Help with sexing Barnevelder

[kerryjo76]

Hello! My Barnevelders are only a week apart, but they have distinct differences and personalities. The one on the right (in the photo with the girl holding one) has a lighter chest, bigger legs, and bigger pinkish comb. Could she be a cockerel? 4 1/2 weeks on right, 3 1/2 on left. All other single photos are of suspected cockerel. Thanks! (We can’t have a rooster in town)

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You have 1 cockerel and 1 pullet.

The cockerel has the larger, redder comb, an if you look closely, you will note the chest is coming in black (the white will disappear). It also has more "clumpy" uneven looking pattern on the back. Adult Double Laced Barnvelder males will have black chests, develop deeper colors on their backs, broken looking lacing except for perhaps sides. Usually the colors broaden and deepen to where lacing is hardly visible.

Female Barnvelder will have at first what looks to be penciling on their bodies and chest (no black chest) that will develop into lovely lacing as they age.

So you have 1 boy and 1 girl.

Also these are not well marked Barnvelder....it is possible they could be Partridge Rock.

LofMc

 

[kerryjo76]

Oh wow, thank you so much! My hunch was right. Well we live in town, so can either keep him and wait for my neighbors to complain about the crowing or rehome him to a farm. He definitely has a distinctive different personality different than the other 6 pullets we have. These were purchased at a local feed supply store as “Barnevelders.”

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Oh wow, thank you so much! My hunch was right. Well we live in town, so can either keep him and wait for my neighbors to complain about the crowing or rehome him to a farm. He definitely has a distinctive different personality different than the other 6 pullets we have. These were purchased at a local feed supply store as “Barnevelders.”

Okay...commercial quality Barnvelders can have "discrepancies."

I LOVE my feedstore Barney. He is the sweetest, gentlest rooster. (Barnvelders are known for being more gentle as roosters). And he passes it on to his progeny. I got him at one of the more exclusive feed stores, and he has basically fathered most of my current flock. (I breed for olive eggs). It only took me 2 generations, bred to red based hens (I actually used Red Sex Links) to get to beautiful daughters with lovely Barnvelder appearance and delicate gold lacing. They lay a lovely terra cotta colored egg.

There is another option. I use a "crow collar" from My Pet Chicken that works really, really well, just in case you want to try to keep a rooster...but only if you want chicks naturally. Otherwise, find a good home for him.

LofMc

 

[kerryjo76]

Thanks so much! So funny because I was thinking Barney would be a good name for him. Unless my son wins out with Batman. We have 3 kids aged 2, 4, and almost 6, so these chicks have been handled a lot. The roo is aloof, but if we keep him I’ll be sure he gets a lot of love. Good to know they are gentle. I remember getting attacked on my leg by a rooster as a child and it didn’t feel good. So I wouldn’t want an aggressive rooster.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Barnevelder do tend to be gentle but of course every bird is an individual.

I agree. Never keep an aggressive rooster especially around children.

 

[kerryjo76]

You have 1 cockerel and 1 pullet.

The cockerel has the larger, redder comb, an if you look closely, you will note the chest is coming in black (the white will disappear). It also has more "clumpy" uneven looking pattern on the back. Adult Double Laced Barnvelder males will have black chests, develop deeper colors on their backs, broken looking lacing except for perhaps sides. Usually the colors broaden and deepen to where lacing is hardly visible.

Female Barnvelder will have at first what looks to be penciling on their bodies and chest (no black chest) that will develop into lovely lacing as they age.

So you have 1 boy and 1 girl.

Also these are not well marked Barnvelder....it is possible they could be Partridge Rock.

LofMc

 

[kerryjo76]

I went to the feed store and they said to wait, it might be a hen with just a larger comb. I do notice a greenish tinge to its feathers in the sunlight though which the other one doesn’t have. The creamish/white chest is different too.