Chick from the mixed breeds straight-run bin

1941Ransom

In the Brooder
Mar 24, 2025
2
13
22
Origin: Hoover's Hatchery via Murdoch's
Bin: 'Rare' Breeds Straight Run
Purchase Date: March 13, 2025 (shipped from hatchery on the 11th)
Age in Photos: approx. 17 days

When I picked up chicks at Murdoch's store this year, it was a zoo! Not the leisurely activity of the past. :) I was shuffled from bin to bin by the employee and when we reached the end I found I had only gotten 8 pullets (one of which I question more and more on their pullet status). To round it out I picked two babies from the 'rare' breeds straight run bin. Normally I'd never pull from a straight run because I have the worst record of picking out roosters from pullet bins...
Anyhow, I have identified one chick as being a legbar, but for the life of me can't figure out the other chick. Any thoughts?
The chicks are from Hoover Hatchery. This one is smaller than the Americanas, Calico Princess, and Wyandottes I bought, similar in size to the legbar.

I've read that a dot on the head is associated with the gene for barred feathering but haven't had much luck searching that way either.
 

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Origin: Hoover's Hatchery via Murdoch's
Bin: 'Rare' Breeds Straight Run
Purchase Date: March 13, 2025 (shipped from hatchery on the 11th)
Age in Photos: approx. 17 days

I've read that a dot on the head is associated with the gene for barred feathering but haven't had much luck searching that way either.

The chick definitely has the barring gene. I can tell that from the light dot on the head, and from the white bars across the feathers. I think it's got two copies of the barring gene, which is only possible in males.*

Given the dark spot on top of the head and the markings by the eyes on the sides of the head, I'm thinking it might be from one of the autosexing breeds: Cream Legbar or Bielefelder or Welbar. Or if the hatchery is using Legbar genetics in Easter Eggers or Olive Eggers, the chick might be one of them instead.

*About two barring genes meaning a chick is male: male chickens have sex chromosomes ZZ. Females have sex chromosomes ZW. The barring gene is on the Z chromosome. So a male can have two, one, or no barring genes because he has two Z chromosomes. A female can have one barring gene or none, but never two, because she has only one Z chromosome. A chicken with two barring genes will have more white than a chicken with one barring gene. That is what makes the autosexing breeds work, that males have two barring genes and are lighter in color while females only have one so they have less white and are overall a darker color.

When male and female autosexing chicks are together, it's usually easy to see the difference in coloring. When there is just one chick, it can be hard to tell whether it's on the light end of "female" coloring or on the dark end of "male" coloring. That is why I *think* it's got two barring genes rather than being certain of it.
 

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