Hens... breed?

[nomirawr1]

These are our two new hens...
Maisey, clearly a light sussex cross of some type. Dad was a big beauty sussex (saw him), but no idea what mum was.

Tolly, the dark one is from the same roo - big light sussex, but I was told a barred rock hen. Is it possible to get this colouring from light sussex/barred rock?
If not, what could she be?

My apologies for a bad photo, they are both pretty unhandled, so I wasnt able to get closer or clearer pics!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

What breed options are there for the mother, if you know?

 

[nomirawr1]

Sorry, I have no idea! I thought maybe leghorn or something less bulky for the white one. Shes slimmer than all my other chooks (hyline, sussex, australorp) and MUCH slimmer than the dark new chook.

 

[Sneebsey]

If the cockerel was the same for both hens, he cannot be pure light sussex. Because he has a red daughter, he must be impure for the silver gene. I doubt her mother was a barred rock as she is red; barred rocks don't really have mahogany present. I would suggest that they are likely barnyard mix; mixes of mixes, which are often the prettiest birds imo.

With regards to colour, your first hen is silver and impure for colombian. The second looks to be gold with mahogany, colombian, and some melanisers resulting in the vorwerk-type dark head. She also looks to have some form of lacing genes judging by the partial-lacing in her chest.

 

[nomirawr1]

Exactly the info I was after, thank you!
Chicken genetics confuse me greatly... lol

If the cockerel was the same for both hens, he cannot be pure light sussex. Because he has a red daughter, he must be impure for the silver gene. I doubt her mother was a barred rock as she is red; barred rocks don't really have mahogany present. I would suggest that they are likely barnyard mix; mixes of mixes, which are often the prettiest birds imo.

With regards to colour, your first hen is silver and impure for colombian. The second looks to be gold with mahogany, colombian, and some melanisers resulting in the vorwerk-type dark head. She also looks to have some form of lacing genes judging by the partial-lacing in her chest.

 

[nomirawr1]

I found one of the 'laced' feathers. What do you even call that colour?

 

[Brahma27]

I'm not exactly sure but I know they arent purebred

 

[Trish1974]

Chicken genetics confuse me greatly... lol

I KNOW, ME TOO!! Reading through chicken genetics makes me think college level physics wasn't that bad after all! You may want to follow the member @The Moonshiner. He has a simple, no nonsense way of explaining genetics that even I can understand.

 

[Brahma27]

and I have no idea what that color is.

 

[Brahma27]

good to know