BR hen - Mythological Creature

[rnorris1234]

I am begining to believe that a Barred Rock Hen is purely a mythological creature that doesn't really exist. 5 months ago I bought 4 straight run BRs -- all 4 turned out to be roos. I kept the friendliest and re-homed the others. I then bought an 8 week old pullet from a scam artists and it turned out not only to be a roo, but not even a BR. After doing my homeowrk, I tried again and bought a 12 week old pullet that was mostly black with smaller white stripes. Now "she" is starting to look a little too rooish! It looks like "Miss Abigail Frizzy Pants" may get a name change to "Lil Abner Frying Pan". And I may completely give up on my search for the mythological creature known as Barred Rock Hen -- a very pretty bird only known in Fairy Tales.

Robert

 

[Tala]

If she looked like a pullet at 12 weeks, and is just now starting to look "rooish" I assume you mean that she's growing red comb/wattles?? Sounds like she's coming into lay!!!!

A 12 week BR roo looks very rooish already, maybe even crowing or about to start.

If you posted a pic of this girl we could tell you with pretty good accuracy

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Robert, How old a hen are you looking for? I've got some older layers I'm going to cull in a few months and a few started pullets only a couple months old or so. If you are ever through North Mississippi, contact me and I'll fix you up with one of these mythological creatures. Mine are just farm stock, not show birds, but the eggs all taste the same.

 

[rnorris1234]

I'm at work right now, I'll try to post a picture this evening.
The combs have started to turn red, and that in itself might not concern me, (She's probably 17 or 18 weeks) but this week, i noticed that her black feathers have a metalic green sheen to them and I think the tail feathers are starting to curve, and her feet look much bigger than my BLRW hens. Do BR even have shiny green feathers? My roo doesn't -- not that I've seen. I thought she probably wasn't pure, but as long as she lays good eggs and doesn't attack us, I don't really care. ("She" is pretty.)
I have a BR roo that is about 20 weeks and a BLRW roo that's about 22 weeks and I've never heard either of them crow -- not once! I have a little bantam cochin who crows off and on for about an hour in the morning then it's all quiet in the back yard (not really complaining there).

I am glad to know that someone has discovered these pretty little mythological birds.

 

[speckledhen]

You know, Barred Rocks are easily sexable at hatch. By that age, if you know what a rooster looks like, there should be no question of what sex it is.

Here is a 15 week old BR cockerel. Note the saddle feathers hanging off the back in front of the tail and the light color:

Here are two 12 week old BR pullets. Note small combs, much darker color:

 

[rnorris1234]

Here are the pictures.

This is a side view. I thought the color was right for a hen, but the tail seems to be arching like a roo.

Here is a top view with some shiny feathers.

Here "she" ios with my roo.

 

[gobblecluck]

you have a hen. the waddles on my six br hens are the same size as the ones on yours. i dont have any with waddles and combs as small as the ones in the pic above all of yours. and yes it is normal for them to have the irridescent green feathers, all of mine do. as a sidenote i hope that roo is really attached to you and loves you because mine is about 20 wks old now and he doesnt have sharp spurs yet but it actually still hurts when he tries to spur me. i have to ring his bell about once a week. ( slap the piss out of him right in the head) i think when he does get some weapons on his legs the dremel tool is definitely coming out. he thinks he is the king of the yard. i am thinking about throwing him in the turkey pen to knock him down a couple notches.

 

[juliechick]

I've never seen a hen with that much curve in her tail. I vote rooster. I think I see pointed hackle feathers starting, too.

 

[PotterWatch]

That looks like a black sex-link cockeral or some other BR mix. Not a full BR and not a hen.

 

[BrianT]

I vote rooster. I think I see saddle feathers starting and those look to be a roostery tailfeathers but I'm really no expert with the exception that I've been put through the ringer like you by ne'er-do-wells in the world of chickendom.