Plymouth Rock thread!

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: In Wynnettes case there are not any good strains out there except hers. They do look a little small to me but I think they the people she got her start from had bantam blood in them to improve the color. Her strain is good just needs a little size to compete with the bigger rocks. This color pattern is most likely the strain that is on the bottom of the color chart for scoring. they have been left to go to the toilet by rock guys around the country they are a very difficult color pattern to breed and takes intense skills to keep them going let alone improve them. NO buddys fault just lack of interest and no one willing to try to improve them.

So what do you do. Cross a strain that you might find that looks pretty good maybe bigger than hers? YES YES.. You have no choice. We are not breeding 94 and 95 point Reds or White Rocks here we are breeding a very rare H chicken that is about gone. Heck you may have to cross a Brahma on them to get back to square one. Then fight the fluff and stubs for ten years like Dick N in Canada with the Columbian Rocks had tto dot.

The most important thing to do Wynnette is let your birds go through a molt. Feed them a medium protein feed make sure they are worm free and turn your lights on for 15 hours say around Dec lst and get them laying as best as they can in Jan. However if the male is not fertile in this time of year and needs warmer weather in Michigan that's another issue. Feed them a cod liver oil mix of say one oz of scratch and soak it in cod liver oil , maybe the next day wheat germ then the next day Red Cell like this as a treat. Put the eggs in the incubator ever three days do not let them set for a week if you have hatching issues . Then pray to the gods that they will hatch raise them up and get some fresh stock to work with.

I know you have some eggs from a good source and I hope you got a few from this line to cross onto your line.

In regards to crossing you sometimes have to when you have limited low scoring birds. Nothing wrong with it. We are dealing with H chickens on the low 100 list. If you can get some new fresh vigorous blood you will be alight. bob

In regards to crossing a rose comb red onto my old Red large fowl there is a reason I am doing this.

It will be done on a separate farm and then I will see if my theory will work for the kind of bird I want to design. Can not do this with any of the current pure Rose Comb lines out there. You got to remember I know how they crosses and when the crossed single combs onto their rose combs. None of the Rose Combs are pure anymore that went out in the 1960s with the watering out of Dr. Melcherts line from Minn that came from Harold Tompkins. Don't do it unless you are ready to have a lot of culls.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:Yard full 'o rocks Thats the one I like.....you came always send her "south"

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Scott, glad you like her. She's likely the first or second best of the F1 bunch. Let me get to F2 in late winter and I'll send you a box of eggs. I'd be honored and delighted to send you some.

 

[rancher hicks]

I had some shipped to Hawaii last year and then back - 7 days. A few hatched, shockingly. Poor eggs. I think the post office is so overworked these days, with closing so many offices and centralizing more. Sigh. Sure makes the job of getting god-quality hatching eggs out there more difficult.

I'm not quite sure I understand. TO Hawaii and then BACK ??

 

[Fred's Hens]

I also do not understand completely what has gone wrong with the USPS.

In this day and age of computerized scanning of bar codes and auto tracking, how does a package simply fall off the radar into oblivion, nada, nothing, zip, fade to black, unknown location for over 6 days?

When that happens? There is nothing you can do. If it happens to be eggs in that package? Say Good Night Gracie.

 

[rancher hicks]

I used to work for the PO and I always advise printing large letters or best is computer printed.

I tape over the complete label with clear packing tape. Keeps things from fading if it gets wet by rain, spilled drinks, crying workers, what ever. Tracking of course and priority.

I suspect if it's coming through a large city the odds are it will get lost.

Here in NY all priority packages go to Rochester. Even if I send something to someone across town if it's priority it goes to Rochester first, than comes back.

Damage packages end up God knows where. Nixies as they are called are low priority. They have no one in particular who handles them so they may sit for .................................. til they decide to deal with them.

My last four shipments were Express/ overnight guaranteed and all were late. Remember your money or the buyers (since they pay for shipping) is refunded.

 

[BGMatt]

Snapped some pictures of my SPPR pullets. Counted today and they're 11 weeks old

 

[Silver Rock]

Hi Bob
I just want to get a better understanding on your opinion of the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock strains of today. Can you please tell me why you say Wynnettes strain is the only good strain. It is hard for me to understand when you say her strain of Silver Penciled Rocks is lacking type as in size but they are the only good strain. I am sure I am missing something and you have your reason for your opinion. I plan to be breeding the Dick Horstman strain over the next many years and want to know in your opinion is it a waste of time to continue to breed this strain of Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I am delighted to see BGMatt and Silver Rock working on these birds. These birds will be extremely challenging and will likely require a long term commitment. The total number of some of these varieties being kept is dishearteningly low.

I'd encourage the few people who are dedicated to the SPPR to work together and preserve/improve this most difficult, yet most intricate of the Rocks. Just a note of encouragement.

 

[Silver Rock]

Hi Fred's Hens
Thank you and I am going to do my very best to play a part in the survival of this great variety of the Plymouth Rock breed.

 

[Robert Blosl]

His strain is ok but don't you think she would cross that line into hers a;; readu om a jeart beat. Her strain I think has better color. However, I have not weighed the birds but they are smaller. Do you have any cock birds or hens from Dick yet or just chicks? He is at least able to suppy a person stock in many breeds to get a start that's a good thing but the color pattern as a whole is light years away from say the top three Barred Rock the buff strain ect.

The whites are the ones that can score 94 to95 points and that is why they can win at major shows. The off colors are down the ladder as far as type size amd color just like man other breeds of herictage chickens are that you all want.
Does any one out there have some of Wyanettes Silver Pecncilled large Fowl Rocks???????????????

Did someone get some last year or two years ago? I wish you would say yes.

If so how many do you have. I just found a lady who has large fowl reds that contacted me four years ago and has gone quite on this red thread or even here who still has her don Nelson line which is good.

So you never know. where they may be.

We need to get a scale and weigh these birds when they mature so we can see how big they are. When I see six or so for sale at a show sitting on the ground and they look like they weigh six pounds what do you think I am thinking as standard size large Fowl Rocks. Small. What do you think if I see a Partridge that weighs eight pounds as a male but he is built like a Wyandotte and has no tail and the females are short bodied as can be. Not much to work with is there.

Now you take those young Buff Rocks out in Arizona that hatched from eggs you can see all ready we got something good to work with and improve wait till they are six months old or so we are going to really get excited. Heck I am doing back flips over Scotts Colombian Rock Project. He has got the type on the whole very good on the females and only a year or two away on the males. With the right mattings to his top females this spring he is going to have some nice long length back males with good tails showing up.

Some times as you develop a strain you get more of a pullet or female line. That's not bad really as if you show a cracker jack female with white rock type good size a pound over pullet weight and with good color and wing color don't worry about under color she might get Reserve breed at a good show. I think in five years a female like this could get best of breed and hop up to Champion or Res American at a good show. We have seen it with Columbiana rock bantams why not Scotts large fowl.

Any way we have to be patient. Work with what you have and if and I mean if you find a good bird with size and fiar to good color in the Silver Penciled color pattern you can cross it onto your present line you have no choice you need new blood or large size or something.

Another issue I would like to clear up many want a color pattern of say rocks and I tell them who has what. I have no idea if you want these for pets or want to show them or even if you want to breed them up to a standard. Many don't even have a incubator let a standard. Then after a year or so theh decide they want to become a breeder and try to improve the breed they got. I may open my big mouth and say something and you will say why is my strain from breeder syz on his list.

I try to pick at that level the strain of birds that will save me years of breeding and money because Mr. Greens line might be a average of93 as a whole and Mr. Whites is just 91 or not even 92. It would take at least five to eight years and over 100 chicks per year to reach the top strain level. Some people could care less and some wont even have this color pattern or breed in three years. So forgive me if I thrown a curve ball once in a while. I bet this year I steered at least 50 people to different breeds of chickens or color patterns of large fowl rocks. So far I am pleased with our progress and very pleased with the six year progress of many who are still plowing away and some who are dong fantastic with their fowl.