The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[racertomtom]

Ok so in the process of breeding for function as well as to work with the SoP I'm curious..

For someone starting out - given the characteristics of the rock - where do you suggest I focus first?

I am getting a set of scales this weekend so I can start weighing my birds.

I know Rocks are supposed to have a certain structure and look and weight. I do have a copy of the SOP to use as a reference. I also want a bird that lays well and looks well on my table.

Are certain characteristics easier to breed into the flock than others? Or does it simply depend on the quality of the birds you have.

I have several that should be culled because their combs aren't correct - and Last year I culled 2 hens who had legs that were too pale. So far my leg color seems to be decent.

If anyone has pictures (not drawings) of examples of white rocks that they consider to be excellent I would love to see them.

I have been luckier this year in hatching white rock chicks - last year I had 3 total hatch. This year I have had 20. I am watching them develop and marking ones to keep and cull.

Thanks

The characteristics that are hard to breed are the ones you don’t possess.

I wouldn’t cull for combs unless I was certain I had better birds than the ones with the bad combs. Forgive me for the story but I like to tell stories.

I once had a White Rock male that won more shows as a cockerel and as a cock than any other I’ve shown. He had a stupid looking huge 3 spike comb. I hated, HATED that comb. However, he was so good otherwise you couldn’t have made him look bad if you stuck a red glove on his head. I remember seeing him in the poultry press, thinking oh no! People will wonder what the heck. But, he made it in there enough that some probably thought white rocks were supposed to have 3 points. The morel of the story is, he brought too much to the breeding pen to ignore, including that stupid looking comb. BTW, I haven’t seen that comb since.

 

[alana124]

Alana, You will be SO HAPPY with your XW chicks!!!!!

I got some a month ago. Super Excellent customer service, too.
I switched my order from eggs to chicks, because of such dismal
results from shipping eggs, & they were so accommodating!

I also had some unexpected hatches, while the XW chicks were still small-
I had no other place to put those new chicks so they went in with the rocks.
Those chicks were so gentle with the new ones -I was very surprised at that.

Hope they make the trip OK!

OMG Trailchick, I am on pins and needles because of worry and excitement; I just finished setting up their brooder, and crossing my fingers the little angels make it safely...I called the PO too, to alert them that they're coming tomorrow.

I'm very grateful for your kind and reassuring post; thank you!

I AM SO EGG-CITED!

 

[alana124]

Jeremy Weopel's XW Poultry Ranch

Woeppel .. Jeremy Woeppel

 

[aoxa]

Some shots of the pullets I have growing out right now. None of these are staying. I have them all pre-sold. There is one I may have to hold back that I think has a really nice head.

Note that their legs are pale right now. They do yellow up. I find the green green grass many throw the colour off even more...

 

[LindaB220]

Some shots of the pullets I have growing out right now. None of these are staying. I have them all pre-sold. There is one I may have to hold back that I think has a really nice head.

Note that their legs are pale right now. They do yellow up. I find the green green grass many throw the colour off even more...

You would have to live in Canada. Those birds are stunning.

 

[racertomtom]

Some shots of the pullets I have growing out right now. None of these are staying. I have them all pre-sold. There is one I may have to hold back that I think has a really nice head.

Note that their legs are pale right now. They do yellow up. I find the green green grass many throw the colour off even more...

I like that barring.

 

[alana124]

Some shots of the pullets I have growing out right now. None of these are staying. I have them all pre-sold. There is one I may have to hold back that I think has a really nice head.

Note that their legs are pale right now. They do yellow up. I find the green green grass many throw the colour off even more...

EXQUISITE!

 

[aoxa]

EXQUISITE!

Thanks guys

 

[racertomtom]

I ordered some eggs but I haven't seen any yet.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I ordered some eggs but I haven't seen any yet.

Back in the day I bet $20 for a setting of eggs was a pretty hefty price, too