Black Ameraucana or Barred Rock?

[speckledhen]

Oh, yeah, the leg color on the Jersey Giants is different than Australorps. Aussies have white soles on their feet and JGs have yellow. Right now, the legs are "baby leg color", but later on, you'll be able to tell which it is.

 

[bcmama]

Well she's looking more like a BR would you agree? Her feet are also changing color to more black. Is that common for them to do that? What do you think?

 

[ChickenExtreme]

I'd still say a little more time, no barrs? and the feet of a BR pullet gets that gray wash, not sure about aussies? I'd give her/him more time

My BR didn't have that much white, lol.

 

[bcmama]

Thanks. I was just so fascinated with his/her feet changing color. They are just feed store chicks from Privett Hatchery but they are all supposed to be pullets.?.? And we are very attached.

 

[ChickenExtreme]

Thanks. I was just so fascinated with his/her feet changing color. They are just feed store chicks from Privett Hatchery but they are all supposed to be pullets.?.? And we are very attached.

That's understandable, lol. Hatchery's aren't 100% accurate, I wish they were though

 

[TexasLady]

I have had Silver Pencil Rocks for years, and I would not guess this is a barred rock. I have had Ameraucanas for years (mostly hatchery ones but in the last five years I got some real ones), and this looks much like an Ameraucana to me. I would guess black with some white in her since we see white on the tips of the feathers. I'm going out on a limb a bit because I have not had any blacks until this year, and they were dark from the day they were hatched.

Also, my Ameraucanas have always had a stripe down the front of their legs when they were babies--some only had a shadow of it when they were born and some had none, but they all got it as they got older (mostly by 2 weeks they all had dark stripes down the front of their legs). It was smoky dark, and it got darker as they aged. Some never seem to get the darkest legs, and they stay striped. This one that you have is striped right now.

I really like Ameraucanas, so I hope that is one. If so, you will have blue eggs, and that's fun.

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, super late to get any barring, wasn't it? Interesting. You never know with hatchery birds sometimes. Looks like a pullet, then.

 

[bcmama]

What makes this bird if a BR different from others that are not hatchery bred? Being that this is my first venture into chickens I had no idea that there was high quality bred chickens and that there was a difference with feed store chicks. (Such a novice I know) Also does it make a difference in the quality of their eggs?

 

[aoxa]

What makes this bird if a BR different from others that are not hatchery bred? Being that this is my first venture into chickens I had no idea that there was high quality bred chickens and that there was a difference with feed store chicks. (Such a novice I know) Also does it make a difference in the quality of their eggs?

Oh so much.. It is harder to sex them if they are true heritage stock. My boys are much darker then my lower quality barred rocks. I don't want to put down my own beautiful (though low quality for the breed) boy Jag, but he is not very good.

Here is my much better quality cockerel from a show line. He is only 15 weeks old.

Another..

Heritage girl.

Jagger's daughter. ETA: As chicks:

This turned out to be a boy. It had a lot of dark wash, and is my best boy now.

Oh and this is the lines they are from:

 

[bcmama]

Aoxa,

They are all very beautiful. Would you say your lesser quality has a more haphazard barring compared to your show line boy? Also am I correct when looking at pics that the female will be more black with white barring and the males are more white with black barring or is it an illusion I am seeing?