Can a non legbar chick look exactly like a legbar?

[DavidReaves]

So, the thing that complicates this is that there is potentially hybridization going both ways... There were both solid RIR rooster and barred CL roosters covering the flock. In this case, I'm relatively certain that 3/4 of the blue eggs are auto-sexing, chipmunk pattern and eyeliner, pullets.

The other blue egg is what I'm calling "partial chipmunk". This photo from a few seconds later than the one above shows the head better. With the head in view I can tell which one was the blue egg. It's the chick to the top right of the photo. Its wing pattern is substantially different than the others that I believe are pure Cream Legbar. So, if it is barred, then since it came from a blue egg, it must be a cockerel? Solid male over barred female = barred cockerel. Is that a correct understanding of that portion?

Since most of the eggs were brown, if there are barred in those eggs does that mean that the CL rooster covered the solid RIR hens? If that is the case, then they may either be barred males with one barring gene or barred females (which also only [ever] have one copy of the barring gene? So, with the CL rooster and the solid hens, no sex-linked barring, correct? I'll just have to wait to identify those. These would be the ones that are called Fiesta Red in the link @Iluveggers shared, right?

Then, finally, there is still a potential for pure RIR, since the solid rooster may have covered the solid hens. Do the chicks in the first photo (7 chicks) look like Rhode Island Reds? I did find some images of RIR chick progression around 2 weeks and these look pretty close to those pictures.

Of course, there are also the two weird white patterned chicks-- I'll just have to grow them out to see what they are.

It's already an adventure!

 

[NatJ]

So, the thing that complicates this is that there is potentially hybridization going both ways... There were both solid RIR rooster and barred CL roosters covering the flock.

Yes, that is what makes it difficult

In this case, I'm relatively certain that 3/4 of the blue eggs are auto-sexing, chipmunk pattern and eyeliner, pullets.

That sounds right.

The other blue egg is what I'm calling "partial chipmunk". This photo from a few seconds later than the one above shows the head better. With the head in view I can tell which one was the blue egg. It's the chick to the top right of the photo. Its wing pattern is substantially different than the others that I believe are pure Cream Legbar. So, if it is barred, then since it came from a blue egg, it must be a cockerel? Solid male over barred female = barred cockerel. Is that a correct understanding of that portion?

Yes, that would be correct. Blue egg, barred mother, solid father, barred chick, cockerel.

Since most of the eggs were brown, if there are barred in those eggs does that mean that the CL rooster covered the solid RIR hens? If that is the case, then they may either be barred males with one barring gene or barred females (which also only [ever] have one copy of the barring gene? So, with the CL rooster and the solid hens, no sex-linked barring, correct? I'll just have to wait to identify those. These would be the ones that are called Fiesta Red in the link @Iluveggers shared, right?

Yes to all of those points.

Then, finally, there is still a potential for pure RIR, since the solid rooster may have covered the solid hens. Do the chicks in the first photo (7 chicks) look like Rhode Island Reds? I did find some images of RIR chick progression around 2 weeks and these look pretty close to those pictures.

Yes, they look like they could be pure Rhode Island Red chicks.
The ones of them who have a bit of stripe on their heads are more likely to be females (not 100% accurate, but I've read it's about 80% accurate.)

Of course, there are also the two weird white patterned chicks-- I'll just have to grow them out to see what they are.

It's already an adventure!

Yes, it certainly is!

 

[WhiteWaterChickens]

How did these chicks grow out? I have 15 mixed Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red chicks. I have 4 that hatched out of blue eggs, so they are potentially full Cream Legbar. They have the chipmunk pattern and eye bands. Of course, about half the others also have stripes. At day 10 they are all sorts of patterns with wing colors. Chest feathers haven't started growing in yet.

View attachment 3111733

Hi! Unfortunately the two chicks ended up 1 female and 1 male.

 

[DavidReaves]

Hi! Unfortunately the two chicks ended up 1 female and 1 male.

Okay, so a chipmunk pattern on a Legbar cross may not mean anything. Oh well. Thanks.

 

[DavidReaves]

I've posted elsewhere on this, but it looks like the final count is 6 cockerels, three that are Rhode Island Red, one that is a RIR and Cream Legbar cross, and the two white-dominant chicks. I'm speculating that one each of the white cockerels is from each rooster and both are from the same hen. There would seem to be 9 pullets (unless there is a slow-developing cockerel). Of those, two are definitely Cream Legbar. Two appear to be CL crosses (one from a blue egg, one from a brown egg) that look much like the other brown chickens but are showing a bit of crest. There is one lighter brown pullet, and four pullets that appear to be pure RIR.

These photos are mostly from 3-weeks of age. They've differentiated more since then, but I don't have photos of everyone. Some are more recent. The group photo is of the cockerels and two pullets. I separated into two pens to give them some space.