Purplexed over my Barred Plymoth Rocks

[daniduck]

Ok, so I was sure that I had three lovely ladies. However, I've been gone to Alabama for nearly a month and my hubby has been taking care of our chickens. Low and behold when I get back this morning, there is WAY less black barring than we had before, their pins seem a little more pointed than I recall, and good sized combs and waddles. If I didn't know better I would say that they were different birds all together. I really don't want them to be roos, but that might would explain why they are 6 months old and still no eggs. Hubby wants no roos, or maybe I can keep one, we are going to have a problem if they are all roos. I have three pictures of each - head shot, neck shot, and body. Take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks!

Biddy - Chicken 1

Flower - Chicken 2

Weeds - Chicken 3

 

[Break an Egg]

I'm so sorry, but to me they all look like roos. Where did you buy them?? I've read you can tell their sex as a chick by the white spot on top their heads.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

All Roo's! Sorry.

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

100% Roos.
I breed Barred Rocks.

Below is Rocky, my one and only breeding roo.

Notice his bars and the girls bars are different. His bars are smaller. The girls are more defined and darker as well.
Here is one of the girls...................

Here is a good comparison shot of his head and one of his girls heads.

 

[newchickmom09]

Do they free range or are they fenced in all of the time? I don't see any hackle or saddle feathers coming in yet. The feathers on there neck look very rounded and not pointy. They aren't very dark but they just don't scream roo to me for some reason. My BA are the same age and they have larger combs than yours but mine have been laying since they were 23 weeks old. My best guess would be if they are free ranging or have a way out of there coop then they are laying somewhere you haven't found yet.

It might just be a waiting game.

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

The males will have a large white spot on the head at birth.
When the head begins to feather, it goes away.

 

[daniduck]

We got them down at the local feed store from a straight run batch from a local hatchery. As chicks they all had at least a little spotting/color to their heads. Hubby is either going to be wanting dinner, or to sell them, because he was very adament from the get go that he didn't want any roos. These are the biggest babies, they follow me around and are so sweet. They learned way faster and are far more gentle than our RIRs and they NEVER have crowed. They don't free range, unless I'm working out in the yard and then they hang out with me while I weed flower beds and such. They haven't been out of the run in a month though since I've been gone. Their coloring has just seemingly changed SO much in that length of time. I was shocked, and thought maybe we missed this all together.

 

[speckledhen]

Those are not pure Barred Rocks, sorry, they are crosses, possibly Black sexlink roosters. At hatch, you can't tell the BR roosters from the Black Sexlink roosters. Trust me, I know BRs.
Black Sexlinks are usually a Rhode Island Red rooster over Barred Rock hen (she passes barring to her sons only)

 

[newchickmom09]

Quote:
I was waiting for you to pop in.

I was thinking they were crosses also.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I agree with Speckled Hen. She does know her BR's. They look just like my BSL roo that I sold last fall.

I wish Zon had turned out to be a pullet because I saved his life.