Plymouth Rock thread! - Page 3

I have 3 Barred Rocks presently, but they were my first breed  of chicken 17 years ago & I love them!  Currently have 12 Silver penciled bantams and am really enjoying them.  They are 24 weeks old and laying like crazy!  Their coloring isn't too bad for hatchery birds & their eyes are a reddish brown.

Yard Full of Rocks............how are your Columbians doing?   Would love to see pictures.   Still deciding if I want to order some and deal with a dozen plus roosters.  Need new LF in the spring.

All my rocks are doing great with the winter weather here.  Has been in the low to mid 20s several nights with highs in the upper 30s lower 40s.  NO issues so far and I have my birds in 2 separate 6x8x8 coops with attached runs.  I try to alternate who I let "free range" every day as my roosters tend to fight if I let everyone out together....uuugghhh, they are like my two sons, constantly fighting.

As for my Columbians, that turned into a COMPLETE disaster.  When I first received them I called the hatchery and asked if I had gotten the correct birds as they were very black/charcoal in color.  I was expecting something more along the lines of my Delawares.  I was told that yes they were correct and that yes they were the Columbian rocks.  Well they are now 25-26 weeks old +/- and they are DEFINITELY NOT Columbian Rocks.  After several email conversations with Doctors of Animal Science at several different universities, we are pretty sure that these are perhaps Columbian Rock x Silver Penciled Wyandottes.  Roosters are absolutely HUGE(and really very pretty I might add)....probably around 10-11 lbs.  Primary color is black, not white.  SO, I've contacted the hatchery, sent them pix along with letters from the universities documenting their professional opinions.  The hatchery says "they look like their birds", so I guess they are selling Columbian Rocks that aren't true Columbian Rocks.  They have been very cordial, but in the long run I think what you'll see below is what they really have and they aren't Columbians....oh well.  Live and learn they say!

Here are a couple of pictures





I am sooooo disappointed because I really want this color of Rock.  I have been able to locate some but I won't be able to get any until Spring 2010 at the earliest and they will be hatching eggs at that...so I guess I'll be starting all over again.  I was really hoping to have a laying flock started by that time...but alas, guess things change

Yard full o' rocks :

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cindy in PA 

I have 3 Barred Rocks presently, but they were my first breed  of chicken 17 years ago & I love them!  Currently have 12 Silver penciled bantams and am really enjoying them.  They are 24 weeks old and laying like crazy!  Their coloring isn't too bad for hatchery birds & their eyes are a reddish brown.

Yard Full of Rocks............how are your Columbians doing?   Would love to see pictures.   Still deciding if I want to order some and deal with a dozen plus roosters.  Need new LF in the spring.

All my rocks are doing great with the winter weather here.  Has been in the low to mid 20s several nights with highs in the upper 30s lower 40s.  NO issues so far and I have my birds in 2 separate 6x8x8 coops with attached runs.  I try to alternate who I let "free range" every day as my roosters tend to fight if I let everyone out together....uuugghhh, they are like my two sons, constantly fighting.

As for my Columbians, that turned into a COMPLETE disaster.  When I first received them I called the hatchery and asked if I had gotten the correct birds as they were very black/charcoal in color.  I was expecting something more along the lines of my Delawares.  I was told that yes they were correct and that yes they were the Columbian rocks.  Well they are now 25-26 weeks old +/- and they are DEFINITELY NOT Columbian Rocks.  After several email conversations with Doctors of Animal Science at several different universities, we are pretty sure that these are perhaps Columbian Rock x Silver Penciled Wyandottes.  Roosters are absolutely HUGE(and really very pretty I might add)....probably around 10-11 lbs.  Primary color is black, not white.  SO, I've contacted the hatchery, sent them pix along with letters from the universities documenting their professional opinions.  The hatchery says "they look like their birds", so I guess they are selling Columbian Rocks that aren't true Columbian Rocks.  They have been very cordial, but in the long run I think what you'll see below is what they really have and they aren't Columbians....oh well.  Live and learn they say!

Here are a couple of pictures

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25882_columbian_2.jpg

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25882_columbian_1.jpg

I am sooooo disappointed because I really want this color of Rock.  I have been able to locate some but I won't be able to get any until Spring 2010 at the earliest and they will be hatching eggs at that...so I guess I'll be starting all over again.  I was really hoping to have a laying flock started by that time...but alas, guess things change

most hatchery columbians are Like that. I've seen it in Brahmas before.

Yard Full o' Rocks.........wow they are pretty, but surely not Columbians.  I could see a hatchery sending some like that, but not all!  I guess there is officially nowhere to get Columbian Rocks except Superior Farms where you can only get 5 at a time.  Thanks for the info, at least it helps me make my decision for spring.   I am not into breeding, but I would love some Columbian Rocks.  Makes me sad I was unable to get my Columbian bantams from the breeder & now I want LF, no room for anymore bantams.  Your blue birds are pretty.  Have fun!

I know there is a breeder in Canada, but alas this is the USA!

Let me know IF you can get any from Superior.  I spoke to Danny Padgett a few weeks back and he said they would be selling NO Columbian Rocks until at least 2011.

Maybe something has changed...I hope

Ok beside the SOP 7 colors has anyone been playing with another color variation?  I have been thinking of playing with making a Golden Partridge or Blue laced.  It seems to me not many do any color variation in this breed like in many others here on BYC.  So lets here some possiblties here.

Scott, they're not Columbian Rocks, but wow, they are really cool-looking birds anyway!

Is it okay to put crosses on this thread too? If so, then this is Bucky my BR cross Roo.





This is Alex my BR hen.


The reason her comb does not look like a single comb is because she had fowl pox and her comb got really bad. But the points are starting to grow back.


Here they are together.

Hey Speckledhen, how is Ivy doing? I haven't read your thread about her lately and I can't find it.

Cybercat....the blues I have are pretty much "blue laced"





If I could ever find any Columbians (large fowl)  I would really like to work on a Blue Columbian....would look similar to the Coronation Sussex without that HUGE price tag