What about the Barred Rocks? I have always read that those need to mature slowly, to get the good clean barring. If you are pushing those too, I am curious to hear if you are able to maintain excellent barring.This is a good conversation. Each of us has our own goals for our specific breed(s). I'm not on any soapbox. I am merely expressing my own goals and desires. After 50+ years of keeping birds, I don't do this for anyone's else expectations, but for my own.
Our line of Barred Rocks is now my own. It is built on a foundation of two other lines, but from now on, it's no one else's but my own, good, bad or indifferent. Reading the poultry journals from the early 1900's one can see birds that rival the best Rocks of today, laying 260-280 eggs, maturing in a reasonable time and snatched right from the farm pen and taken to fairs and shows of the era. Stunning good birds. The glory days of the true dual purpose fowl.
Again, each breeder has to have their own vision and goals. So be it. Here? I'll be pushing to cut laying starts from 38 weeks down to 30 weeks. That's the goal. I want SOP weights in 8 months, not 10. These are my own goals. This makes me happy and that's all that really matters. I've really no one else to please or impress. Those of you a bit older may understand.