Partridge Rock Thread - Page 26

Okay thanks!! That helped a lot!!! I emailed a place in Florida called Healthy Heart Farms and they had (in my novice opinion) very nice Rocks! I won't be able to get any from them, as they live in Florida, but they said they got theirs from Myer Poultry (not Meyer) and Mt. Healthy Hatchery. Has anyone had any experience with Myer? I hadn't ever paid much attention to them, but maybe I should now! Also, when the hatcheries email me back, what are some good places they could have sources theirs from?

Anyone else?

There is an auction for these.  Ends tonight

http://www.featherauction.com/detail.asp?id=2241&n=Partridge-Rock-eggs

Okay, found some new information. Talked to DFCottage, and will hopefully be able to get eggs from them, but in case I don't, emailed some hatcheries. www.mypetchicken.com says they've "...had them long enough it wouldn't be proper for us to claim they were from someone else's lines". Mount Healthy said they originally got theirs from McMurray, but have had them for a while, and McMurray didn't know where they got theirs from. I emailed Healthy Heart Farms again and it was a misspelling and they actually got theirs from Meyer and Mt. Healthy. So it seems like everything comes back to Mt. Healthy, then to McMurray. And DFCottage of course. Anybody got opinions on McMurray in general? I won't be able to do Mt. Healthy because of the breed minimums, but they should be fairly similar, right? Thanks so much everyone!!

While I'd love to see you go with a private breeder over a hatchery for many reasons, (either me or someone else), I have heard that McMurray's line of PR's have an attitude problem. Mean roos.. At one time I had PR's from Mt. Healthy, and they were nice, big birds. Ive heard several folks say their line of PR's is the best out of all the hatcheries. Sounds like Mt. Healthy really improved on what they got initially. What MPC said is odd.. They had to get their stock from somewhere, and if they've just had the same group of birds and their offspring for years, and not working diligently to improve it with new stock from other breeders, then it's definitely not their line. But, I don't know for sure where their stock comes from. They might have a mix of other hatchery's birds too.

The best advice I got when starting out was to ask around who has very good stock of the breeds/varieties I wanted, figure out what I could invest, and then buy from 2-3 breeders, for the best genetic diversity. It has made all the difference with my birds.

My Pet Chicken gets their stock from Meyer.  They do not hatch out their own chicks.  At least they have not in the past.

I can tesify to the quality of Mt Healthy PRs.  They have done some work with their birds.  I have been breeding from stock I got and it breeds true without major defaults.

As far as MM I would not buy from them. I have heard to many compalints not only on their PRs but others.  I know of one person who tried to bred up their PRs and had to ditch the whole program for the birds did not breed true.  I have also heard from many on here and off here that say they have gotten mean roosters in that color and hens have been very pecky.  I have a neibor that got some and got rid of them.  This year she bought from me since she did not want alot.

I guess since MM demand went well up.  They started cross breeding to increase egg production.  There orignal stock was must have been with a good breeder.  This is what Mt Healthy got before MM started there cross breeding.  I know from what I am seeing in my birds it looks like older stock to me.  Backs are longer than the newer stock and growth is way slower.  I have chicks here that are over 28 weeks that have not laid yet and this is normal for older stock.  My colors are true too, real deep red necks on my males and not showing the yellow on the females.  Female base color is med  to dark brown not light brown to almost golden like I have seen in other lines.  I will have to take updated pics on my flock.  But I do have pics on thier blog of both original brids and offspring thew the years here.

I don't know of his quality (or lackthereof) but my rooster (cockerel actually) I've been posting photos of is from Meyer's stock, in case it helps anyone.

Okay, so sounds like a no go with MM. I'd really like to go through a breeder over a hatchery, but that might not work... we'll see. I guess if it does not I'll look into Mt. Healthy a little more. Thanks guys! Does anyone have any advice for me for starting out? What should I look for in my first year? Obviously I won't be able to get all the traits I want in the first year, but which are the most important to look for in the beggining? Is color the most important, or egg production, temperament? Thank you so much for all the great info I've been getting!!!

I would suggest buying from a breeder then you have much less work the pattern is tough enough without having to worry about type saves you time and money in the long run. Having bought PR's from 2 hatcheries and then from a breeder let me tell you there really is no comparison. My hatchery ones laid eggs just fine but the size was way off and there were lots of color faults, stubs and white feather tips. They were still beautiful birds but my breeder ones lay eggs just as well are the correct size and color and much more substantial much more of a dual purpose bird. I plan on showing mine and learning how to keep breeding them up I'm just farther up the ladder in quality to start by far

There are 5 hatched so far and 3 or 4 more coming out so exited, Now I cant wait till I can hatch from these birds I officially have the hatching bug. I still have 20 or so eggs still in incubation . Cant wait for the rest of them to come out .