Some Questions About Egg Genetics in Chickens - Questions About Genetics (Ask questions!)

[NatJ]

Is there any chance that he is my barred rock roosters offspring?

A purebred Barred Rock rooster should not produce a son like that, no matter who the mother was.

Two reasons:
--the white and black pattern is wrong. A chick from a Barred Rock parent should have MUCH more black.
--lack of barring. Any chick with a Barred Rock father should have white barring, and I don't see it on that chick (it would be most visible on the black areas-- look for photos of Dominique chickens for an example of a similar color pattern but with white barring.)

But a Black Sexlink rooster could sire a cockerel who looks like that. Black Sexlink cockerels sometimes get mis-identified as Barred Rocks.

 

[TRALALARA1]

I’m pretty sure he’s a purebred barred rock. I’ll attach a pic. But I do think the ee is the father anyway because of the beautiful gold hackles and saddle feathers and the green tinted black tail feathers.

 

[NatJ]

I’m pretty sure he’s a purebred barred rock. I’ll attach a pic. But I do think the ee is the father anyway because of the beautiful gold hackles and saddle feathers and the green tinted black tail feathers.

Was the mother of that cockerel also a Rhode Island Red? If so, the gold in the hackle & saddle feathers could be coming from genes she provided.

 

[TRALALARA1]

Yes. He’s from a brown egg. Rir momma.

 

[TRALALARA1]

I just find it interesting that none of these 18 chicks seem to have been sired by my barred rock rooster. I know I’ve seen him breed them occasionally but the EE rooster is top dog so he always tries to stop anything like that happening. But I’ve seen Ernie get a hen all to himself and complete the deed so I wonder if he’s infertile. Poor Ernie is the backup man. Low man on the totem pole. But he’s so sweet and follows me around like a dog.

 

[TRALALARA1]

 

[All4Eggz]

View attachment 3169376View attachment 3169377

The EE is so handsome!

 

[TRALALARA1]

The EE is so handsome!

I agree! He’s beautiful but a bit of an a-hole. But he’s pretty good to the hens. Ernie bears the brunt of his aggression. I have 15 young chicks to deal with now and 7 are little cockerels! I hope I can make it another month with them but then it’s culling time. They’re starting to be pretty annoying. Several are crowing. One is aggressive but only to the other chickens. Usually the older chickens put him in his place pretty quickly.

 

[NatJ]

I’m pretty sure he’s a purebred barred rock. I’ll attach a pic.

Yes, he does look like a Barred Rock. He looks like he has two copies of the barring gene (so he must pass it to every chick he sires), and I don't see any reason to think he's got other unexpected genes. So any chick he produces should be black with white barring (possible variants: blue with white barring or white with white barring, depending on the hen. I'm not spotting any of those in your photos either.)

I just find it interesting that none of these 18 chicks seem to have been sired by my barred rock rooster. I know I’ve seen him breed them occasionally but the EE rooster is top dog so he always tries to stop anything like that happening. But I’ve seen Ernie get a hen all to himself and complete the deed so I wonder if he’s infertile.

I don't know either, but I agree it's a bit odd that none of the chicks seem to be his.

 

[TRALALARA1]

Thanks for your expertise.