Blue Plymoth Rocks??

[Krys109uk]

Curious.....Black British Orps are to have black or blue legs with white under feet, same with the blues.

 

[halo]

Ive been playing with these blues for a couple of years now...feels like a whoooole lot longer, for some reason. Im on my second and third generation. In the first generation, I used several barred rocks, and in not paying attention, some of them had white legs instead of yellow, so I did end up with some white legs in my first generation. The roos I have used all have yellow legs. Seems the blue hens have very slatey legs, but the underneath of the feet will be yellow. The roos have much more yellow on their legs.

This is the blue roo I was using, at a young age:

And how he ended up grown up.

His legs got very slatey, tho they always had the yellow undertone and his bottoms of his feet were very yellow. He also got very mean, so he left.

The splash pullets had more yellow than the blues or blacks in their legs.

The blues and blacks have dark/slate legs, but the bottoms of their feet are yellow, for the most part. I did end up with some white feet bottoms, Im not using them for breeding.

With the first generation blue rocks that I hatched, I did get a lot of "cochin butts". They are not correct type as far as the breed standard goes, but Im still using them for breeding. My roosters have had good tails, and the barred rock girls that I used also imparted great tail carriage. So Im sure Ill eventually breed out the "cochin butt", but the color on some of those blues is so gorgeous, which is why Im continuing to use them in hopes I can keep the color and correct the tails.

A cochin-butted girl, probably a cross of the blue roo over one of the originals blue rock hens.

A better tailed girl, from the blue roo and a barred rock hen.

This is a black roo that Im using. Im not crazy about him, but he's the only black I have right now, so Im just using him to get some more black pullets.

One of my favorite black hens. I really love the blacks, but I dont have much to work with. I only have the one roo and 4 hens, and they dont like to lay much. I think Im going to try and produce a really good blue roo with my black hens and splash roo.

These birds are still a work in progress; Im also trying to get a little better size to them, since they are on the small side. So no, they arent perfect, but Im aware of the breed standard, and am trying to aim for that. I know theres not a lot of them around, so Im pretty much stuck with working with what I have.

 

[M To The Maxx]

I love your birds Halo!!!!

 

[M To The Maxx]

I love your birds Halo!!!!

 

[poultryhaven]

I've seen some of her birds in person and they are absolutely beautiful!

 

[speckledhen]

Kathy, is that the black Rock rooster you mentioned to me when we were talking about you sending me some eggs? That black girl is drop dead gorgeous!

 

[blackdotte]

Blue Plymouth Rocks should be a laced blue & have yellow legs like this one

David

 

[Rock N' Faverolles]

I've put these two pictures on here before, but I wanted to repost them again to show the leg color. Type of the birds need work as well as over all color, but they have the yellow legs. First picture is a blue cockerel and the second one is a splash pullet. I wish I had pictures of when they were older.

David

 

[walkswithdog]

I had two halo pullets, and the one I lost had a very dark head and lacing and I still miss her terribly. My little blue pullet from this recent hatch is coming along and I'll hatch more. Until there ARE a nice group of blues or blacks to work with. And the laced photo is terrific but if you KNOW who's holding birds now with that quality of coloring - TELL US.

The only way to improve - beyond sorting what you have is to get in more and better stock. I can share photos of near perfect partridge rocks but I dare you to find a source for them, other than Doug, and he's NOT sharing his bloodline often at all. His production rate sucks and he culls hard and isn't parting with his culls. He reduced three well established flocks, into one. One small one.

So we have what we have and work with it. Both my black roo and blue hen have yellow foot bottoms, as does the baby. Blues are rare. Perfect blues.... and unicorns. I'd rather work up from decent birds, then have none because they're not perfect. If I can get four hens, I'll do a generation to my delaware roo to put on some size. He throws nicely sized progeny bred to my barred rocks. If I could find a good laced blue roo, I'd use him in a heartbeat. Unicorns are hard to track down.

I happen to love blue/black/splash rocks and like my Dels, they're a work in progress with most people who hold them. But that's how the color variations get generally established. Most people don't have access to the high end stock. They work with what they can get. And cull.

I think they're pretty. Like the Delawares, even when off in type. If enough people love the color and start working with it on type, then in time, we'll have a better group of birds to work and trade from. If anyone finds Show Quality Blues - please post to this thread. I know I have been watching for them. I'd buy eggs in a heartbeat. Show Quality Partridge LF links also appreciated.

 

[halo]

Cher, therein lies whats most important to me....production. It does me no good to produce a beautiful bird if I only get a smattering of eggs. Plymouth Rocks are known for their egg production, and I refuse to bargain in that area. I often cross back production barred rocks to keep the egg laying up, and believe me, its working. I sell eggs to a local organic market, so its important to me that my girls produce.

The Standard of Perfection states blues can have dusky yellow legs, not just yellow, so Im very satisfied where Im at. Having pure yellow legs is not part of my goals, since its not needed to conform to the standard. Im far more interested in type and production ability, good temperments, good wide bodies.