some reason has one copy of the B/B/S gene, instead of black she will be a blue-grey and be pretty light.

 

[medders]

If the roosters are purebred Barred Rock with two barred genes and the hens are purebred Barred Rock with only one barred gene they should be. That's the simple answer. Unfortunately there are usually exceptions to any rule. There are so many different genes that can modify others that it's hard to say for absolute certainty.

Not sure why you are asking but photos might help. Where did you get them, hatchery or a breeder?

A quick example where there could be an exception. If somehow the hen is not pure BR but for some reason has one copy of the B/B/S gene, instead of black she will be a blue-grey and be pretty light.

I got them at a local tractor supply, they sold them as a straight run chicks. I got them for 50 cent a piece. Got 18 of them there around 6 weeks old. I’ve noticed them 3 of them are darker then the others

 

[Ridgerunner]

That is worrying. Some people can get a good idea of the sex of Barred Rock chicks at hatch by looking at the size of the spot on their head. A pullet has a relatively small spot, a cockerel will have a larger spot. Then a few days later when the feathers start coming in, there is the difference in feather color. Those chicks may have been picked over, leaving mostly cockerels. I've seen the same thing at Tractor Supply with red sex links. The lady managing the chickens at that Tractor Supply knew what sex links were but she did not realize that ISA Browns were red sex links. There were two brown chicks in that bin and about 3 dozen yellow ones. I don't know how much control she had over which chicks were ordered, she told me not much, but I don't understand why anyone that knew what they were doing would order sexable chicks as straight run. But then a lot of people don't know that barred chicks like Dominique, Cuckoo Marans, or Barred Rocks are at least sort of sexable.

I wish you luck but that is worrying.

 

[medders]

Thanks for your help.
When I first got them , I noticed the size of the spot on head . I thought I seen several with the small yellow spot on head , but now I’m not sure how many pullets I have!
I’ll just put the roosters in freezer lol

 

[GC-Raptor]

I got my Barred Rocks at TSC. They were sexed as females.
As they started to feather out, two of them were lighter. But all seven were laying by 23 weeks.
Two are still lighter than the others. One I named Frosty. .GC

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I got them at a local tractor supply, they sold them as a straight run chicks. I got them for 50 cent a piece. Got 18 of them there around 6 weeks old. I’ve noticed them 3 of them are darker then the others

At 6 weeks, if you post pics we can confirm sex......

 

[aart]

Got 18 of them there around 6 weeks old.

Post pics now, should be apparent by comb/wattle size/color.

 

[medders]

Are all barred Rock hen darker then the roosters?

Pullets ?

 

[annageckos]

You got a whole lotta boys there. The first pic the bird in the back looks like a pullet, but I think the rest are cockerels.