Rock, Red, Buff

Backyard Poultry

Growing Up

The Rocks and Reds are getting bigger too! On the Barred Rock, the white pencil stripes are finally starting to show. Check out the last Barred Rock photo right here - you will be surprised! As they continue to grow up, the Rocks will replace more of their black colorings with white. The Barred Rocks this year were Snowflake, Twilight, and Velvet, but again, I still cannot tell you which is which until their combs get bigger. The Golden Buffs, on the other hand, are going the opposite direction. They started out a mixture of whites and light beiges, and are getting darker as they mature. Because they are a cross between the Rhode Island Red and the White Rock (same as the Barred Rock but all white), Golden Buffs can have a whole range of white and brown mixtures. The color combinations can even change after each yearly molt! And speaking of Rhode Island Reds, check out the little one standing beside the Golden Buff in the photo below. The Reds were still nearly half the size of the rest of the flock, but working hard to hold their own! They too are getting darker as they age, turning from light chestnut to a rich copper.

RI Red & Golden Buff