Final answer:
The color of the rooster in question might be determined by considering the genetics of chicken feather coloring. Since the hen was gray and the chicks are black, gray, and white, the rooster potentially had genes for both black and white coloration. This is akin to genetics in a broader biological context, where offspring inherit a mix of traits from their parents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you've asked pertains to the inheritance of traits among chickens, which can be explained by Genetics, a subfield of Biology. In the scenario where the hen is gray and the chicks hatched are of different colors, it is likely that the rooster possessed genes for both black and white feather coloration, as these colors appear in the offspring. This is similar to a farmer raising black and white chickens and obtaining speckled chickens in the first generation. If we apply Mendelian genetics to predict the outcome of the second generation, we might expect a variety of offspring, including speckled, black, and white chickens depending on the genetic dominance and combination of traits.
In the case of the hen with gray chicks, without knowing the color genetics of chickens, we can only speculate. It's possible that the gray color is a result of a blending of black and white traits, which could hint at the rooster carrying genes for black coloration. However, without more information on the specific genetics at play, this remains an educated guess.