Alto has been said lately about Shelby Harrington and his work with the large White Rocks. I know he also had very nice large White Wyandottes. Are there any other breeds-varieties that he is known for having worked with? An early memory of Harrington White Rocks that I have, back when I was in 4H, been 17-18 years ago. There was a family who aquired some birds from Harrington. The birds were so nice. I don't think they ever raised any however til this day they were some of the nicest White Rocks that I had ever seen.
There are a few who have his birds or mixed them in to there line. I tried to keep mine pure as I got them 28 years ago from Jim Volk he sent me 13 chicks half where Bowen and half where Sher mans or Wayback from Penn. I raised them up and found the Waback birds had smaller leg bone structure and I wanted Rocks with big bone legs to support the mass as White Rocks can have weak leg systems and my birds could latter stand on one leg for five minutes with out getting tired. I kept two males and three females and started three family's. I would take my males say ten of them the best big boned guys and run them around a 50 x100 foot pen in a circle. I would have a tape recorder in my pocket so I could make comments to myself and I would talk out loud the ones who would get tired fastest or just give up. I would do this for say five minutes or so until the last four birds would keep on going turn around and say to me with their eyes how many more laps boss. I would say my tongue is hanging out and I got the top four males with in durance. I got this idea from Rouen Duck breeders in the old days who used this method to pick their males for breeding.
I will tell you a imbarsing story a story where I wanted to go out the building and hide under a rock. I was at the 2002 Ohio National and was manning the Rhode Island Red Club table with my wife as I was club president. We went that mourning I think a Saturday to a breakfast house and was standing in line waiting for a table and a older fellow was talking to me and said what kind of chickens to you raise. I said White Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. He said where did you get your Rocks from? I said Jim Volk he sent me 13 chicks and half of them was Bowen and the other half was Sherman or Waback. I told him the Sherman birds had small bone structure and I got rid of them was not very impressed with them and breed the bigger birds from Bowen. After that I said My name is Robert Blosl and he said my name is Lowell Sherman.
Holy Crap what a A I made of my self. I should of asked first who he was be for spilling the beans on his white rocks.
Any way I made up for it as Jim Volk and I bullied our way to get Mr. Sherman and his son into the Plymouth Rock Hall of Fame.
He was a great booster to Poultry and Plymouth Rocks.
Walt I think you where there at that show.
In regards to the feathers I like to pull them off a fully feathered new feathered male. My two cockle rel are about three months away from being feathered in. Their sire is got to go through a molt and then I will pull some of his hackles and saddle feathers. I got eight bantam males all ready feathered ready to pluck. I will keep three of them and pluck the rest be for I get rid or them.
I got to learn how to die the feathers from white to red, yellow purple ect.
Weather is windy but the Storm has missed us heading to New Orleans.
