RuPaul, a Barred Rock Hen that changed to a Rooster

[lockedhearts]

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Well, there is nothing usual about this rooster, Kev, LOL. He's an odd one, to be sure. None of mine, including his brothers or father have a tail like that one. He's weird from the get-go, that one.

He has been unusual, even the way he hatched was odd, I kid you not, he hatched feet first. Picture the cartoon egg with the legs poking out, seriously! He then proceeded to finish zipping and get out of the shell no assistance required. He is in with some white rock hen and Blue orp cross hens now, the girls are starting to lay wondering if I should hatch some eggs or wait and stick a Black Orp in with him. IDK will have to see what happens

 

[helmstead]

Wow~ he is unusual, very striking with that dark color!

 

[speckledhen]

Well, he's related to your great, departed rooster, Kate, through Amanda, who is Zoe's mother. And there will be a test later on who is who, LOL.

One thing I really like about this boy is that he did inherit Hawkeye's broad build, something sorely lacking in many BRs today.

 

[lockedhearts]

He is much broader than Mace, but he is also shorter too.

 

[speckledhen]

Hawkeye's legs were the tiniest bit short. Dutch's are a bit longer, but he has that deep bodied build Hawkeye had and that Ru has. Mace took more after his mother than his sire, so he's a slighter build than he really should be, ideally.

 

[lockedhearts]

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Yeah, but Mace is such a sweetie! Hopefully Ru stays sweet too!

 

[speckledhen]

Mace is a doll, isn't he? I miss that boy around here. I think I'm never going to let another grown bird leave here, unless it turns aggressive, of course.

 

[lockedhearts]

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That's good, cause I am running out of room......

 

[speckledhen]

No more of speckledhen's birds for YOU, lady! LOL.

 

[halo]

Personally, I dont think that theres any question whether he is a double gene barred or not. I think he absolutely is. I have had several single barred roos, from barred hens and non-barred roos, and they are way way darker than that boy. They look more like a dark cuckoo, with faint and blurry barring. Ive seen some extremely light barred roos, so I dont see any reason why there couldnt be some barred roos a bit darker than the norm. I would think just a variation of the barred gene, which is putting it extremely scientifically (which I am).

I have 5 or 6 barred rock hens from different sources, and some are darker than others. One is very light. It just seems a difference in the lines they come from.