two barred rocks one light , one dark?

[dirtyshoes]

the light one has a dark wash running up the legs and feet which I understand might indicate female. is this true?

the darker one has faint darkness on his feet only and though similar in behavior and look seems like a he because of his disarming glance? thats him (?) on the right.

 

[Mahonri]

Lighter Barred Rocks usually indicate ROO!

 

[dirtyshoes]

so whats with the leg thing?

 

[ve]

Both are boys. Hatchery birds vary and have more faults. That can explain the darkness on legs. Maybe he will out-grow it.

 

[dirtyshoes]

this bad boy isnt going to out grow much

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

They are both males, as well as the little red one you have.

The darker one is probably a black sex-link male.

 

[dirtyshoes]

so I suppose I should not hold out for eggs? man what a bunch of boys I ended up with— think i got six of ten sporting crow. bummer!

 

[speckledhen]

That cockerel's legs are not considered dark, sorry. Those legs in that picture are typical of BR males, some of whom have light shading. Females often, but not always, have loads of sooty dark color up the legs.

 

[dirtyshoes]

cynthia,
Are you refering to the lighter one? His (?) legs are the darker of the two, and darker really than the picture shows.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, the first one. I see a tiny bit of black shading on his legs, however, many of my male chicks have had that. The females are much darker than that, usually. Leg color is the least of the traits used to sex Barred Rocks. The wider white bars, making the boys appear more silvery than black, are the main thing that separates the boys from the girls, before the saddle feathers come in on the males. The second one does look like a Black sexlink cockerel, not a pure BR.

Below are two BR pullets at 12 weeks old for comparison