Blue Birchen Rock?

[gallorojo]

All of the production barred rocks I've ever had were NOT plain old extended black ( E/E) under the barring. They have ALL been melanized silver birchen , under the barring. A melanized silver birchen gives you a black, plus barring, you get a barred.

There are several ways to get a black barred bird.

The underlying color genetics for the utility and show type barred rocks are quite different. When I look at the picture, I see a CROW WING bird. Silver penciled would have white on the wing coverts. That sure looks to me like a birchen bird. I am NOT saying it is show type perfect birchen, just that birchen is the basic pattern/color here.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I'm one of the "I have no idea" group who thinks he is really pretty

 

[halo]

Lisa, I think theres some birchen running thru one or two of my black hens. It originally started from a black hen that had just a few flecks of color on her neck. I hatched out a bunch of blacks last year from my black hens and a black rooster I had. Probably hatched out 30 blacks. One of the black rooster babies started getting all this color on him; of course I couldnt use him, but I kept him a while just to see how he'd end up. Looks a lot like your boy. I ended up taking him over to work; he works in one of the barns doing bug control. Unfortunately I dont have a camera, so I cant get a picture of him, but yes, there seems to be some birchen running thru that line. Ive been careful not to use that particular black hen with the color on her, and I believe theres only one other hen with that birchen, who I also dont use. I havent seen it pop up for a year or so. Id have to look closely at my black hens (I have about 10), but Im pretty sure theres only one or two showing that color now. On the hens its very slight.

 

[Inkheart]

Any way you look at this - this is a STUNNING rooster - truly.