New chicks today but who is the dad?

[shmccarthy]

So my last hatch, I hatched 3 of my EE eggs. I had two roosters with the flock at the time. A barred rock and another EE. I was expecting all EEs the first hatch because the BR rooster was so subordinate and the EE hens clearly belonged to the EE. Well I guess he was just a little sneaky because I ended with 2 EEs and a little BR chick. I got rid of the EE rooster about a week before I set the first eggs.

Based on feathering the EEs seem to be pullets and the BR seems to be a cockerel due to the comb size.

From what others have told me and what I have read, the BR rooster should pass barring onto offspring. So the chicks are three weeksish and the new baby's are hatching today.
This is number one out of the gate

I was very surprised to not see a black/charcoal chick with a little head spot. This little one has no head spot at all! Shouldn't the baby have it regardless of gender? Hmm
More pics

The next chick is drying off currently and looks to be another BR x EE.
But I am so confused of the color. I also have 3 bantam roosters, two golden sebrights and a silver Sebright mixed in the bunch so skmething could have happened there? They have pea combs so I know mom is an EE. Any ideas? I do love the new babies though more pics soon to come!

 

[donrae]

Your hens could have still had eggs fertilized by the EE rooster. I've heard they can store sperm internally up to 2 weeks.

 

[shmccarthy]

He's been gone going on five weeks now that's my major point of confusion. This chick is very pretty colore though, it would be nice to get one more chick out of him.

 

[donrae]

Oh, a week before you set the FIRST eggs........got it now!
They don't look like what I'd think you'd get from either bantam daddy.

Are you sure your barred rock roo is pure barred? Or is he darker, like a barred hen? Do you have a pic of him?

 

[shmccarthy]

Yes this is dad. He is a bit darker colored. I got him from a farm the next town over. They got 6 hatching eggs for their kids for a school project and ended to getting all roosters. They had 4 left when I saw him and 2 I could tell were Easter egger crosses, they had muffs, a beard and a pea comb but other wise looked like him. There was one other rooster that looked like him but had brown feathers on his back so I picked this one. He most likely is a cross but they were told barred rock and barred rock crosses.

 

[donrae]

I think that may be your mystery solved. He's a mix, so he's hetero for barring, not homo. So, each offspring gets a 50/50 chance of being barred, regardless of gender.

I love hatching my part barred rooster's offspring, the partial barring makes for some really interesting colors!

 

[shmccarthy]

That makes sense, I didn't think of it that way. I wonder what he is mixed with..Hm well I guess I will just have to wait and see how that chick looks feathered out