Blue rocks

[Brookhavens]

Here are my Blues from Stan:

 

[BlackPanther]

Looks like you have some birchen pattern in there.

That's what I was thinking... But then I thought that they weren't an accepted color pattern in the PRs?

I doubt the guy would have been actively breeding for these, so what type of combination do you think would produce this?

 

[BlackPanther]

These are the ones I Hatched out from halo They are Great !

Beautiful! I love that rooster!

 

[albchickenfarm]

 

[ravenswood]

Nice work on the lacing! These birds also appear to have decent size. In the other pictures on your album, leg color seems to be better than most of the other "Blue Rocks" I've seen on here. The Orpington influence (body shape, fluff) is less obvious on these. Is there a reason you are breeding with a Blue Barred male? Does anyone have true blues of both sexes, with proper leg color? Thanks!

 

[DMRippy]

There are true blue rocks. Not sure why you think there is orp influence. One good reason to breed to barred birds is to increase type and improve leg color. Lacing has also been lost and the sex link cross is putting the lacing back in the nice blues.

 

[ravenswood]

There are true blue rocks. Not sure why you think there is orp influence. One good reason to breed to barred birds is to increase type and improve leg color. Lacing has also been lost and the sex link cross is putting the lacing back in the nice blues.

Here is the print of a Blue Rock male from the APA Standard of Perfection. Most of the males pictured on this thread have considerably shorter backs and shanks, and much looser feathering (fluff) similar to an Orpington. The females have even more fluff, and most would be disqualified for leg color. I realize not everyone breeds to standard, so I'd prefer not to single out any one particular bird. But print this picture out and look back through the thread, and you can hopefully see what I mean.

I understand the cross to Barred Rocks for size and type, but why use a male that has two copies of barring instead of a female that has just one? Also, most of the barreds have been selected for extremely slow feathering to make the barring straight--do you really want that trait in a blue? There are performance and production disadvantages to slow feathering, not to mention the narrow feathering and poor tails that tend to go with it. (The "Barred Rocks" from hatcheries are usually fast feathered, but will not improve type.)

As for improving leg color, the melanin pigment inhibitor that helps barred birds have yellow legs is linked to the barring gene itself. When the barring goes away, so does the inhibitor, and you are back to dark legs.

I do not understand how the Barred Rocks would help with lacing, which requires the pattern gene (Pg). But, at any rate, if anyone has Blue Rock males with lacing like the pullet above, proper Rock body shape, tight feathering, and proper leg color, I would love to see pictures!

 

[BGMatt]

I also don't understand how the barred cross would help lacing. I have not raised Blue Rocks, but Blue (andalusian blue, not self) is my favorite color pattern and have bred it in many different breeds over the years and this is first I've heard of using Barred to improve lacing??? Does it supposedly have something to do withHow they created the Blues back in the day with the Plymouth Rocks? I realize it's anecdotal, but I have always found my best color for blues of any breed come from a splash bred to a black (out of a blue breeding), is that true for the Plymouth Rock also? We would usually use a splash male to black females, or occasionally a splash to blue. Was never happy with the results of Blue to Blue as far as color went, but obviously would use that breeding to make the splash and blacks used to breed the blues for the show ring.

 

[DMRippy]

Brookhaven is using a single barred rooster so she is only geting half the offspring with barring. I dont know why they are getting the lacing either but when a sex link cross using GSBR pullets/hens the lacing is there and nice and the leg coloring is improving too. I know barring can mask the leg color but it must be better than the blues we are using because it is improving.

I am working on another project and the color is not good either so it is just a big battle in the blue rocks. You just have to cull hard for leg color and use the best roo you have to improve it.

 

[tigercreek]

I do not understand how the Barred Rocks would help with lacing, which requires the pattern gene (Pg). But, at any rate, if anyone has Blue Rock males with lacing like the pullet above, proper Rock body shape, tight feathering, and proper leg color, I would love to see pictures!

This is a blue cockerel from Halo's breeding. I hatched him, but no longer have him. It was my understanding that all blue, ( not self blue, or lavender) is from Andalusian blue which is laced. If that is not correct, then I don't know how the lacing got in these birds, but they all have it, even the barred males. ........stan