Plymouth Rock thread!

[Fred's Hens]

Our Rocks are calm. Business like. They'd just as soon go scratching and foraging as anything else. Winter is hard on a bird like that, with great foraging instincts. We've been blanketed with snow since Thanksgiving and I cannot even remember a thaw day. None in the long, long range forecast either. Tough winter for Barred Rock, being kept in a large barn pen.

The Reds are like puppies most of the time. Don't have the instinct to forage like the Rocks, but very "personable" and human oriented.

 

[aoxa]

My WRs and PRs are very calm and have wonderful temperaments but the BRs never have...though they are hatchery sourced and probably more Maran than BR, so probably cannot be counted as such.

Barred Rocks from hatcheries often have leghorn in them, which explains your experience. I have NEVER had a mean Barred Rock, or a bully hen.. or a screamer like the easter eggers. Sometimes I feel like I will give those EEs a heart attack when I have to pick them up to move them. SCREAMS like you wouldn't believe. They would definitely alert the entire world if one got snatched by a predator.. that's for sure.

I have this nasty rooster that I am going to take care of once it warms up (not being bred). My main man Gatsby defended my honour the other day. I was smacking the mean rooster with an empty 5 gallon bucket after he flogged me. Gatsby kicks him straight in the face and chases him off.

Gatsby has earned his keep. My heart burst with pride.

The mean rooster is a mutt. It is my fault he is that way. I raised him by hand as a chick so he has no fear. Little brat.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. My Rocks are the most dedicated foragers I have, particularly the ones I got from Kathy, and they are clearly not liking having no forage. Any time they see a clear area they are on it like a duck on a June bug.....





Three of the birds in this pic are Kathy's, the one on the left is a Del.


Two of Kathy's girls and in the back is my old hatchery WR mama hen.


And, again, the WRs are among the first to go looking for forage. Hardy birds.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I agree. My Rocks are the most dedicated foragers I have, particularly the ones I got from Kathy, and they are clearly not liking having no forage. Any time they see a clear area they are on it like a duck on a June bug.....





Three of the birds in this pic are Kathy's, the one on the left is a Del.


Two of Kathy's girls and in the back is my old hatchery WR mama hen.


And, again, the WRs are among the first to go looking for forage. Hardy birds.

Pretty hens! My Rocks forage a lot too.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I think my Rocks feel very deprived since they can't forage here either. Most of other birds couldn't care less (maybe some of my OEGB) We have tons of snow, I just keep everyone in the barn when it is like this. Sometimes I take my Rocks on "walks".

 

[Fred's Hens]

See that shadow line? That is a clean cut path in the snow. The depth is over 30" and isn't going anywhere soon. The birds cannot go out. There's nowhere to go and no "patches". It's all Siberian.
Which explains why this pullet, after stepping out the door, turned back and gave me this look.
"Are you kidding me?"

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

See that shadow line? That is a clean cut path in the snow. The depth is over 30" and isn't going anywhere soon. The birds cannot go out. There's nowhere to go and no "patches". It's all Siberian.
Which explains why this pullet, after stepping out the door, turned back and gave me this look.
"Are you kidding me?"

Love her look! She looks very disapproving. I don't know how much snow we actually have, the yard drifts so bad, I can't get an accurate measurement and every says something different.

 

[aoxa]

See that shadow line? That is a clean cut path in the snow. The depth is over 30" and isn't going anywhere soon. The birds cannot go out. There's nowhere to go and no "patches". It's all Siberian.
Which explains why this pullet, after stepping out the door, turned back and gave me this look.
"Are you kidding me?"

Hahaha Yeah, I understand that face. That is my face after we get another dump of snow.


No foraging for my birds either.
That fence is 5 feet. So the snow is right around 3 feet in this picture.


I keep hitting my head on the kennel. I should learn, but nope..

This is where I keep roughly 12 extra roosters. I need to move more out there... Bachelor pad.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Quote: Wow.

Haha.

 

[Beekissed]

See that shadow line? That is a clean cut path in the snow. The depth is over 30" and isn't going anywhere soon. The birds cannot go out. There's nowhere to go and no "patches". It's all Siberian.
Which explains why this pullet, after stepping out the door, turned back and gave me this look.
"Are you kidding me?"

I can understand her frustration! That's some deep snow! Love this face......if looks could kill, you'd be dead.

I'm revamping my coop this spring and expanding, changing the cover, etc. so that I have more light and space and am thinking about adding some foraging boxes in one corner with cold hardy grasses or greens so that they can get a little green...will also maximize space by adding some pallet gardens vertical along the wall. They clearly need it more than we realize or they wouldn't be so desperate to get to that grass. I think these severe weather patterns are the new normal and we need to adapt and adapt fast if we are going to try and keep up with them.