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"Show Quality" Barnevelders in the USA tend to be very dark colored at this time. Good Barnevelders are still very rare here most likely because the original import flocks died out or were replaced by Welsummers and Marans which lay much darker eggs. Lots of "Barnevelders" here also seem to show signs of being crossed with Welsummer and they have way to much red and very poor messed up lacing.
Your roo looks pretty much like the pictures I've seen of Australian and New Zealand Barnevelders. His tail should be fuller, but like you said he lost feathers and may just be young. My current cockerel has ONE tail feather thanks to moult and some jealous girls :rolleyes
"Show Quality" Barnevelders in the USA tend to be very dark colored at this time. Good Barnevelders are still very rare here most likely because the original import flocks died out or were replaced by Welsummers and Marans which lay much darker eggs. Lots of "Barnevelders" here also seem to show signs of being crossed with Welsummer and they have way to much red and very poor messed up lacing.
Your roo looks pretty much like the pictures I've seen of Australian and New Zealand Barnevelders. His tail should be fuller, but like you said he lost feathers and may just be young. My current cockerel has ONE tail feather thanks to moult and some jealous girls :rolleyes
Her body type does seem to be a little different from the rest. She seems more "round". The hard time she had in the begining as a chick must have effected her growth a bit. I'm still waiting for a few pullets to start to lay that are about the same age as Minnie, but they should start up anyday. I also have some eggs in the bator right now because I lost my favorite pet pullet to a coyote. I only had 2 of her eggs, but I set a bunch from some of the other pullets and hens to fill the bator a bit more. 
