Dark Plymoth Rocks - Hens? They have combs.

[donrae]

At 9 weeks they're all males.

the rules for sexing barred birds only apply to pure bred barred birds (a bird with two barred parents). the darker colored barred birds are black sex link males. they only have one barred parent, so only have one barring gene, giving them the same appearance of a pure bred barred female. But those combs don't lie.

 

[777funk]

Thanks slordaz for your comment! I guess we can grow more than just rocks in MO

Actually, the pictures are probably deceiving. They only weigh 1 to 2 lbs each and feel no where near as thick and chunky as a store bird (i.e. 3-5lbs dressed). Hopefully they'll be 7 lbs at 4-6 months. They eat free range in the woods and grass all day and we feed them .5lbs cracked corn a day to suppliment.

thanks donrae, I'll bet you're right on the combs. My wife says the same (both of our first time raising chickens).

 

[slordaz]

The birds like to make us feel we are on a funny farm somedays so no worries 777funk, I thought I had all pullets until I went and bought a rooster purposely for my hens , we had a rooster in disguise lol, rehomed it though as it wasn't one that had anymore of and like my BR and RIR's lol. There is a breeder close to us though and he took in the other one as was to aggresive love it's coloring but was obviously a mut even the breeder couldn't figure out exact;ly what it was.