Blue Plymoth Rocks??

[Rock N' Faverolles]

Maybe I should have mentioned that the two pictures I put on here are pictures of birds that I used to have. In the spring I plan on getting some more to work with. I had to part with them due to me moving and then getting recalled back to the army for a tour overseas. The standard does say dusky yellow, but only on the females and dusky yellow is yellow legs with just a hue or tint of black on it. Most splash have better yellow legs, so breed to a few splash pullets to improve leg color. I don't know where everybody got these strains, so I don't know the breeding behind them (so this may not work) but try breeding a black male to a white hen to get splash with good type and leg color. I do agree too about production and I actually weigh my eggs. A plymouth rock egg should weigh 2 ounces, or 24 ounces to a dozen, and should be a good tannish brown color. The eggs can be heavier, but never smaller than this.

This picture shows poor blue color, but you can see the dusky yellow the standard is somewhat referring too, this is actually to dark. When dusky yellow is referred too, it actually means on the front of the shank, the sides of the shank are still yellow.

David

 

[speckledhen]

Cher said:

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.

Yup, I agree. The thing is that this is a color of Rock that is not common (though is becoming moreso)--just like the blue Orpingtons I started with years ago. They're beautiful, folks want them, some are breeding upward toward the standard, etc. I still have my rooster, who has his faults, but he's still handsome to me. I know what the faults are, no one needs to point them out unless I'm asking for help with improvement, and I plan to keep him till he passes on. He may not be show quality himself, but has produced some show quality offspring with typey hens. So, I'm satisfied with him and others seem to be happy with the chicks they're getting from him and his ladies, too.

I've been told my Delawares are better than many winning in the shows, but I know their faults as well. They are definitely a work in progress, as halo says about her blue Rocks. If they were already perfect, then what's there to do except bask in their perfection? Half the fun is the journey toward a show quality bird, if that's the journey folks are wishing to make. No problem just enjoying their good looks and personalities. Even imperfect specimens can be a joy to behold. I just don't want people to be put off when they just want to show off their birds and get unsolicited criticism, is all.

Rock 'n Faverolles, your "poor blue color" hen is lovely, faults and all.


Kathy, I definitely want some Blue Rock eggs in a few weeks.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

I say to bring them up, get some white rocks and breed from there. Depending on the kind of white they have it could take only a few generations to get blue from them when bred with blues. I know there are many many great white rocks out there with great type to breed to. Even if you can get some blue wyandottes with good leg color to breed to use them, it will take a couple generations to get the single comb to show but it will be worth it in the end because you will have not only an unrelated blood line but you will have the nice yellow legs. I know yellow legged blue wyandottes are out there in good numbers in both large and bantam.
If someone really wants to work with the color, thats great but just remember, type first. Dont keep a bird with horrible type just because of color, without type there is no breed. Breed birds that compliment eachother. If you can get your hands on a good yellow legged roo you are good to go for awhile.

 

[kdcrws]

I've got Halo stock. My first two I bought as pullets from Kathy, they are a Y/O now and my best layers. My others are 3 1/2 mo/o that I hatched myself from Kathy. They all are beautiful I'll go out and get some updated pics of them this afternoon to post.

 

[halo]

Actually the definition of dusky in the Standard of Perfection is:

Dusky: Refers to a shading of black pigment in the epidermis over yellow pigment in the dermis as in dusky yellow shanks.

I dont see any referral to the dusky being only in front of the legs.

I have bred a yellow legged splash rooster to a yellow legged barred rock hen and gotten dusky legged blue babies. So I know the yellow legs are there, and with the dusky, or darker legs, the yellow is right underneath the dark color, as defined by the SoP.

As far as I know, you can't breed a black to a white and get a splash. Only way to get a splash is by blue x splash, blue x blue, or splash x splash.

That blue hen is beautiful....I just love mine. Theres a lot of variation of blue....I have a lot of very good laced girls, but I also have a gorgeous hen with mottled blue, its hard to describe, but it is just gorgeous.

 

[Tony]

Some of my Blue Rocks, unfortunately I no longer have the roo. He went to live in that great coop in the sky. lol

 

[kdcrws]

Quote:
do u sell eggs? if u do or will

i'd love to buy some this Spring! pretty please!

 

[kdcrws]

Ok here is my little Blue Flock:

Rooty:

unNamed pullet: (maybe u could help w/that)

the Hens Blue Belle and Matilda showing there tails. the duck is Gimpy she was droped by an owl as a duckling and didn't walk for over a month.

Not pictured is Cheepers and Speedy. They had to be mentioned

 

[Rock N' Faverolles]

There are so many different kinds of white and black, so you have to have the right combination, but if you do, you can breed black to white and get splash, and then breed the splash back to her black father and get blues.

David

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I love my Blue Rocks (also from Halo's stock) -- I only hatched the pair (P.O. really scrambled the eggs from FL to LA) wish I had more--
my hen is very nice, VERY consistent layer! -- she has laid every day since she started! - and very laid back. The roo is massive--he is in the 'batchelor pen" right now--his color is gorgeous & while he isn't what I would call "friendly"- he hasn't attacked anybody yet either, sort of standoffish, which is fine by me.
I plan to cross him on my splash rock hen & my 2 marans hens- (I have no marans roo).
edit to add: they were both young in these pics--they both have respectable tail feathers now--the roo, Blue Ray, is very large now & very nice clear outlines on his feathers (sorry, I'm forgetting the correct wording for that). Lacing! that's it! he is very nicely "laced"!
& Hilda is the nicest personality & best layer of large brown eggs you could ever ask for!