How long will it take for my barred rocks to reach close to full size? Currently they're 14 weeks old.

[AmooseReally]

I just wanted to know how long it'll take them to reach full size and start laying. Also do all Plymouth barred rocks have yellow legs? Because mine are grayish the roosters too. I have 2 hens and 1 rooster all are healthy!

 

[NatJ]

Start laying: usually somewhere between 16 and 24 weeks, but that can vary with the time of year. If they are growing up in the fall, when days are getting shorter, they may wait to lay until the days get longer again in the spring. Or they may not wait. Chickens are unpredictable that way.

Full size: they keep growing slowly for quite a while, even after they start laying. But they do get most of their size before laying starts.

Yellow legs: they should have yellow on the bottoms of their feet (not white or grayish color), and they can sometimes have black or gray on part of the shanks (section of the leg with no feathers) and maybe part of the tops of the feet.

Can you post a photo? There are several kinds of chickens that look similar to Barred Rocks but have some detail different, like foot color.

 

[AmooseReally]

Start laying: usually somewhere between 16 and 24 weeks, but that can vary with the time of year. If they are growing up in the fall, when days are getting shorter, they may wait to lay until the days get longer again in the spring. Or they may not wait. Chickens are unpredictable that way.

Full size: they keep growing slowly for quite a while, even after they start laying. But they do get most of their size before laying starts.

Yellow legs: they should have yellow on the bottoms of their feet (not white or grayish color), and they can sometimes have black or gray on part of the shanks (section of the leg with no feathers) and maybe part of the tops of the feet.

Can you post a photo? There are several kinds of chickens that look similar to Barred Rocks but have some detail different, like foot color.

Here's one of the hens and the rooster. I Know this is a Barred Rock, there's many breeds that look similar like the Dominique and others. They're 14 weeks old currently.

 

[NatJ]

Here's one of the hens and the rooster. I Know this is a Barred Rock, there's many breeds that look similar like the Dominique and others.

They do look like Barred Rocks, except for those feet.

I would wonder if you have Cuckoo Marans instead, because they have white feet (like your birds appear to) and otherwise look very much like Barred Rocks.

What they eat can also affect the color of the feet. For breeds with naturally yellow feet, plenty of green plants, or yellow corn as an ingredient of the chicken feed you buy, can make the feet much brighter yellow. No greens, and white corn or other grains in the feed, can cause the feet to be more pale.

But I think those feet are so thoroughly not-yellow that you are seeing a genetic difference (wrong foot color genes for the Barred Rock breed), not a feed-based difference.

They're 14 weeks old currently.

They might be getting close to laying, given that the pullet's comb is getting bigger and pinker too. You might have eggs within a month or so

 

[AmooseReally]

They do look like Barred Rocks, except for those feet.

I would wonder if you have Cuckoo Marans instead, because they have white feet (like your birds appear to) and otherwise look very much like Barred Rocks.

What they eat can also affect the color of the feet. For breeds with naturally yellow feet, plenty of green plants, or yellow corn as an ingredient of the chicken feed you buy, can make the feet much brighter yellow. No greens, and white corn or other grains in the feed, can cause the feet to be more pale.

But I think those feet are so thoroughly not-yellow that you are seeing a genetic difference (wrong foot color genes for the Barred Rock breed), not a feed-based difference.



They might be getting close to laying, given that the pullet's comb is getting bigger and pinker too. You might have eggs within a month or so

I'll try to feed them more greens and corn thank you! Currently I was just feeding them growth feed and treats time to time.

 

[NatJ]

I'll try to feed them more greens and corn thank you! Currently I was just feeding them growth feed and treats time to time.

Do you have any other chickens eating the same feed? If any of them have nice yellow feet, you will know their feed has plenty of whatever makes the yellow color.

If you want to see if their feet can color up, I would try giving them greens but not corn.

It should be safe for them to eat as many greens as they want, but watch out for long skinny pieces that can tangle in their crop. Greens they pick for themselves are fine, and big leaves that they rip up, but if you cut grass for them you should cut the pieces short rather than giving long grass blades. And do be sure they have grit available, to grind up the greens when they reach the crop.

Most feeds already contain plenty of corn or other grains. If you give them a little corn it will not make much difference, and if you give them a lot of corn they will become unhealthy because it does not have all the nutrients they need in the right amounts. The color of corn that is ground up into their normal feed by the company is something that can make a difference but is outside your control.

What they eat can make a difference between light yellow feet and bright yellow feet, but I don't think it can cause feet to be as thoroughly un-yellow as your photos show.

 

[AmooseReally]

Do you have any other chickens eating the same feed? If any of them have nice yellow feet, you will know their feed has plenty of whatever makes the yellow color.

If you want to see if their feet can color up, I would try giving them greens but not corn.

It should be safe for them to eat as many greens as they want, but watch out for long skinny pieces that can tangle in their crop. Greens they pick for themselves are fine, and big leaves that they rip up, but if you cut grass for them you should cut the pieces short rather than giving long grass blades. And do be sure they have grit available, to grind up the greens when they reach the crop.

Most feeds already contain plenty of corn or other grains. If you give them a little corn it will not make much difference, and if you give them a lot of corn they will become unhealthy because it does not have all the nutrients they need in the right amounts. The color of corn that is ground up into their normal feed by the company is something that can make a difference but is outside your control.

What they eat can make a difference between light yellow feet and bright yellow feet, but I don't think it can cause feet to be as thoroughly un-yellow as your photos show.

Other than RIR and they're already 11 months old and all grown up, and I have golden laced wyandotte 3 week old chicks inside and blue wyandottes but they're still young

 

[2iceblest]

I just wanted to know how long it'll take them to reach full size and start laying. Also do all Plymouth barred rocks have yellow legs? Because mine are grayish the roosters too. I have 2 hens and 1 rooster all are healthy!

I have a Barred Rock who is 11 weeks old. Comb and wattles still very short. Are yours’ fully developed?

 

[NatJ]

Other than RIR and they're already 11 months old and all grown up, and I have golden laced wyandotte 3 week old chicks inside and blue wyandottes but they're still young

If any of those have nice yellow feet, then the feed is not why your "Barred Rocks" have pale feet.

 

[AmooseReally]

I have a Barred Rock who is 11 weeks old. Comb and wattles still very short. Are yours’ fully developed?

Rooster or Hen? My hens started to start increasing faster in size at 12 weeks but every individual chicken is different. I suspect mine to be near full size at 17 or 18 weeks. Their waddles have been getting bigger especially my rooster. Yours will grow too don't worry you don't have much longer to wait than me,