Fred's Hens :
Glad for this thread. Full of questions. A life time of chicken farming and raising Rocks, but never the PR. Fascinated by their beauty.
In answering, please don't sugar coat anything. Thanks in advance, so very much appreciated.
Are the legs yellow? Or are some of the strains showing up with tan, washed out leg coloring?
What is the weight of the typical hen you have? 6 lbs? More?
Could you describe their egg laying in terms of honest, brutally honest, figures? 4 per week? 190 eggs per year? Deducting for cold weather, moodiness, molting times, etc. If you know, could you compare the laying to a Barred Rock.
Finally, has anyone tried Meyer's Partridge Rocks and if so, your critical evaluation, please.
Yes, legs are yellow. Some hens/pullets will be more than others and some will show just the under side on feet as yellow. Males should be bright yellow legs for breeding. If legs are white with no yellow do not use for breeding they are dq and maybe crosses.
My hens weigh in at from 6.5 to 7lbs. Norm is to be 7.5 which is standard. Males standard weight is to be 9.5. So some breeding up to correct weight is needed.
Ok for eggs out of the 11 I have right now I am getting 6 to 8 eggs a day steady. I think one or two are still not laying yet but since I have been sick I have not kept count. Mine lay 5 a week and take two off. Those two are usually broken up so one hens will lay 2 days then off then 3 days then off. I am getting large to xtra large eggs no double yolkers any more. First year chicks layed right thru winter and they were hatched in May. I was getting a bakers dozen most days out of 22 hens. I had two I knew were not laying most winter as they were the slow devloping older stock. They are laying now and steady. Mine did not go threw moult till late fall second year and then were off for over most of the winter. Oh a few started laying at 20 weeks many of the better ones started later. The lighter body ones are the ones that started at 20.
One word about this color it is very broody. I had broodies alll summer long even in the high heat. Some would not stop either even though I collected eggs daily from them. I had hens raise chicks last year I bought again from Mt Healthy. Picks of the rooster are one from that batch. I would say this color is more broody than the other color.
Glad for this thread. Full of questions. A life time of chicken farming and raising Rocks, but never the PR. Fascinated by their beauty.
In answering, please don't sugar coat anything. Thanks in advance, so very much appreciated.
Are the legs yellow? Or are some of the strains showing up with tan, washed out leg coloring?
What is the weight of the typical hen you have? 6 lbs? More?
Could you describe their egg laying in terms of honest, brutally honest, figures? 4 per week? 190 eggs per year? Deducting for cold weather, moodiness, molting times, etc. If you know, could you compare the laying to a Barred Rock.
Finally, has anyone tried Meyer's Partridge Rocks and if so, your critical evaluation, please.
Yes, legs are yellow. Some hens/pullets will be more than others and some will show just the under side on feet as yellow. Males should be bright yellow legs for breeding. If legs are white with no yellow do not use for breeding they are dq and maybe crosses.
My hens weigh in at from 6.5 to 7lbs. Norm is to be 7.5 which is standard. Males standard weight is to be 9.5. So some breeding up to correct weight is needed.
Ok for eggs out of the 11 I have right now I am getting 6 to 8 eggs a day steady. I think one or two are still not laying yet but since I have been sick I have not kept count. Mine lay 5 a week and take two off. Those two are usually broken up so one hens will lay 2 days then off then 3 days then off. I am getting large to xtra large eggs no double yolkers any more. First year chicks layed right thru winter and they were hatched in May. I was getting a bakers dozen most days out of 22 hens. I had two I knew were not laying most winter as they were the slow devloping older stock. They are laying now and steady. Mine did not go threw moult till late fall second year and then were off for over most of the winter. Oh a few started laying at 20 weeks many of the better ones started later. The lighter body ones are the ones that started at 20.
One word about this color it is very broody. I had broodies alll summer long even in the high heat. Some would not stop either even though I collected eggs daily from them. I had hens raise chicks last year I bought again from Mt Healthy. Picks of the rooster are one from that batch. I would say this color is more broody than the other color.
