The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[313759]

He has a well rounded breast(which can't be seen from this picture, my phone stinks) I'm not sure about his comb, like what is required in a nice breeding rooster. He has a strriaghtish back. His barring is all over the place, his shackle barring is really thin, his body barring is thick etc. He doesn't have the best tail in the world, but I'm hoping to breed him with one of my hens that has a full tail, to improve this.

 

[313759]

This is my rooster

I'll get a much better picture later, I just was in a rush at the moment.

 

[Fred's Hens]

here is a barred cockerel from this year. I think he will be one of my breeders. Along with this pullet

I like your decision making. That is a fine, fine breeding pair to start things off some the new year. Congratulations on a job well done. You should be very proud. Now the trick is to protect them and deliver them from all evil until their breeding days come.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Cackle claims these are heritage BR's and even shows them as prize winners. Please have a look at this link and if you aren't familiar with them and let me know what you think...

http://cacklehatchery.com/barred.html

Here is a pic from that link of the male:

That is a fictious photo. That photo was taken at a poultry show and that male very well won his class. Believe you me that he does NOT reside at Cackle hatchery. Cackle merely tosses 100 males into a huge pen of 800 females and what happens, happens. There is ZERO selective breeding as we practice breeding and discuss it on this thread. If you really want a male like that? You'd better order some eggs or chicks or buy some breeding stock from a top, top breeder. Cackle has no such birds, trust me.

 

[Fred's Hens]

How Do Hatcheries "Breed"?


Hatcheries serve a very valid purpose. They are the McDonald's of the poultry world providing, healthy, massed produced birds for mail order and farm stores sellers of day old chicks. Do they selectively breed? Not on your life. Not in the way the real artisan breeder does. Take a look at Cackle's own video from YouTube and see for yourself. (as a side bar, while these are titled Rhode Island Reds, there isn't a standard bred Red in the photo. They're all production rusty mixed up birds).

Now, Here's a link to their "Barred Rock" 'breeding pen' This video is relatively recent. I don't see any good BR in that pen. I see mostly pinched, high tailed, light weight, cuckoo barred birds posing as Rocks.

Barred Rock Chicken Breed (Breeder Flock) - YouTube

 

[313759]

I think it's ridiculous how hard breeders work to get to the standard of breeds and hatcheries are filling up the world with 'junk' birds for money! I know having that many chickens it's hard to selectively breed but there is such thing as a breeding pen people

 

[Fred's Hens]

@Toddrick We would LOVE for you to have some our birds. I see you are in Indiana? If you're willing to drive up to the Lansing area this fall, you can get some stock from us and get a good start on some real Barred Rocks. We don't do any of this thinking we'll be rich. We love the birds and love sharing them with others that share this fancy.

 

[Fred's Hens]

For 99% of the people, the birds sold from the feed stores and hatcheries meet their needs very well. All they want is some backyard birds and some eggs. That's about it. So, it's a free country and hatchery folks work hard at their business and I wish them well and success.

Do I want their birds? No thanks. Once you've had "real birds", you don't go back. A breeder is one who is willing to roll up their sleeves and work at producing better birds. It's a hobby and passion. Not everyone shares in it and that's OK.

 

[313759]

Hey Scott, what do you think of this pullet

That's a beautiful pullet, what type of color is that? Sorry if you were looking for like it's carriage and breast width or something, I'm a novice breeder(kinda) and these are my first barred rocks and I'm hoping to breed excellent birds. I plan on exhibiting a few birds in the future

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

That is a fictious photo. That photo was taken at a poultry show and that male very well won his class. Believe you me that he does NOT reside at Cackle hatchery. Cackle merely tosses 100 males into a huge pen of 800 females and what happens, happens. There is ZERO selective breeding as we practice breeding and discuss it on this thread. If you really want a male like that? You'd better order some eggs or chicks or buy some breeding stock from a top, top breeder. Cackle has no such birds, trust me.

Cackle is using the photo submitted by a buyer - likely a 4-Her - who has sent the photo to show how the bird they purchased from Cackle did for them. I can attest that many of the birds shown, at least at the county level, around here are hatchery sourced and do win their classes, etc. (in fact, to be specific, one of the kids that often does best here - though he graduated this year - ordered from Cackle every year). The thing is, that the birds that are winning the champion, etc at the county level are not really being judged by APA standards and much of the judging is more based on the handler, their handling of the bird, etc and not as much on the quality of the bird itself - plus, if you are judging quality and you are judging hatchery birds against hatchery birds the "winner" may be the best bird there but still be a far cry from the quality one would find at a breeder based/poultry club type show.