Variations from 2nd generation crossbreed

[16Chickens Keeper]

What comb type is that?

 

[Ra_]

What comb type is that?

I don't know.

 

[Ra_]

Even on the four light-colored birds, the wings are all developing different patterns.
I think they are two cockerels and two pullets.
Here is Thor with Lagertha. A big female, I think?
I think I'll give him both females.
I was gonna keep the other male instead but Thor adopted me.

 

[16Chickens Keeper]

These are the barred cross righ, because i thought black was dominant color

 

[Ra_]

These are the barred cross righ, because i thought black was dominant color

The first generation were all dark.
Breeding those birds to each other produced a variety of colors.
Here are the Dixie Rainbow hens when they were chicks.

 

[16Chickens Keeper]

wow Dixies are weird

 

[Ra_]

So the two with the solid black heads aren't black at all.
They're brown and Kanye is sprouting bronze highlights.
He surprised me by flying from a perch to my hand today.
I'm also wondering if he might be a big pullet?

Kim is napping in the sun.

I should probably be keeping the birds that look like they're breeding true to their parents but I just love the oddities.

I'll probably let one of the Golden Rainbows go, in a premium pair.
This is the guy and that's a possibility for his mate.

This one is a little unusual.
I think it's a pullet?
The birds are 3 weeks old tomorrow.

And of course Thor has to stick his face everywhere.

 

[keesmom]

I crossed a Barred Rock with a Dixie Rainbow to develop what I call Rainbow Rock.
The first generation chicks all looked just like Barred Rock chicks.
The roosters matured looking fairly similar to each other.
The hens look very similar to each other.
The roosters have patterning that varies from the Barred Rock.
The hens look like a brighter version of a Barred Rock.

If the male is a pure barred Rock, then he carries a double dose of barring. He passed a single barring gene to all of his offspring. The cockerels were probably darker than dad and likely had silver or gold leakage from mom.

st generation birds to each other.
This has brought out more variety in the chicks.
There are two chicks with totally black heads, which I've never seen in a Barred Rock,
nor in any of the 1st generation Rainbow Rock.

Since the parent flock only had a single copy of barring, it was passed on to only 50% of offspring. In the other 50% other genes become apparent. Since the first cross involved a mixed breed all sorts of unexpected colors can emerge.

My hens peck at these babies but my Alpha rooster strolled into their habitat and began feeding them. He is so sweet.

View attachment 1686982

He has a single comb that seems to have side sprigs.

 

[Ra_]

The cockerels were probably darker than dad and likely had silver or gold leakage from mom.

The first hatch was four boys and one girl.
I sold two of the roosters and still have two.
The Alpha has some darker markings.
All four have the same unique patterning on their hackle and saddle.
And yeah, you can see maybe two tiny rust spots of color from mom.

I have two additional hens since that hatch.
They all look very much like Barred Rock, except more of a Platinum tone.
Very fat-bottomed girls.

Now this 2nd generation is not at all standardized like the 1st was.
This batch has a greater variety than I've even seen with Serama.

Even with the 4 golden colored chicks.
All 4 have different coloration and patterning on emerging feathers.

 

[Ra_]

The birds are a month old now.
They're getting very friendly.

I've now got 18 more that are one week old.
These things breed like rabbits.
I hatched a single Serama at the same time.
At least he's not all alone but he's living in the Land of the Giants.

When they get a little bigger, I'll let them out of the goat house.
They now get almost an hour of supervised free range time before bed.
They love it.