Plymouth Rock thread!

[speckledhen]

Bleenie, you just can't beat a good Plymouth Rock hen for a laying flock. Best all-round farm/homestead chicken, in my humble opinion. They'll always be the backbone of my main flock, no matter what other couple of breeds I may flesh it out with. I've also owned Rhode Island Reds, both hatchery types and the old time deep, dark red heritage types, both of which I was very fond. The Rocks lay egg for egg as many as the Reds, at least in my personal experience. Both are great breeds, but I have always been partial to the Rocks for their personalities, Rocks of all colors, (though I probably won't have any white Rocks, just personal preference against a solid white bird). They've proven to be real workhorses. I love my barreds, but also have blue, black and splash Rocks.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, unlike Cynthia, I AM partial to white birds, well, White Rocks anyhow. LOL Your pair shown have slightly different DNA. The one is really, really nice in Rock type. They'll both be wonderful birds for you, no doubt.

Be that as it may, Rocks have been my favorite for almost 55 years. There's no homestead flock, in my heart, that is ever without them. I like the Reds for their different personality and their own beauty too, but nothing beats a Rock for busyness, work ethic and general chickeny behavior. (invented word meaning they just act like chickens)

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Amen, Fred! You summed it up perfectly!

Yeah, color is just personal preference, and you probably think I'm nuts for saying I don't care for white birds since I own Delawares, though they aren't solid white chickens. You'd think my Delawares are sometimes red chickens for all the time they spend dustbathing in this red Georgia clay, lol! I did have a Lt. Brahma once, but that is as white as I want to go, generally. My usual preference in color for any breed of chicken is blue, but BRs are my first love.

ETA: I didn't look close enough at Bleenie's two hens. Now I see the smut on the one after Fred mentioned the different DNA. That one has something else in there somewhere. Glad you're enjoying them, Bleenie!

 

[rancher hicks]

I do follow this thread and not that anyone asked.

I personally have not found the BR's I got from Kathy to be all that good. The eggs they do lay are medium at best and not all that prolific. While their size is good and I would like more the rooster has been beaten by the BM roo and not doing his job. Which is sad because this line goes broody often. I don't give up hope though. What I do like about them is their ability to hide. At least from me.

The barring pattern is very good for that. Still they are one of my favorites.

Now my Dels while not up to size to my liking are very good layers and that while being kept in a larger run. They don't go broody often but I have had two that did this year. George (from cynthia) is the only rooster I have, since Nick, my Avatar, got sick and had to be put down. He was at least 4 -5. I miss him every time I go to the coop.

 

[aoxa]

OMG! That is so cute. And what's funny is the polish on the left checking her out.

Bleenie, you just can't beat a good Plymouth Rock hen for a laying flock. Best all-round farm/homestead chicken, in my humble opinion. They'll always be the backbone of my main flock, no matter what other couple of breeds I may flesh it out with. I've also owned Rhode Island Reds, both hatchery types and the old time deep, dark red heritage types, both of which I was very fond. The Rocks lay egg for egg as many as the Reds, at least in my personal experience. Both are great breeds, but I have always been partial to the Rocks for their personalities, Rocks of all colors, (though I probably won't have any white Rocks, just personal preference against a solid white bird). They've proven to be real workhorses. I love my barreds, but also have blue, black and splash Rocks.

Have you had white? I had the exact same preference. But I now have some pure White Ameraucanas and I have grown very fond of them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Bleenie, to be clear. The difference between your two birds is much more than just one having smut and the other not. They have different body types, feathering and a bunch of other things. The may not even be related at all.

Both look to be in fantastic condition and obviously healthy and well kept. The true White Rock shown is fantastic!! I hope you get a chance to breed her. I'd love to have some of her fertile eggs.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Rancher, since Kathy got these birds from Jeremy, I do believe, and Jeremy got them from Frank Reese, some of your concerns are to be expected. Frank, as I understand it, bred consistently with an eye toward meat.

To turn this strain toward another direction will simply take time. Selecting for quicker feathering (as quick feathering is normally associated with increased and improved egg laying) will eventually improve these things in the egg department. The Rock is certainly capable of going both directions as it is a quintessential dual purpose bird, but decades of breeding in one direction can and will take a toll upon the other direction. It's all about what you want out of your birds, I guess. We are (and will be) pushing the egg direction in our breeding as we are now in the second go round. We also want to select for vitality and vigor, something that keepers of this line need to keep a sharp eye, in my humble opinion, and I do mean humble opinion.

 

[speckledhen]

Fred, I just meant that the smut was the first thing that should have caught my eye to show the difference in the birds. Their body types are also disparate. I guess my distraction over the last few months from my house fire recovery has dulled my brain somewhat, lol.


My Stukel Rocks lay well, but their eggs are not the size of the hatchery descended hens' eggs, certainly.


Aoxa, I have had Delawares and a Lt. Brahma and splash birds (which to me look pearly-grayish-white) and that's really as white as I want to go. I just never liked solid white birds. Would rather have more that blend into the wooded background of my property, though I have never lost anything to a predator, not even a Delaware, in the 8 years I've had my own chickens. My time is coming, odds are, and I'd rather not stack the deck against me with lots of stark white birds in my mountain oak woods.

Tim, sorry to hear about Nick.

 

[cbnovick]

Rancher, since Kathy got these birds from Jeremy, I do believe, and Jeremy got them from Frank Reese, some of your concerns are to be expected. Frank, as I understand it, bred consistently with an eye toward meat.

To turn this strain toward another direction will simply take time. Selecting for quicker feathering (as quick feathering is normally associated with increased and improved egg laying) will eventually improve these things in the egg department. The Rock is certainly capable of going both directions as it is a quintessential dual purpose bird, but decades of breeding in one direction can and will take a toll upon the other direction. It's all about what you want out of your birds, I guess. We are (and will be) pushing the egg direction in our breeding as we are now in the second go round. We also want to select for vitality and vigor, something that keepers of this line need to keep a sharp eye, in my humble opinion, and I do mean humble opinion.

totally agree!

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa, I have had Delawares and a Lt. Brahma and splash birds (which to me look pearly-grayish-white) and that's really as white as I want to go. I just never liked solid white birds. Would rather have more that blend into the wooded background of my property, though I have never lost anything to a predator, not even a Delaware, in the 8 years I've had my own chickens. My time is coming, odds are, and I'd rather not stack the deck against me with lots of stark white birds in my mountain oak woods.

Do you free range your birds? With the dangers of free ranging, I have yet to lose one to a predator *knock on wood*.

I thank the plentiful cover my birds have. We did have a close scare with a goshawk. It went for creamy coloured frizzle rooster. We actually saw it and ran out. The Goshawk dropped it! Never came back.