Dominique or barred rock?

[cstephens1987]

So I couldn't breed him with a RIR and end up with all barred offspring? Thats the only difference Ive noticed myself was the fact they used a black hen vs using a red hen

He will produce all barred offspring. A purebred US BR male will have a double dose of barring

 

[Muncy89]

He will produce all barred offspring. A purebred US BR male will have a double dose of barring

So what do you guys think would be my best course of action as far as hen breed goes? Am I on the right track with the RIR hen for the first generation and go from there?

 

[cstephens1987]

So what do you guys think would be my best course of action as far as hen breed goes? Am I on the right track with the RIR hen for the first generation and go from there?

What are you trying to breed?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

That is what a real barred rock should look like. Most you see have wider black and thats not right.

For a pullet/hen perhaps, but this is perfectly normal for a male. Males receive a copy of the barring gene from their mother and their father, hense two copies, hense the lighter color. Hens only get one copy, from their father.

So what do you guys think would be my best course of action as far as hen breed goes? Am I on the right track with the RIR hen for the first generation and go from there?

Are you trying to make sex links?? Sex links require a red rooster over a barred hen. Since she only has one copy of the barring gene she can only pass it on to her sons. Thus, the males will be hatched with a white spot on their head indicating barring, and the females will be all black with no head spot indicating no barring.

A barred rooster over a red hen will produce offspring with a high percentage of barring. But no sex link to the barring. And no way to tell the males from the females through barring since they'd both only have one copy of the barring gene.

 

[Muncy89]

What are you trying to breed?

Would like to work on a nice flock of barred rocks and I don't wanna mess up from the start and he's probably close to 4 months old so I'd like to use him since I already have him. But if I need to start out differently I can. Gonna be getting pullets at tsc on the 22nd and I want to get what I need for next years breeding.

Once again I appreciate all the replies everyone.

 

[Muncy89]

Also gonna be working on an Easter egger flock but that's just a fun side project for multiple egg colors only. Good novelty I feel people will pay a little more for sometimes when it comes to eggs or raising one as a pet.

 

[cstephens1987]

Would like to work on a nice flock of barred rocks and I don't wanna mess up from the start and he's probably close to 4 months old so I'd like to use him since I already have him. But if I need to start out differently I can. Gonna be getting pullets at tsc on the 22nd and I want to get what I need for next years breeding.

Once again I appreciate all the replies everyone.

If you want to breed barred rocks, then use proper barred rocks for both parent stock. This isn't a sex link type crossbreed, you can actually breed them true.

 

[Muncy89]

So get 10-20 pullets at tsc and try my luck breeding next year if he looks close to SOP when he fully matures or at least doesn't possess disqualifing faults?

I know this is gonna take years to get a proper flock but then I'd know exactly what's in them genetically when I go to sell them. I guess I wanna breed up from hatchery quality to one day SOP quality? At least that would be the goal anyway

 

[cstephens1987]

So get 10-20 pullets at tsc and try my luck breeding next year if he looks close to SOP when he fully matures or at least doesn't possess disqualifing faults?

Be prepared to cull, a lot. Like a lot a lot. And don't get attached to any particular rooster yet. Getting your foundation stock is the most important first step in successful breeding and it's not an easy thing

 

[Muncy89]

The only rooster I'm attached to is kept separate. He's the barnyard mix I have in my avatar with my EE hen. And I don't mind culling all that I have to, I have plenty of relatives that will be happy to accept whatever i can't resale live as long as I process it lol

So just continue to rebreed whatever I end up with each generation that is the closer to the standards. How can I prevent the genetics from watering down too much? Or will they just continue to get stronger?