Plymouth Rock thread!

[DMRippy]

Terry Disney is a Director over District 3 in the Plymouth Rock Fanciers Club of America and he is a member of the Plymouth Rock Fanciers Facebook group also. Looking into the Fall 2013 Plymouth Rock Club newsletter he is in second place in points with his "Large Fowl" Barred Plymouth Rocks. In "Large Fowl" Rocks he also has points in White Plymouth Rocks. In "Bantams" he has points in White, Barred, Black, Buff & Partridge Plymouth Rocks.

He has orps too... but I think My Isabelle Marans might have originated with him.... no biggie.....

 

[Silver Rock]

It's a good question; I'd also wonder about the thinking behind keeping the cockerels...if the pullets aren't what you'd want to keep, why would the cockerels be keepers?  Just curious.  I usually wait a month after lay begins to hatch off pullets; by the time that first hatch is old enough to begin hard culling, I look at the parent stock at that same time & do a final cull then, based on the offspring.  That's just how I do it.

Hi Wynette
Ok the thought process of moving forward with backup cockerel chicks from eggs that was layed from pullets is just to have a "backup male" for the future if I need him in the case if something ever happens to my kepper Horstman cockerel.

The problem with using female chicks from eggs layed from pullets is in most cases they never achieve Standard size and with that they will lay smaller eggs and in return you get smaller chicks / smaller breeding birds.

To fix size problems in a breeders line one needs to first start with breeding adult hens as this will equal larger eggs, larger chicks & larger breeding birds to move forward with.

I look forward to seeing pictures of your Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks.

Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
PLEASE tell me you have a bigger back up roo????


I have learned the HARD way NEVER have just one roo.... three is good..... Seems when I have 2 one dies then I NEED another roo. My Partridge line... I am keeping 4, 2 from each line. One in each line is CLEARLY the better roo but BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. My First Partridge roo DIED just as my new pullets started to lay..... GLAD I was hatching all those pullet eggs or I would have been DEAD in the water till I could grow up a new roo. I kept EVERYTHING that was the color I was looking for. I have a few pullets and 3 roos I think so that will work well when I cross them back to the Horstman Partridge (my original roo was from that line too) I would have had to have feed his girls for 6-7 months with NOTHING to show for it if I had not hatched. You NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

I had 2 nice Blue Copper Marans Roos..... bothers and they died within 3 months of each other. I was kinda roo less. I didn't have any backups growing out either. I am still not happy with the roo I have so HOPING to find a replacement from some growing out. Roos are HARD to come by when you need one....

 

[Silver Rock]

PLEASE tell me you have a bigger back up roo????


I have learned the HARD way NEVER have just one roo.... three is good..... Seems when I have 2 one dies then I NEED another roo.  My Partridge line... I am keeping 4, 2 from each line.   One in each line is CLEARLY the better roo but BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP.  My First Partridge roo DIED just as my new pullets started to lay..... GLAD I was hatching all those pullet eggs or I would have been DEAD in the water till I could grow up a new roo.  I kept EVERYTHING that was the color I was looking for.  I have a few pullets and 3 roos I think so that will work well when I cross them back to the Horstman Partridge (my original roo was from that line too) I would have had to have feed his girls for 6-7 months with NOTHING to show for it if I had not hatched.  You NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN. 

I had 2 nice Blue Copper Marans Roos..... bothers and they died within 3 months of each other.  I was kinda roo less.  I didn't have any backups growing out either.  I am still not happy with the roo I have so HOPING to find a replacement from some growing out.  Roos are HARD to come by when you need one....

Hi Donna
As of right now I have the 8 1/2 month old keeper Dick Horstman line cockerel.

4 Danny Padgett line cockerels which are 3 1/2 months old now. Two of these look to be very good "potential keepers".

3 cockerel chicks off my Dick Horstman line which are 7 1/2 weeks old. Two of these also look to be growing out very nicely for their age.

So in all I have 8 Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock cockerel at this time.

Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

 

[aoxa]

PLEASE tell me you have a bigger back up roo????


I have learned the HARD way NEVER have just one roo.... three is good..... Seems when I have 2 one dies then I NEED another roo. My Partridge line... I am keeping 4, 2 from each line. One in each line is CLEARLY the better roo but BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. My First Partridge roo DIED just as my new pullets started to lay..... GLAD I was hatching all those pullet eggs or I would have been DEAD in the water till I could grow up a new roo. I kept EVERYTHING that was the color I was looking for. I have a few pullets and 3 roos I think so that will work well when I cross them back to the Horstman Partridge (my original roo was from that line too) I would have had to have feed his girls for 6-7 months with NOTHING to show for it if I had not hatched. You NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

I had 2 nice Blue Copper Marans Roos..... bothers and they died within 3 months of each other. I was kinda roo less. I didn't have any backups growing out either. I am still not happy with the roo I have so HOPING to find a replacement from some growing out. Roos are HARD to come by when you need one....

It always happens that way... If you only keep two, if one dies you are without backup.. Always need 3... ALWAYS. Or someone who has your line close by that you can borrow a backup from.. But still - I would always need 3.

I lost my cochin roo last winter, so my pullets were useless. No one had partridge cochins that I could find anywhere..

 

[normanack]

It always happens that way... If you only keep two, if one dies you are without backup.. Always need 3... ALWAYS. Or someone who has your line close by that you can borrow a backup from.. But still - I would always need 3. 

I lost my cochin roo last winter, so my pullets were useless. No one had partridge cochins that I could find anywhere.. 

How do you keep that many roos without A. roo fights, B. neighbors complaining, C. barebacked hens, or D. a ton of roo single quarters? (newbie here) Thanks!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

How do you keep that many roos without A. roo fights, B. neighbors complaining, C. barebacked hens, or D. a ton of roo single quarters? (newbie here) Thanks!

I have some single head quarters. Some get along and I can put together. Most of extra rooster have a few hens with them. And I live in the Country, so I don't really have to worry about the whole neighbors complaining part.

 

[Penny Hen]

Hi Wynette
Ok the thought process of moving forward with backup cockerel chicks from eggs that was layed from pullets is just to have a "backup male" for the future if I need him in the case if something ever happens to my kepper Horstman cockerel.

The problem with using female chicks from eggs layed from pullets is in most cases they never achieve Standard size and with that they will lay smaller eggs and in return you get smaller chicks / smaller breeding birds.

To fix size problems in a breeders line one needs to first start with breeding adult hens as this will equal larger eggs, larger chicks & larger breeding birds to move forward with.

I look forward to seeing pictures of your Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks.

Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

Just curious is that how bantam versions are made? By hatching pullet eggs to get smaller versions?

 

[brahmabreeder]

PLEASE tell me you have a bigger back up roo????


I have learned the HARD way NEVER have just one roo.... three is good..... Seems when I have 2 one dies then I NEED another roo. My Partridge line... I am keeping 4, 2 from each line. One in each line is CLEARLY the better roo but BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. My First Partridge roo DIED just as my new pullets started to lay..... GLAD I was hatching all those pullet eggs or I would have been DEAD in the water till I could grow up a new roo. I kept EVERYTHING that was the color I was looking for. I have a few pullets and 3 roos I think so that will work well when I cross them back to the Horstman Partridge (my original roo was from that line too) I would have had to have feed his girls for 6-7 months with NOTHING to show for it if I had not hatched. You NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

I had 2 nice Blue Copper Marans Roos..... bothers and they died within 3 months of each other. I was kinda roo less. I didn't have any backups growing out either. I am still not happy with the roo I have so HOPING to find a replacement from some growing out. Roos are HARD to come by when you need one....

It always happens that way... If you only keep two, if one dies you are without backup.. Always need 3... ALWAYS. Or someone who has your line close by that you can borrow a backup from.. But still - I would always need 3.

I lost my cochin roo last winter, so my pullets were useless. No one had partridge cochins that I could find anywhere..

I would like to back up having three males at any given time. Two doesn't cut it sometimes. I went outside the one day to find both of my boys dead. That really set me back( a full year got wasted ).

 

[aoxa]

How do you keep that many roos without A. roo fights, B. neighbors complaining, C. barebacked hens, or D. a ton of roo single quarters? (newbie here) Thanks!

A question directed to my situation or theoretically?

I have a WHOLE LOT of laying hens. I get some little tiffs, but nothing big. Lots of room, lots of hens for them to share, and temperaments all pretty similar for the different breeds. My Houdan cockerels can't handle being low on the pecking order so they are in a different coop right now. My silkie cockerels are all in the same pen with all the silkie girls. No fights, and I probably have 8 males and 30 females in there...

My alpha & beta rooster are the only ones that typically fight for position.

*knock on wood*

During breeding season I only use one male per pen (except the silkies). The others are all in general population with the layers.

Kind of like how Fred keeps a training hen for the pullets, I keep a training rooster for the cockerels. He keeps them all in place. The only one that challenges him is his brother that is the same age. He doesn't do it often.