The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[chicken pickin]

Frank has a poultry ranch with a direct pipeline to the top shelf, super high dollar, exotic meat bird market. He markets and sells "slow grown poultry" at prices that might make most of the members faint dead away. It's his thing and he's spent a life time making it happen. Good for him.

Different folks have different views. If you've followed this thread from it's beginning and why this thread was started in the first place, then you already know my view. Yup. These birds are far too slow. Not all of us can replicate what Frank has done and honestly, have dramatically different approaches and goals with our birds.

Thanks for that. When I read how Frank Reese does it I was curious.

 

[chicken pickin]

His wing does look a bit low in the pics, but not so much usually. Definitely something to keep an eye on as he matures.

This weekend I'm just doing a first cull. Mostly looking for DQs (like the back defect K) and narrow bodied birds. I will do another cull sometime in early December and probably another cull when the breeding pens are being decided. Right now I just want to get rid of the junk, cut down on the feed bill, and give the remaining birds more space to grow. I'm still new and learning a lot as well, so I like to take it slow.

I hatched 52 chicks this spring and am keeping 5 Ks and 10 Ps for the next round. (I lost 7 chicks to a fox attack earlier this summer, 15 Ps have already found new homes, and 15 Ks are being processed later this week.)

Interestingly, the chicks I noted at 8 weeks as having the widest/deepest bodies are the only ones to make this cut in a blind re-selection. Birds that were narrow or short backed to start with never improved.

The male below is being culled because he is a skinny bird who narrows even more towards the hips (like most this cut.) I also don't like the way he carries his wings way up on his back.



I'm sure it's different for everyone depending on their goals and what they're trying to improve in their flock. What are others looking for in first culls?

Folks have different views and styles. Me? I do just about as Jill described. Good plan Jill.

I like this as well, makes perfect sense.

Over the past week or so as I am creeping towards process day, I sit with my males daily and watch them, see how they have changed, and to see the constant drastic changes I find I am always second guessing my top picks. I think because they are still young and still have so much growing to do and filling out to do I might be holding off on the processing for these males, or at least the majority of the males.

Id like to try to at least process 3-4 males but because I have such a novice eye I find myself slightly stuck on seeing who is my bottom 3 or 4.

I have 2 males that seem small in comparison to the others, and the heads seem small in comparison to their own bodies so Im thinking cull on these though they are my only 2 pure Roy males and have by far the best crisp clean barring of the bunch. I feel like I also have a male that seems narrow in the hips more than the others. Im sure plenty of my males have some cull features, Im just still learning how to see them.

I guess I still have ton of reading to do and tons of pictures to look at to try to get everything sorted better in my head.

 

[Fred's Hens]

CP, keep your best Roy male for another breeding go round. Though imperfect, as a pure male, he's valuable to your program.
Jill has a few years of experience on you. Take your time. Yes, it costs some feed money, but eventually the good birds rise to the top and soberly bad birds sink further into the abyss. There's still time, given their age. No artificial deadlines to stress about. Enjoy this hobby. That's the ticket!!!!

 

[chicken pickin]

CP, keep your best Roy male for another breeding go round. Though imperfect, as a pure male, he's valuable to your program.
Jill has a few years of experience on you. Take your time. Yes, it costs some feed money, but eventually the good birds rise to the top and soberly bad birds sink further into the abyss. There's still time, given their age. No artificial deadlines to stress about. Enjoy this hobby. That's the ticket!!!!

Thanks for your opinion on this. Im glad to hear you think keeping a Roy male will be beneficial for later. I was a bit unsure about keeping one but have been considering from the start keeping him as a 3rd.

I already know the Roy male I would choose, So that means I can cull the other and have my official first cull on my list.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I don't keep em of the start to swoop at the neck

This is the type of thing I love to read and learn from this thread.

I've ventured some only to acquaint breeders, no thread is as purposed as this one. The rest are showmanship or requests to evaluate. Photo frenzy meglomania.

Fred- Nice job opening and I hope it continues a thread of dignity- pun intended. Those months of hatching and growing and evaluating.....they are long and we all want to put in our bird's photo but patience to mature and patience to you for keeping this thread alive.

Thank You Fred!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Thanks for your opinion on this. Im glad to hear you think keeping a Roy male will be beneficial for later. I was a bit unsure about keeping one but have been considering from the start keeping him as a 3rd.

I already know the Roy male I would choose, So that means I can cull the other and have my official first cull on my list.

And…. in counterpoint, keep as many good females from our old line as you possibly can (doing justice to the Standard). I do not believe you want a pure Roy line. Please understand why not. Your vitality and vigor has come from releasing the DNA. These Barreds can get bred into a corner like nothing else I've ever seen. Just my experience so take it for what it is worth. The reason for outcrossing is to re-establish a group of birds with hatchability, fertility and vigor. I'm guessing you only hatched two or three "pure" Roy birds. Likely Bro/Sis too. That is simply too small a gene pool and only breeding them alone would likely create some really bad fertility and hatch rates come spring. Again, just my observation, not a trumpet from Mt Sinai.

The "defining" of the subsequent generations, into a line bred, unified look can now move forward. That's fine. If you do come across a decent male from the old line, don't be afraid to keep him too, especially as he'd be good to put over some Roy females in some test matings.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Thanks for the kind words Egghead Jr. OK, folks, I'll be a bit hit and miss in attendance over the next week, so keep this thread on focus and have fun with your birds. Check you all later.

 

[chicken pickin]

And…. in counterpoint, keep as many good females from our old line as you possibly can (doing justice to the Standard). I do not believe you want a pure Roy line. Please understand why not. Your vitality and vigor has come from releasing the DNA. These Barreds can get bred into a corner like nothing else I've ever seen. Just my experience so take it for what it is worth. The reason for outcrossing is to re-establish a group of birds with hatchability, fertility and vigor.

The "defining" of the subsequent generations, into a line bred, unified look can now move forward. That's fine. If you do come across a decent male from the old line, don't be afraid to keep him too, especially as he'd be good to put over some Roy females in some test matings.

Im my group I did not end up with any pure Roy females, just the 2 pure males.

I also have 7 males from the crossed lines that to me some look quite decent. I also have 12 females from the crossed lines that I will hold on to until its time to set up breeding pairs and then I will cull through the females.

 

[Beekissed]

Been really looking over this year's hatch and am sad to note, just as in last fall's hatch, the mixed breed WR offspring have a much, much better body/head/tail than anything I have that is pure. Guess that's the way it goes. I'll save back the best of the not so goods and see how they develop over the winter but I'm not keeping many at all.

 

[devinandfeather]

For her first hatch it is a smooth ride so far 11 have hatched and 4 are alive in the egg so happy out of 16 on 1 died I think I know I originally said 19 counted incorrectly
Also I am confused all the eggs are purebred Plymouth Rockeggs so why are there white chicks could there be a chance that the barred have hatched white Plymouth rocks please help as I am curious