Barred Rocks Good Shepard Poulty Ranch

[Jwhip]

Thanks Bob.

 

[Robert Blosl]

The wing car rage normally is not a big issue on large fowl as bantams. Most bantams to make them small had Old English blood and sometimes Cochin blood to shrink them down from the original large fowl breed. A example was Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Rocks.

In large fowl if they have good length of body the socket where the wing comes out is in the right place and then the wing is tucked level and up under the saddle of the male or the female just tucked perfectly. You don't want to breed from birds unless you have to if their wings are droppey. During the summer when its hot you will see them droop them down you don't hold that against them but in the fall or winter if they still do you should use the male with the better wing car rage. In bantams many strains mostly the males have wing car rage like a sebright or old English. It is hard as can be to breed out and get back up to standard level. That was one reason I crossed the Rhode Island Red bantams onto large fowl Reds 25 years ago to breed out if I could the Old English traits and it worked. I have little Mohawk red bantams with level wings.

I have thought about what I wrote last night and I still like the third male for his tail. If this strain is to compete with other great strains of Barred Rock large fowl such as the Craig Shaffer line from Ohio they got to have better tails in the males. I also thought if A O Schilling photographed this bird like Jeremy did he could touch up this bird to make him look better. He could draw a line from the mid back to the end of his tail lift and make him look like he had a perfect lift. He could have given him more feathers in the underline and give him that gravy bowl look. This is what I visualize when I see a pretty good male that needs improvements. This is what Mr. E B Thompson use to do write down all the good points and the poor points then go out in the chicken yard and look for a female that could compensate for his faults. If he found one he would put her next to the male in his conditioning house and go out and look for another one. If he did not find one he said the matting was complete and would move on to the next male. He had as many as 50 mat tings per year when he was breeding in the old days of 1910 to 1920.

Kathy had a post showing pictures of her Delaware birds crossed from Jereme's barred rocks and the New Hampshire's from Doug. Look at the second picture of a male who has goofy off color but look at his comb. Its almost perfect only four points but even in the points and a great blade. This is the kind of head you want on your barred rocks. I have come to a conclusion after studding a great White Rock bantam breeder in Louisiana that if you work on getting great head points on your strain then fix this trait you are money ahead each year as you don't have to raise so many chicks to get one or two good ones. Head points was told to me by Ken Bowl es years ago is the easy est fault to correct in a large fowl. Then the body type then color.

Build the barn first then paint it he said.

Halo I was looking at some of your pictures last night and saw some of your blue rocks. Your females are very nice. what have you got going this year in numbers in the breeding pen. Has many asked you for eggs or chicks?

I still think you have the best Blues I have seen. They are so very rare of all the ROCK large fowl color patterns. bob

 

[CC1892]

What an education. Bob, I chime in every now and then- almost always learning something. Thanks Cecilia

 

[BRITROCK]

L Loving the barred rooster pictures, I'm with Bob number 3 I feel is the best type although bits of boy 1 is still very impressive. Correctly mated I thinks you are on to a winner. I am trying to improve my strain this year, wish I had some of your birds in UK we are losing size. I have a big breeding season ahead fingers crossed keep you posted. Britrock

 

[halo]

Gorgeous bird!

 

[catdaddyfro]

L Loving the barred rooster pictures, I'm with Bob number 3 I feel is the best type although bits of boy 1 is still very impressive. Correctly mated I thinks you are on to a winner. I am trying to improve my strain this year, wish I had some of your birds in UK we are losing size. I have a big breeding season ahead fingers crossed keep you posted. Britrock

Boy lok at those yellow (orange) shanks, great and yours has a tail too, another good plus. he's a beaut, got more pics?

 

[Robert Blosl]

Nice male with yellow legs, nice comb, good tail and lift. In our standard he is pretty close may need just a little more length of body. When he is a cock bird he may be a little short. Excel let male however

 

[BRITROCK]

The same boy at 12 months not a very good picture used my iphone. He had a very wide back, good barring with overall good type, I am using his son for pullet breeding this year. Very fertile and friendly, his son is just the same with a little more length which is more USA standard. I am getting a new dark boy from my friend this weekend from the same strain. (I am developing my own strain, in my third yea)r. I have taken a very successful UK strain and out crossed to a large hen well barred with good type and very healthy. (secrets in the Dam, Bob).
I will go through it with you in the future but so far so good.

 

[halo]

Looks like the UK is in excellent shape with a great line of barred rocks!

 

[Robert Blosl]

The Secrets in the Dam you been to my web site. Yes that was the most profound statement I ever got from a Master Breeder. I was speechless for 20 seconds when he said that. Then I asked how explained and then he rattled off stuff about his dairy cows and his reds and the female has more influence than the male in his view.

What a visit for a beginner about 25 years ago. He sure had some nice large fowl Reds. Then I ended up getting three pairs that fall one was a six year old hen that he sold some Lady's. I got her and that was the beginning of the Mohawk line.

I like your bar reds they have a nice flowing type. Keep it up you should have some of the best in the UK. bob