Barred Rock help desk

[0wen]

Hello, hoping to get some direction on my current barred rocks - ongoing thread possibly as I start to work through these. Also adding some LF this spring that I'll likely have questions about. I grabbed a couple of quick photos today while doing some maintenance on coop and flock that prompted some questions and concerns. More birds than this, but don't want too write a novel in my first post about them. Here goes:

Bird 1 - is significantly darker than Bird 2 (below) - assuming this is ideal in pullets or is it more a matter of barring and pattern more than depth of color (or a combination of both). Other characteristics aside, is there one I should be striving for based on color alone?

Also, quite noticeable on Bird 1 - there is a feather without barring on her upper wing that has a purple-ish sheen to it in the sun. Easy to see if you enlarge the photo. This bird just turned a year old this week. Is this something that may correct itself with her first molt or is it likely a permanent imperfection? Somewhere - possibly on the Plymouth Rock fanciers page, possibly here at BYC - there was discussion about birds from 'exhibition' stock with imperfections still making perfectly fine breeders in a program. Is she ok to use or should I move her out of the breeding program?

Finally, just for my education on Bird 1 - I guess just a general overview from a more experienced eye. I know there is some lighting issues and part of her is out of frame - plus the issues with judging birds from photos, but whatever you can offer up on her quality.



Bird 2 - Again, significantly different shade of coloring from Bird 1. Just looking for insight as to a preference between the two on that trait alone.

Also, just a general critique of the bird for my education as I start looking for traits and such moving forward with them.



Finally, if I'm throwing general critiques of birds out there I may as well add one of the roosters. Again, just trying to get an idea of what I should be looking for and comments matched with a visual of my birds may help. These were essentially a last minute addition for one of my kids who wanted to try his hand at youth exhibition so we added some of Dick Horstman's birds on recommendations from this forum. Any insight on these three birds will be helpful.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

If you are going to try to breed to a standard I would suggest you look into getting a "Standard of Perfection" in poultry, mine was a bit costly but I've used it so much in 4H its pretty much paid itself off!

I'm assuming these are bantams due to their cute squishy faces!
Their weights should be at or around: Cocks-36oz Hens-32oz

Males should have an equal black to white ratio and females should be around 60% black and 40% white.

It doesn't say anything about which colour on the females would be preffered, Also I noticed your rooster has quite a few too many points on his comb, keep an eye on that for his babies!

 

[0wen]

Thanks for the response. I'll order a copy of the SOP this week for sure. These are bantams, and my first time dealing with them. They're from Dick Horstman and have decent enough personalities so they're easy to work with. I'd noticed the same with the roosters comb and considering moving him to my table egg flock if it's something that would be incredibly detrimental to a program. I've got some Duckworth LF in the incubator right now and once they're done, I'm considering adding some of Duckworth's bantams to the breeding coop - possibly a different batch of Horstman - still up in the air really..

 

[0wen]

Some Good Shepherd & Duckworth LF available locally. Just wondering what the result would be of adding them to my bantam coop. Would it ruin the rock bantams? improve?

 

[Mosey2003]

I'm venturing into SOP Barred Rocks myself, just got set up with Good Shepherd birds. From talking to 'my' breeder the other night as he was picking me out a cockerel, the only comment I can make on yours is that it looks like he might carry his wings a bit low, though I don't know how big of a deal that is overall. And the comb should have 5 points.

Hen 2 seems to have nicer barring than Hen 1, and that black feather is unfortunate. I don't know enough yet to know if that is something that will pass on to chicks reliably or not.