Is an all black barred rock possible?

[TRALALARA1]

Yeah, I second that. He looks mixed. He’s the same color as the hen. My rooster is much lighter.

 

[TRALALARA1]

Yeah, I second that. He looks mixed. He’s the same color as the hen. My rooster is much lighter. View attachment 3439694

Please excuse his comb frostbite and his battle wounds. He used to be picked on by my other rooster who is now gone.

 

[SeabassSarmale]

It looks to me like your rooster is only carrying 1 barred gene rather than the 2 barred genes a 'purebred' barred rock rooster would carry. That means he can pass on a solid gene, and all barred hens only carry 1 barred gene, so they will always pass on a solid gene to their daughters. The reason I think this is because in the photo, it looks like your rooster and hen have about the same feather pattern.
Black chicks often have very dark combs and legs, but that doesn't mean they're melanistic. As she gets closer to laying, her comb and face will get just as red as any other chicken.

Here is a photo of a barred rock rooster and a barred rock hen, where you can see how different the two should look:
View attachment 3439693

Wow! That’s some clean barring, where did you get those?

 

[ColtHandorf]

OP, the rooster is not a pure Plymouth Barred Rock. His comb is not single, but modified. And he's not light enough to have two copies of the barring gene.

It looks to me like your rooster is only carrying 1 barred gene rather than the 2 barred genes a 'purebred' barred rock rooster would carry. That means he can pass on a solid gene, and all barred hens only carry 1 barred gene, so they will always pass on a solid gene to their daughters. The reason I think this is because in the photo, it looks like your rooster and hen have about the same feather pattern.
Black chicks often have very dark combs and legs, but that doesn't mean they're melanistic. As she gets closer to laying, her comb and face will get just as red as any other chicken.

Here is a photo of a barred rock rooster and a barred rock hen, where you can see how different the two should look:
View attachment 3439693

Well said.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Wow! That’s some clean barring, where did you get those?

Thanks, yes they're pretty spectacular. I hatched them from a local breeder (who has unfortunately since passed away). I'm in New Zealand, we don't have any hatcheries for heritage breed birds, they can only be had from breeders. I was very lucky that one of the best breeders of barred rocks lived in my region.