how can you guys tell the difference between all of the barred black and white breeds??!!!

[Beakz]

how can you guys tell the difference between all of the barred black and white breeds, theres just so many!!
dominiques, barred rocks, california greys, barred wyandottes, so many!!! how can you guys tell the difference between them all!

 

[Folly's place]

Comb type, skin and leg color, size and body type, especially if bred to standard rather than hatchery quality. Mary

 

[donrae]

Same way you tell the difference between the all black breeds, or the all white breeds, or the buff breeds--color is but one piece of the puzzle! You can probably tell the difference between a black lab and a black pit bull and a black Great Dane.....you just need to spend time learning about different breeds of chickens and developing an eye for form.

Body shape is a biggie that a lot of folks overlook. Comb style, earlobe color, leg color, feathered legs or clean--these are the next main things we look for for breed identification.

One thing that doesn't help is hatchery birds. They don't breed for the breed standard, and honestly in silhouette a lot of hatchery birds can look very similar, even with different breeds. Most hatchery birds are lighter than their SOP counterparts, due (in my opinion) to infusions of leghorn-based blood to increase egg production. Spend time on the heritage breed threads and see what the real breed is supposed to look like.

The three most common barred breeds are Rocks, Dominiques and Marans. They're easy to tell apart once you know....

Rocks have straight combs and yellow legs, medium heavy bodies
Dominiques have rose combs and yellow legs, light bodies
Marans have straight combs and white legs. Their barring/cuckoo pattern is also "messier" than the other breeds.