Do Columbian Wyandotte chicks look like Barred Rocks?

[crazy4eggsJulie]

We ordered several chicks from Ideal Poultry. They marked several look-alikes with colored markers on their heads so we could tell them apart. I was supposed to have 2 Columbian Wyandottes in the order. They happened to be one of the breeds they did not mark. The problem is that the invoice said that they also added barred rock males for warmth. So, I had 4 chicks that looked identical with a yellow head spot. One was so aggressive (pecking the crud out of everyone else's eyes) that I returned him to a local feed store! The other 3 are two weeks old now and ALL look like barred rocks to me. I called the hatchery to ask HOW MANY males they included (thinking maybe they left the Columbian Wyandottes off accidentally and added 4 barred rocks for warmth) but they said they do not keep track of the amount or even the breed they send extra for warmth. I say all this to say...CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF BABY COLUMBIAN WYANDOTTES LOOK JUST LIKE BABY BARRED ROCKS? They are mainly black with gray-white markings. From looking at the adults, I would think the CW's would be mainly white with some black....
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Krys109uk]

Barred Rock chicks are black downed with a white headspot. Columbian Wyandottes wouldn't look like that. I've never had Columbian Wyandottes, but I'd expect the chicks to have dark down with light wings & head.
Barred Rocks will feather up with bands of black & silver. Columbian Wyandottes would probably feather up with black primaries, tail & neck the rest being silver, undercolour grey.
HTH

 

[tadkerson]

Columbian wyandottes will vary in color from an all white chick to a grayish chick with a white face. Barred rocks are black or black with the ventral area being whitish with the white/cream spot on the head. I do not know why some columbian birds are white and others are grayish in color. My columbian rhode island have white down and are wheaten while wyandottes are brown at the e locus. It could be the columbian or columbian like restrictors that that make the difference in the down color.


Post some pics.

Tim

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

I pulled all 3 out this morning and put them side by side. Not sure how to post a pic, hope this works...

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Those are barred rock chicks

 

[Krys109uk]

I guess the columbian wyandottes are supposed to be eb in order to get the correct slate or blueish undercolour. Light Sussex & presumably columbian Rhodies being eWh to get the white undercolour?

 

[ctychix]

I agree they all look like barred rock...oops

 

[ve]

Now when you know who is barred rock look for the 2 babys who have rose comb

 

[tadkerson]

Krys,

This is the way I see the concept.

Quote:
A columbian birds E locus can vary between wheaten and brown or even be heterozygous (split) for wheaten and brown. Most of the silver columbians are brown at the E locus while the red birds are wheaten at the E locus. If a bird has reddish under color they are wheatens; white to gray/slate are brown. I have had wheaten rhode island red with very light buff under color but not white. Birds that are wheaten tend to have less black hackle than birds that are brown. Mahogany will clear all or almost all of the hackle black (Rhodies)

That does not mean you could not have a white under color on a wheaten black tailed red- I just have never seen it on mine. There are more columbian restrictors other than columbian, dark brown and mahogany; no one has bothered to document them. So you never know what effect the other restrictors would have on a birds under color and hackle color.

Tim