My Barred Rock babies.

[Farm_Maven]

Well, after looking at this site, I have come to the conclusion that all my BR's are cockerels, unless they "sex" slightly different from the Dominiques as suggested they will sometimes do. I wonder what I would get if I crossed a BR roo with an RIR hen? BARRED REDS maybe?
http://www.dominiquechicken.com/Sexing_Dominique_chicks.html

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't do Dominique or Barred Rock so cannot help on sexing them.

If you cross a BR rooster with a RIR hen, you will get chicks with colors and patterns a whole lot like the BR. You might get some red leakage, but they will essentially be black and white. First generation genetics is pretty specific as long as the parents are pure, although you can have minor variations.

Now if you cross the offspring of that match, you will get an assortment of colors and patterns, some of which could be red barred. Some of those colors will surprise you. All the roosters from the second generation will be barred, but only about half the hens. The ones that are red barred could be many different shades of red. But do not expect this to be a "clean" red barred. The likelihood of other colors showing through are real good.

There are a couple of complications with chicken genetics, especially when you start crossing crosses. There are a whole lot of different genes that go into colors and patterns. Once you cross crosses, those many different genes can go together in a lot of different arrangements. To make it worse, not all are totally dominant or recessive when present. Some are partially dominant, which means that they may partially show through but not totally cover the other gene. Second generation chicks from crosses can be real interesting.