Plymouth Rock thread!

[Silver Rock]

 

[COLOR=444444]Clayton, for those of us raising Plymouth Rocks its takes year after year to see the improvements.  You're just starting out with Plymouth Rocks, but I noticed you should be in about your 4th year as a breeder of Delawares.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=444444] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=444444][COLOR=0068CF]https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181907/received-my-25-delaware-chicks-today[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=444444] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=444444]How are they looking?  Have you seen a lot of progress in them?[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=444444]Also noticed you got rid of your La Fleche (too aggressive for the kids I think)...were they good enough to give someone interested in them a good start?  Do you know who has them now?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=444444] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=444444]https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ad-pic-of-my-black-la-fleche/150#post_5879852[/COLOR]

Thank you scott for posting the links to my Delaware & La Fleche pictures. If you come across my Redcap pictures please post that link also as I do miss those hatchery birds. But it is now time for me to get down to business and my business now is breeding the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks to the American Standard of Perfection. I must be off to a good start as Mr Blosl himself told me I have a killer cockerel and after filling out he may be the best Silver Male in 5 years.

Thank you, Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

 

[speckledhen]

But, let's not forget that all this breeding stuff, it's not life or death, and a chicken is still a chicken. Even the cockerel that I owned and gave to Scott, that Bob Blosl said was probably the best Barred Plymouth Rock cockerel to come along in the last ten years, was still a chicken. He was eye candy, sure, and Scott and I were pleased to have owned him, but still, a chicken all the same. They live, they lay eggs, they die or can be eaten like any other chicken, no matter how close to that written standard they are. We need to keep our persective about the whole thing. If someone is breeding for show, then there is a goal in mind, with a certain path to be followed. But, a backyard breeder who breeds for well-tempered males and well-producing females and overall healthy stock in the same line has just as much of a goal as that super-breeder who wants the ultimate trophy. Both goals involve a chicken. JMHO.

ghostwolf211, that pretty little pullet is just like the ones that began my love of Barred Plymouth Rocks. She may not win any trophies, but she will bring you years of fun and eggs, hopefully, that is, if the hatchery genetics allow her the long life she deserves to have. That is the main difference, IMO, between hatchery and heritage stock, the longevity and overall better health of the heritage stock, generally. Enjoy her!

 

[Silver Rock]

But, let's not forget that all this breeding stuff, it's not life or death, and a chicken is still a chicken. Even the cockerel that I owned and gave to Scott, that Bob Blosl said was probably the best Barred Plymouth Rock cockerel to come along in the last ten years, was still a chicken. He was eye candy, sure, and Scott and I were pleased to have owned him, but still, a chicken all the same. They live, they lay eggs, they die or can be eaten like any other chicken, no matter how close to that written standard they are. We need to keep our persective about the whole thing. If someone is breeding for show, then there is a goal in mind, with a certain path to be followed. But, a backyard breeder who breeds for well-tempered males and well-producing females and overall healthy stock in the same line has just as much of a goal as that super-breeder who wants the ultimate trophy. Both goals involve a chicken. JMHO.

ghostwolf211, that pretty little pullet is just like the ones that began my love of Barred Plymouth Rocks. She may not win any trophies, but she will bring you years of fun and eggs, hopefully, that is, if the hatchery genetics allow her the long life she deserves to have. That is the main difference, IMO, between hatchery and heritage stock, the longevity and overall better health of the heritage stock, generally. Enjoy her!

Best Barred Rock in 10 years!
Well it is very unfortunate that a bird of that quality is not here with us today.
But like you said there are other things just as important as the show quality of a bird.

 

[blaze7]

Love barred rocks can't wait till Iget my 6!!!!!

 

[aoxa]

I agree Cyn.....the breeders thread can deal with PRs that are being bred to the Standard/prepared for shows/etc

In my neck-o-the-woods, a cull pullet/hen around here is worth about $15 (thats a bag of feed) to someone looking for a layer in their backyard flock. I ALWAYS forewarn the buyer that in MY program they are not breeders.....HOWEVER, a cull this year might have been a breeder to me 2-3 yrs ago. I've NEVER eaten a pullet/hen, but I must admit a few cockerels have been to freezer camp

Nothing wrong with that either. If I can't find a buyer for a boy, or one that wants him as a protector for their flock, he goes on my plate. Better mine than someone else's.. unless they want to pay for him.

 

[speckledhen]

I have no problem with folks eating their birds. As I raise them longer, I have less desire to eat chicken, seeing that they have more intelligence and personality than given credit for, but sometimes, it's just a rooster's lot in life to be dinner. And it's a merciful act to euthanize those poor Franken-chickens we call Cornish X at a certain point. I accept that. As I said, I will eat any human aggressive males rather than pass on those genes (other than the stupid little d'anver roosters, known for aggression, who wouldn't make a chicken nugget, and even then, I have raised up a friendly one I keep). That's my own breeding philosophy and I'm sticking to it. Works for me and we are known for having well-tempered males here, which is why people have sought us out at times for their birds.

Quality is in the eye of the beholder. Quality has more to do with than just an arbitrary standard. For instance, I know a show quality Silkie when I see one, but to me, it's a low quality bird because it does not suit my needs or my personal view of the perfect chicken. No offense to Silkie owners intended. The man who told me his Orpingtons were THE best, period, like it was decreed from some stone tablet, because they were of a certain type, didn't understand how anyone could say that they didn't like them, that anyone could have a differing opinion. And that's all it is, preference and opinion.

If the perfect-per-Standard Rock hen doesn't lay eggs or the perfect-per-Standard Rock rooster is so aggressive that I have to carry a weapon to go into the pen with him, BOTH are culls by MY standard. My standard is really what counts in my chicken pen. I can have a breeding pen and be very strict in my culling and a general pen just for fun. What's wrong with just having fun with your birds? When I have no time for fun, then I need to reexamine my life. Some get a kick out of being an aggressive super breeder and taking an axe to every bird with a minor flaw. Some are not built that way. I'm just not, but I do know what the Standard says about my Rocks. I just must decide how much I care about it.

I hope our members who own the everyday, inquisitive, funny, intelligent, quirky, friendly Plymouth Rocks are still willing to participate in this thread. BYC is inclusive, not exclusive. There are other places for that, which is why I am here and not there when I talk about chickens.

I love to hear from Bob Blosl and Walt Leonard, who have a wealth of knowledge, and I thank them and others for sharing their knowledge, but I also love to hear the everyday experiences of people who are just loving their simple backyard Rocks as well. I'm concerned that we not exclude those members on this thread.

blaze7, you'll love your Rocks. Best of luck with them!

 

[Silver Rock]

We all can have a different opinion on what we think the ideal poultry is and there is not a thing wrong with that. It definitely is not something for us to get worked up about and get into arguments. It's all about what makes you happy in raising your poultry and whether it be for pets, show or heritage it is your choice.

Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

 

[speckledhen]

Not arguing at all, though I'm sure you might see it that way, just stating opinion so that others are not turned off by this thread. I feel it was becoming a bit put-offish to some of our members with some of the comments made. Everyone needs to be included and welcome. Now, I have other things in my life besides chickens to must get back to business. Don't forget to have fun, folks!

 

[aoxa]

I have no problem with folks eating their birds. As I raise them longer, I have less desire to eat chicken, seeing that they have more intelligence and personality than given credit for, but sometimes, it's just a rooster's lot in life to be dinner. And it's a merciful act to euthanize those poor Franken-chickens we call Cornish X at a certain point. I accept that. As I said, I will eat any human aggressive males rather than pass on those genes (other than the stupid little d'anver roosters, known for aggression, who wouldn't make a chicken nugget, and even then, I have raised up a friendly one I keep). That's my own breeding philosophy and I'm sticking to it. Works for me and we are known for having well-tempered males here, which is why people have sought us out at times for their birds.

Quality is in the eye of the beholder. Quality has more to do with than just an arbitrary standard. For instance, I know a show quality Silkie when I see one, but to me, it's a low quality bird because it does not suit my needs or my personal view of the perfect chicken. No offense to Silkie owners intended. The man who told me his Orpingtons were THE best, period, like it was decreed from some stone tablet, because they were of a certain type, didn't understand how anyone could say that they didn't like them, that anyone could have a differing opinion. And that's all it is, preference and opinion.

If the perfect-per-Standard Rock hen doesn't lay eggs or the perfect-per-Standard Rock rooster is so aggressive that I have to carry a weapon to go into the pen with him, BOTH are culls by MY standard. My standard is really what counts in my chicken pen. I can have a breeding pen and be very strict in my culling and a general pen just for fun. What's wrong with just having fun with your birds? When I have no time for fun, then I need to reexamine my life. Some get a kick out of being an aggressive super breeder and taking an axe to every bird with a minor flaw. Some are not built that way. I'm just not, but I do know what the Standard says about my Rocks. I just must decide how much I care about it.

I hope our members who own the everyday, inquisitive, funny, intelligent, quirky, friendly Plymouth Rocks are still willing to participate in this thread. BYC is inclusive, not exclusive. There are other places for that, which is why I am here and not there when I talk about chickens.

I love to hear from Bob Blosl and Walt Leonard, who have a wealth of knowledge, and I thank them and others for sharing their knowledge, but I also love to hear the everyday experiences of people who are just loving their simple backyard Rocks as well. I'm concerned that we not exclude those members on this thread.

blaze7, you'll love your Rocks. Best of luck with them!

Cyn, I'm not disagreeing with you. I'd love to rehome every nice rooster that doesn't fit into my flock (ie for breeding), but no one will take them it seems.

I'd rather it be me eating them than someone else. That was my point. I'd give them away if someone would have them, but even at the sale I was having a tough time just giving them away. :/

PS: my Cornish X aren't Frankenchickens. I feel like their advocate lately. Mine free range. I am raising two girls to adulthood to just SEE what they put out for offspring when bred to a Rock. Strict feeding regimes and free ranging is required for these birds to not become severely overweight. Everyone just puts food in front of them and expects them to range.. but they are highly food motivated. Like 100X for your chicken who has an obsession for mealworms. They just love to eat, so you remove the food source and they go hunting (and I mean REALLY hunting!) for nature's food.

Because of my strict feeding practices with the hybrid (CX) they are quite a bit smaller than ones that were fed freely, but they are by no means small. At 12 weeks my girls were between 5-6 pounds bagged. They ran around the farm from the time they were two weeks old.

I share this video a lot because I run into the misconception a lot that the CX are frankenchickens.

I used to believe it too.. I always free range, and didn't want to deal with a bird that could not do so. I did a lot of research. I just hated the long time it takes to cook a DP rooster. 8 hours in the slow-cooker or they are too tough for me. I decided to give them a try. I will always have a place for the CX here now that I see they can live up to my expectations.

I didn't have a single one die from heart attack.

The flock (with Henry our BMD). The CX are 12 weeks here.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Cool video