The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[mklorber]

Thanks Fred! I would overbuild things to if it gave me a reason to play with that purty tractor you had. Did you see my second question about wire on the bottom? Thanks

Melissa

 

[tigercreek]

tigercreek,

Are you breeding barreds into your blues?

I did , for size and type mostly. Having to pretty much start all over now. We moved to another state and left the entire flock behind. I was able to get some eggs from my line,,but only hatched 4 pullets that are not looking very good. May have to go back to barred or white for a reset.. I do have a splash cockerel that is showing possibilities...

 

[Fred's Hens]

We've never had a burrowing predator in five years. Not saying it couldn't happen, but there's never been anything ever try. The pole barn isn't significantly different. It too could be burrowed into, if desired bad enough. Never had an issue.

We have had rouge dogs, during the day. We disappear them.

My greatest concern is the hawks and owls. These are our main killers and we've never lost a bird to an aerial attack due to being very careful. But, those birds of prey are always watching and always about.

 

[emenheiser]

I can see the attachment, but I don't see what you are trying to show me??? I have asked Joe to help us out with this...

Just a couple quick thoughts...

When I first started considering the Blue Rock project, I did consider Partridge and Silver Penciled as sources of the pattern gene needed for lacing. Of course they would need the addition of Co and Ml which would reduce the penciling to lacing and ensure complete lacing, respectively. What kept me from doing this (beyond the fact that neither variety was particularly excellent in type) was the fact that they were based on eb (brown) rather than E (black) or ER (birchen). My observation with blue Cornish crosses is that the lacing in eb-based blues is blue rather than black. This is also the reason I steered away from Silver Laced Wyandottes. Finally, I would definitely use a Silver Penciled before a Partridge due to the silver vs. gold base. Gold-based blues are particularly prone to rusty/brassy color. As Tom indicates, this is sex-linked, so the females from a White Rock male would in theory still be silver. But a person would need to know what they were doing to work through all of the unwanted genes (and acquire the needed ones) when using partridge influence in a "blue."

 

[desertmarcy]

Regarding putting wire on the bottom of the pens. I am considering that for new pens I'm planning. My main predator problem here is bobcats. Hawks and owls would be an issue if I free-ranged, but I don't because of them, and the bobcats which can be out during the day. I didn't think bobcats would dig, but one year I had one dig under a pen, where the ground was soft due to the litter from mesquite trees building up. It took 18 young pullets out of that pen that were almost laying age. That was a lot of expensive organic feed going to a bobcat. Most of the ground/soil here is clay and rock, but even in that hard ground, my hens dig huge pits in their pens. Especially my Barred Rock hens. Man can those hens dig. I worry that digging INSIDE the pen, near the fence wall, will make it much easier for something to dig in from OUTSIDE. So my reasons for using the wire are 1) keep the birds from digging so deep 2) keep predators from digging under and 3) keep rodents from digging in. I guess if I use wire, I will use 1/2" hardware cloth. Makes the pens more expensive for sure.

 

[LindaB220]

Regarding putting wire on the bottom of the pens. I am considering that for new pens I'm planning. My main predator problem here is bobcats. Hawks and owls would be an issue if I free-ranged, but I don't because of them, and the bobcats which can be out during the day. I didn't think bobcats would dig, but one year I had one dig under a pen, where the ground was soft due to the litter from mesquite trees building up. It took 18 young pullets out of that pen that were almost laying age. That was a lot of expensive organic feed going to a bobcat. Most of the ground/soil here is clay and rock, but even in that hard ground, my hens dig huge pits in their pens. Especially my Barred Rock hens. Man can those hens dig. I worry that digging INSIDE the pen, near the fence wall, will make it much easier for something to dig in from OUTSIDE. So my reasons for using the wire are 1) keep the birds from digging so deep 2) keep predators from digging under and 3) keep rodents from digging in. I guess if I use wire, I will use 1/2" hardware cloth. Makes the pens more expensive for sure.

Would not an apron of 2"x4" welded wire be adequate? Maybe put some rocks on it or hammer down with rebar?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chickens need protecting. Chicken die. Chickens get killed by everything. Fact of life.

One balances the security issues and providing reasonable protection against providing a decent life of pasture or ranging. It is a balance. Goodness knows, there are other threads, galore, that grind out the minutia of predators, coops, pens, guard dogs, et al, ad nauseam.

This is a breeders thread and we shall all strive to keep the main thing, the main thing. Including me. mea culpa

 

[tigercreek]

Just a couple quick thoughts...

When I first started considering the Blue Rock project, I did consider Partridge and Silver Penciled as sources of the pattern gene needed for lacing. Of course they would need the addition of Co and Ml which would reduce the penciling to lacing and ensure complete lacing, respectively. What kept me from doing this (beyond the fact that neither variety was particularly excellent in type) was the fact that they were based on eb (brown) rather than E (black) or ER (birchen). My observation with blue Cornish crosses is that the lacing in eb-based blues is blue rather than black. This is also the reason I steered away from Silver Laced Wyandottes. Finally, I would definitely use a Silver Penciled before a Partridge due to the silver vs. gold base. Gold-based blues are particularly prone to rusty/brassy color. As Tom indicates, this is sex-linked, so the females from a White Rock male would in theory still be silver. But a person would need to know what they were doing to work through all of the unwanted genes (and acquire the needed ones) when using partridge influence in a "blue."

Thanks for coming over Joe. I appreciate your comments......stan

 

[Kinmera]

s
I promised a pic of one of my "blues". After reading all of the comments she may not be. Either way I think she's pretty.

Upon further looking at my young pullers. I think they maybe splashes. They would not cooperate for a picture yesterday

 

[Fred's Hens]

Plymouth Rock

TAIL: Medium length, moderately spread, carried at an angle of twenty degrees (20) above the horizontal and forming no apparent angle with back.

Main tail feathers - broad and overlapping
Coverts - well developed

From the standard.