Single factor or double factor barred rock?

[jjjennejjj]

Is this little roo's barring double factor or single factor? I have a large (70ish) mixed flock with 8 different rooster breeds. One of the barred rock hens secretly hatched her own chicks behind a pallet leaned against the wall. Most died in the pen before I found them, but one little roo survived and I couldn't bring myself to cull him. I assumed he was a mix and couldn’t even be sure she hatched her own eggs. But since then, my beautiful imperial barred rock met his demise and now I have my fingers crossed that this little roo could potentially be his replacement. The pictures are him next to his mom, but again, I can't be sure of anything. It is possible that the barred rock hen bred with the barred rock rooster, if so, he would be double barred. Can anyone tell definitively based on looking at them whether it looks like a purebred imperial barred rock?

 

[nuthatched]

Correct, Barred rock males have double barring. I've never heard the term imperial for any chicken.

 

[jjjennejjj]

Correct, Barred rock males have double barring. I've never heard the term imperial for any chicken.

I know they do. I'm asking if THIS roo looks double barred. I don't know the difference between regular, imperial, or heritage, that's just what I bought from the breeder. And I don't know the parents of this particular bird, but if it is double barred that should mean that both parents were indeed barred. My follow up question would be if the black and white cuckoo pattern could happen from a crele or lemon cuckoo roo because I have them as well.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Yes, crele or lemon cuckoo would also result in a cockerel with two copies of barring. I would expect some color leakage if those genes were involved, but with the barring leakage could be easily missed (or he may not be quite old enough for it to have developed yet).

For what it's worth, "pureness" really doesn't matter in poultry like it might in dogs or other livestock. If the bird meets the breed standard, it is considered to be that breed, regardless of parentage. Knowing that parentage helps to predict what genes you're working with, but it's not 100% essential for breeding or showing.

 

[nuthatched]

I know they do. I'm asking if THIS roo looks double barred. I don't know the difference between regular, imperial, or heritage, that's just what I bought from the breeder. And I don't know the parents of this particular bird, but if it is double barred that should mean that both parents were indeed barred. My follow up question would be if the black and white cuckoo pattern could happen from a crele or lemon cuckoo roo because I have them as well.

Yes, he's double barred.

 

[jjjennejjj]

Yes, crele or lemon cuckoo would also result in a cockerel with two copies of barring. I would expect some color leakage if those genes were involved, but with the barring leakage could be easily missed (or he may not be quite old enough for it to have developed yet).

For what it's worth, "pureness" really doesn't matter in poultry like it might in dogs or other livestock. If the bird meets the breed standard, it is considered to be that breed, regardless of parentage. Knowing that parentage helps to predict what genes you're working with, but it's not 100% essential for breeding or showing.

So interesting! That makes "breeding to SOP" make so much more sense. I thought the standards were similar to cultural standards of beauty, an agreed upon way to judge a breed. I didn't realize that was what actually defines the breed. Neat. Thanks.