Plymouth Rock thread!

[BlazeJester]

Quote:
Would it be possible to band differently based on hatch date? You could use different colors, different legs, wing/leg band combinations...

Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about banding chickens. In order to tell my flock of barred rocks apart when they were teenagers, we banded with cable ties. Darn good for 7 chickens. No idea how we'd keep it up trying to track lineage.

 

[DMRippy]

I band my birds with velcro. It has worked very well for me. I use black for boys and white for girls. Then I add a small colored pipe cleaner for family connection and then another for individuals in that family. Like my Marans I used green for the family color assuming they all came from the same parents (bought as chicks) then next to that color I added another color for each one. So each one has 2 colors. You could add more colors and the combinations of 2 are endless with all the color pipe cleaners you can get. You can even twist two pipe cleaners together to get a new color if needed. ( I connect the velcro to each other first and then add the pipe cleaners wrapped around the velcro does that make sense? I will see if I can get a pic tomorrow)

Velcro also comes in all sorts of colors too so that could create more endless combinations of colors. Of 12 birds banned only one has ever come off and it was stuck to another birds velcro. I knew where it came from and just put it back on. It has been very helpful for documenting and culling.

I have tried the zip ties but they just scare me now. We missed one and it caused some surface damage but the bird is fine. The chicks also lost most of them so that did not work too well for me ever! Chicks that need tagging will get vet wrap. Works very well and come in all kinds of colors too and it stretches as they grow,but needs to be check every week when little. I find that the velcro works at about a month old and then I just check to make sure it is not too tight, very easy to adjust.

 

[Moonlight Piano]

Quote:
I have heard from rock breeders that the feed the chicks are fed as they age and after they lay has a large impact on leg colour.

The higher the protein the lighter the legs, the more grain and grasses they eat the more yellow the legs get. I havn't experimented with this but it sounds pretty logical,

and ihave noticed with other breeders in my area, that the ones that feed their chicks scratch have much more yellow legs than the chicks that ate the protein. anyway, I have set some partridge rock eggs

. i am so excited

.

 

[SOTO]

Hi, im looking for show quality buff plymouth rocks..I used to own some, some years back and i did pretty good with them at the shows..So now im looking for some again..Anybody got some?? Show quality, not hatchery type..

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Check with the Plymouth Rock Club. Their website is at http://www.showbirdbid.com/joomla/rockclub

 

[tigercreek]

Quote:
I have heard from rock breeders that the feed the chicks are fed as they age and after they lay has a large impact on leg colour.

The higher the protein the lighter the legs, the more grain and grasses they eat the more yellow the legs get. I havn't experimented with this but it sounds pretty logical,

and ihave noticed with other breeders in my area, that the ones that feed their chicks scratch have much more yellow legs than the chicks that ate the protein. anyway, I have set some partridge rock eggs

. i am so excited

.

I have found this to be true with mine. The pen raised birds have much lighter legs than the free range ones. They all have free choice, high protien feed, and a handfull of scratch daily, but the ones able to free range have noticably darker yellow legs. .........stan

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
I have heard from rock breeders that the feed the chicks are fed as they age and after they lay has a large impact on leg colour.

The higher the protein the lighter the legs, the more grain and grasses they eat the more yellow the legs get. I havn't experimented with this but it sounds pretty logical,

and ihave noticed with other breeders in my area, that the ones that feed their chicks scratch have much more yellow legs than the chicks that ate the protein. anyway, I have set some partridge rock eggs

. i am so excited

.

I have found this to be true with mine. The pen raised birds have much lighter legs than the free range ones. They all have free choice, high protien feed, and a handfull of scratch daily, but the ones able to free range have noticably darker yellow legs. .........stan

The bold above makes lots of sense to me; when they are allowed to range, they choose what their bodies need or are lacking (well, maybe not THIS time of year....not in Michigan anyway!).

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

Would anyone mind posting pictures of Barred Plymouth Rock eggs? Or just Plymouth Rock eggs, I am sure they all look alike.

 

[Evelle]

Scooter&Suzie :

Would anyone mind posting pictures of Barred Plymouth Rock eggs? Or just Plymouth Rock eggs, I am sure they all look alike.

all mine range in colors of brown light to tan sometimes cream.​

 

[DMRippy]

I have one girl that lays a spotted egg. Mine are Blue Rocks

Not pos but the brown ones in the front. They lay med to large. My big eggs come from the NH