Plymouth Rock thread!

[Silver Rock]

Cool that you can tell so early.  Do you think it's pretty reliable?

Even at this early age there are signs.
The female chicks will have a little more of a barred look in their early feathers.

The male chicks being a little lighter in color, slower in feathering and with the comb getting a little red is a dead giveaway.

 

[breeze27]

Hey guys I have a question
I was told light barred Plymouth Rock lay brown eggs is that correct? If so my pullet is laying white eggs what does that mean?

 

[Fred's Hens]

In Australia, the two strains of Barred Rocks, light and dark, is common. In the US, no distinction between light and dark has been maintained.


A Rock should lay a light brown egg. If you have a bird that truly lays a white egg there are several possibilities. The hen may be long or late in her laying cycle as eggs often get lighter the longer a hen lays before taking a break to moult and re-charge.

Another possibility is that the bird is not standard bred. Mixing in touches of Mediterranean blood to increase egg laying is a fairly common practice.

Love to see a photo of her.

 

[aoxa]

I find it difficult to tell the difference between a truly white egg and a very light brown egg unless they are side by side.

My rocks lay light brown eggs. My silkies lay a tinted egg, which would look almost white if not next to a white egg to compare.

 

[breeze27]

In Australia, the two strains of Barred Rocks, light and dark, is common.  In the US, no distinction between light and dark has been maintained.


A Rock should lay a light brown egg.  If you have a bird that truly lays a white egg there are several possibilities.  The hen may be long or late in her laying cycle as eggs often get lighter the longer a hen lays before taking a break to moult and re-charge.

Another possibility is that the bird is not standard bred.  Mixing in touches of Mediterranean blood to increase egg laying is a fairly common practice.

Love to see a photo of her.

I find it difficult to tell the difference between a truly white egg and a very light brown egg unless they are side by side. 

My rocks lay light brown eggs. My silkies lay a tinted egg, which would look almost white if not next to a white egg to compare. 

Thank you guys, it's her 2nd egg laid so I was thinking she might be lacking something in her diet
But maybe she is just not as pure bred as I was told, they are only slightly tinted compared to a white egg but definitely not brown :/

 

[breeze27]

This is my little squeak she's such a adorable little girl

 

[Wynette]

Thank you guys, it's her 2nd egg laid so I was thinking she might be lacking something in her diet
But maybe she is just not as pure bred as I was told, they are only slightly tinted compared to a white egg but definitely not brown

I bet they taste fantabulous! I sure wouldn't worry, unless you are breeding for exhibition. So long as the shells are nice & thick, have a good sheen on them, and are shaped as they should be, they're just fine for eating!!

 

[catdaddyfro]

Hey guys I have a question
I was told light barred Plymouth Rock lay brown eggs is that correct? If so my pullet is laying white eggs what does that mean?

California grays lay white eggs. Your picture shows a cuckoo patterned bird she very well could have gotten mixed up in the bin of BRs it could be easily done as they look identical at hatch.

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/CalGray/BRKCalGray.html


Jeff

 

[aoxa]

Yah, we see who wears the.....fluff.....in that flock, eh? HA! A good feeling to get all separated and just make that final decision without looking back, eh?

Yep, it was a good show. I didn't show any Rocks, but a woman who bought hatching eggs from me a couple years ago showed a 2-year old cock bird from my line and won BB (I've asked her to send me a pic - hopefully, she took one of him at the show. I'm kicking myself that I didn't)! There were some lovely Barreds and Whites there, so I was overjoyed to see an SPR take BB.

(on a side note: I also took BB and RB with a Black Giant pullet and cockerel, and RV with a Black Copper Marans cockerel, in addition to an overall 3rd place win in the Marans egg show, as well as a people's choice win. Also, the young man that took RESERVE CONTINENTAL with a Black Copper Marans K - was bred out of parent stock from me; so, it was really a great show overall!)

It was a really good show, lots of fun

I very much want Marans.. They are impossible to find here.. No one breeds them for show in our area. I've never seen one in person before.. not even the beautiful eggs.. If only we lived in the same country, I'd get some hatching eggs from you. I so want to add chocolate eggs to my rainbow eggs!

I'm hesitant to order from a hatchery, even if I don't want to breed the Marans.. If I get the breed, they have to lay the dark eggs.. hatchery is too risky...


I have pretty much every other colour... No green in this picture, but I do have green and white as well. Talking about eggs.. those light brown ones are the colour most of my Rock girls lay.

 

[Wynette]

Aoxa, that light brown in your carton (by the way, GORG blue eggs!

) is about the exact shade that my Rocks lay as well.

PMing you....