Plymouth Rock thread!

[Mr MKK FARMS]

 

[cbnovick]

Last month, we had a horrible incident with a pitbull attack on our juvenile pen while we were at church. For roughly a week, this farm did not have a Rock on it, if you don't count my old white, 1/2 rock trainer hen. Those were 7 or 8 of the roughest days of my life. I grieved the loss of our chicks, but also of having any Rocks. It's hard to explain unless you connect, as I do, Plymouth Rocks to your sense of identity, heritage and personal history.

I had tremors, irritability, sleep disorders and night sweats. No appetite and no zest for life.

OK, no, it wasn't that bad.

But darn close!!! LOL

Thank goodness, I had a hatch of 11 little chicks pop out in the hatcher. Whew. I could breathe again. Now, I just check on them every five minutes in paranoia, but hey, at least that uncontrolled twitch is gone.

How much do I love Rocks? Not much.

I am so sorry about losing those precious Rock chicks...did that include the trio you posted pics of awhile back? Excuse my 'french' but THAT B**T**D DOG!!!

I am sure that was a tough week or so...Ugh!
So glad you hatched some more, Fred.
I feel ya and I LOVE my GSBR's too !!!

Here's a few quick pics of the Buff Rocks at 5 weeks. These are 2 cockerels that made it in front of the camera....think I hatched more males than females from the 11.

I need to get some proper ones of them grazing...they were out on grass for the first time...they've had the opportunity for over 3 weeks, but just got the courage to head out in the open grass area today...alas, no camera...just enjoyed watching them at twilight

 

[catdaddyfro]

I am so sorry about losing those precious Rock chicks...did that include the trio you posted pics of awhile back? Excuse my 'french' but THAT B**T**D DOG!!!

I am sure that was a tough week or so...Ugh!
So glad you hatched some more, Fred.
I feel ya and I LOVE my GSBR's too !!!

Here's a few quick pics of the Buff Rocks at 5 weeks. These are 2 cockerels that made it in front of the camera....think I hatched more males than females from the 11.

I need to get some proper ones of them grazing...they were out on grass for the first time...they've had the opportunity for over 3 weeks, but just got the courage to head out in the open grass area today...alas, no camera...just enjoyed watching them at twilight

Look at that chest and those yellow legs and rich Buff plumage and the red comb these are truly one of the most eye catching combos for me thanks for sharing the pics please keep on posting them as you move on forward with this project I love it. I love the Rocks, always have, always will probly. LOL


Jeff

 

[Bleenie]

That cockerel on the bottom is so pretty!! Makes me miss my Buff Wyandottes

 

[MalMom]

I posted this separately, but maybe I should post it here...

Today my coworker asked me if I wanted any more chickens. He wants to get rid of his flock and knew I had two. I'm only allowed up to six chickens where I live so my plan was to have these two for about two years, and then when their laying days fell off adding a new young chick, and between the three I'd have enough eggs, etc. Well I'm still not convinced that one of my girls is a girl. If she turns out to be a he, not a she, I'll need another so my one hen has someone to snuggle during the winter. My chickens are hand raised and very sweet. My coworker said he could give me one of his Barred Rocks because they were very sweet. I looked them up and I think that is what my sister has. I'm not sure if that would be a good one to add or not. My girls are RIR or production reds more likely. I don't know that I want a broody hen. I wouldn't mind if I could have a rooster and the hen could actually hatch eggs but I'm not sure I want one that will sit on eggs all the time. My sister has a problem with hers being broody and it seams like she (the chicken) never gets over it. Ideas, opinions, suggestions?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I am so sorry about losing those precious Rock chicks...did that include the trio you posted pics of awhile back? Excuse my 'french' but THAT B**T**D DOG!!!

I am sure that was a tough week or so...Ugh!
So glad you hatched some more, Fred.
I feel ya and I LOVE my GSBR's too !!!

Thanks for the kind words. We lost our "first choice" Kittel breeding pair (juveniles), some Ron Fogel Reds and a "first choice" pair of XW Barred Rocks (juveniles). This put us 2-3 months in the rear, to say nothing of the loss. I catching back up with some Nelson chicks for the Reds and hatched out another 11 BR chicks. It's just the sense of violation and loss.

With most of our birds, we keep DNA on three farms for tragedies such as this. We're OK, just a bit behind because of it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I posted this separately, but maybe I should post it here...

Today my coworker asked me if I wanted any more chickens. He wants to get rid of his flock and knew I had two. I'm only allowed up to six chickens where I live so my plan was to have these two for about two years, and then when their laying days fell off adding a new young chick, and between the three I'd have enough eggs, etc. Well I'm still not convinced that one of my girls is a girl. If she turns out to be a he, not a she, I'll need another so my one hen has someone to snuggle during the winter. My chickens are hand raised and very sweet. My coworker said he could give me one of his Barred Rocks because they were very sweet. I looked them up and I think that is what my sister has. I'm not sure if that would be a good one to add or not. My girls are RIR or production reds more likely. I don't know that I want a broody hen. I wouldn't mind if I could have a rooster and the hen could actually hatch eggs but I'm not sure I want one that will sit on eggs all the time. My sister has a problem with hers being broody and it seams like she (the chicken) never gets over it. Ideas, opinions, suggestions?

Rocks aren't the broodiest breed, especially if they are from hatchery stock origins. Hatcheries pretty much breed the broodiness out of their birds. Your sister got a rare bunch of broody hens. Hatchery Barred Rocks vary widely as to quality and true to type. I've seen some hatchery Rocks posted on here that are not too shabby while others, well, let's just be kind, other than the fact that they are black with some spots of white, there's nothing Rock about them.

Most of my Rocks have never been push overs in the flock. They rarely start trouble, but don't appreciate being at the bottom of the pecking order either. You never know.

 

[PEI chicken]

Hello Fred's Hens and all

Great idea to spread out the DNA with other local farmers so that if you lose birds to predators you don't lose the whole breeding program you are working on. Wish you lived closer to me; I love your buff PRs. Anyway, I'll stick with my silver pencilled ones for now and see if I can keep this line improving.

Here are a few pics that I took today:

Six 2013 pullets hiding in the old spruce hedge:

One pullet ventures into the compost pile:

2012 hen with five silver pencilled chicks:

Three more spprs being taught to dig around fence posts by a surrogate easter egger:

Pen of 2013 cockerels:

This cockerel will be kept for breeding; the others will be eaten:

The 2011 cock with his ladies:

2011 cock and 2012 hen:

Two favourites wearing saddles; I plan to pen up the rooster so that I'll be able to remove the saddles. They have been wearing the saddles for a couple of months now and I would like to see if their feathers have grown back underneath:

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hey PEI

You and Wynette have the best Silver Penciled I've seen. I've so much respect for you folks who are working with such challenging variety and do such fantastic work.

Am I right in thinking you have Barred Rocks? I'd like to chat you up on PM if you wish, or right out here in public, if you wish.

I've got two strains. The Reese/JWhip line and a small number of the Maine line.

Fred

 

[MalMom]

Rocks aren't the broodiest breed, especially if they are from hatchery stock origins. Hatcheries pretty much breed the broodiness out of their birds. Your sister got a rare bunch of broody hens. Hatchery Barred Rocks vary widely as to quality and true to type. I've seen some hatchery Rocks posted on here that are not too shabby while others, well, let's just be kind, other than the fact that they are black with some spots of white, there's nothing Rock about them.

Most of my Rocks have never been push overs in the flock. They rarely start trouble, but don't appreciate being at the bottom of the pecking order either. You never know.

Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to go ahead and get one. If I have to quarantine the bird for a month, and my other one turns out to be a roo I need to get on it so my hen won't be alone. If I know the person it is coming from, and his flock is healthy, do I still need to wait a month, or is a week or two long enough? I'm not sure what to do with the new one while it is in quarantine since I truly have backyard chickens. I don't have a lot of extra room to put it.