Barred Rock chickens are a popular dual-purpose chicken breed that is known for laying plenty of large brown eggs. However, there are some variations of Barred Rocks that do lay white eggs. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Barred Rock egg color and the factors that determine whether a Barred Rock will lay brown or white eggs.
Typical Barred Rock Egg Color
The typical Barred Rock chicken lays large brown eggs. This is because most Barred Rock chickens carry the gene for brown egg color. The brown egg gene is dominant, so birds that carry one copy of this gene will lay brown eggs.
The classic Barred Plymouth Rock breed originated in the United States in the mid-1800s and was developed by crossing Dominiques, Javas, Cochins, and Brahmas. These foundation breeds all laid brown eggs. The barred color pattern and laying abilities were then standardized to create the Barred Rock breed we know today.
For well over a century, Barred Rocks have been prized for churning out eggs with deep brown shells. These brown eggs are preferred by some customers for their attractiveness. Additionally, some people believe brown eggs are more nutritious or flavorful than white eggs, although scientific testing has found no nutritional differences between brown and white shelled eggs.
White Egg Laying Variations
While the typical Barred Rock lays brown eggs, there are some strains and variations that do lay white eggs:
- White Barred Rocks – The White Barred Rock is a color variation that carries the white egg laying gene. These are Barred Rocks with white plumage instead of the typical black and white barred pattern.
- Black Barred Rocks – Black Barred Rocks are another color variant that lays white eggs. As their name suggests, their feathers are solid black rather than barred black and white.
- Barred Rock/Leghorn hybrids – Sometimes Barred Rocks are crossed with white egg layers like Leghorns. The resulting hybrid chickens often lay white eggs.
- Poor quality Barred Rocks – Lower quality Barred Rocks that are the product of backyard breeding or hatcheries focused on quantity over quality can sometimes lay white eggs. This indicates weaker breeding that allows the recessive white egg gene to be expressed.
Why Do Color Variants Lay White Eggs?
Barred Rocks that carry the white egg laying gene have white feathers because of a genetic connection between feather color and egg color. The white egg gene affects both pigmentation traits.
The genetics behind chicken plumage and egg color are complex. Simply put, there is one gene that codes for both white feathers and eggs with white shells. The gene disables expression of certain pigments. When this shared gene mutates in a Barred Rock, it not only removes color from feathers but also disables the production of brown egg pigment.
Therefore, while the classic brown egg laying Barred Rock has the dominant pigmentation gene, the white feathered variants have the recessive white egg/feather gene. When only the recessive white gene is present, the chicken lays white eggs and displays little to no plumage pigmentation.
Do Black Copper Marans Lay White Eggs?
The Black Copper Marans is another popular dual-purpose chicken breed. This French heritage breed is known for laying very dark chocolate brown eggs.
Unlike Barred Rocks, Black Copper Marans do not have white feathered variants that lay white eggs. All Copper Marans, even those with white feathers, lay the trademark chocolate brown Marans eggs. The white egg gene is not present in this breed.
The genetics that lead to white egg laying in Barred Rocks are not a factor in Copper Marans. Every Copper Marans chicken will lay chocolate brown eggs regardless of feather color. The dark brown egg gene is closely tied to the breed’s French origins and has not been replaced by any white egg genes through modern breeding.
Other Factors That Impact Egg Color
While genetics are the main reason some Barred Rocks lay white eggs, there are some other factors that can impact egg color:
- Chicken’s Age – Egg color tends to deepen as a chicken matures. Young pullets may lay eggs with lighter brown shells when first starting to lay. Shells gradually darken as the bird ages.
- Diet – Diet can have subtle effects on egg color. For example, orange plant pigments from greens, corn, or peppers may lead to darker yolks. A diet very low in pigments could potentially result in lighter brown shell color.
- Stress – Illness, poor living conditions, improper diet, and other stressors can sometimes cause a brown egg laying chicken’s shells to fade to a lighter color than normal.
- Individual Variation – No two chickens are alike! Even among brown egg layers like Barred Rocks, there can be individual variation in the darkness and intensity of shell pigmentation.
However, these non-genetic factors only lead to slight variation or fading of brown shell color. A chicken with the brown egg gene will never produce eggs as white as those from chickens with the recessive white egg gene.
Conclusion
While most Barred Rock chickens lay large brown eggs, some color variants of this breed carry and express the recessive white egg gene. These include White Barred Rocks and Black Barred Rocks. Backyard bred and lower quality Barred Rocks may also lay white eggs if breeders are not diligently selecting for egg color.
The white egg gene not only impacts shell color but also feather pigmentation, producing chickens with white plumage. In contrast, Copper Marans chickens with white feathers always lay dark chocolate brown eggs because they lack the white egg gene present in some Barred Rock bloodlines.
Understanding egg color genetics helps explain why certain Barred Rocks lay white eggs while others produce the brown eggs the breed is known for. Proper breeding is required to ensure Barred Rocks consistently lay dark brown eggs while also maintaining their desired barred feather pattern.
Breed | Typical Egg Color | Exceptions |
---|---|---|
Barred Rock | Brown | White Barred Rocks lay white |
Black Copper Marans | Dark chocolate brown | None |