Plymouth Rock thread!

[PandoraTaylor]

Double posted? Hmmmmm

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
Depends on the line, likely - mine are late bloomers, seem to begin around 28-30 weeks.

 

[call ducks]

Quote:
Depends on the line, likely - mine are late bloomers, seem to begin around 28-30 weeks.

ok, Should start to lay soon then.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Candled the Columbian Rock eggs (from Yard full of Rocks) last night .............................. 8/12 are showing Veining and Movement! I will recandle again in a few days!
I would love for them to Hurry and hatch,,,,, their hatch date is Nov 9th.

 

[gootziecat]

Page 13 of this thread there is a picture of the Best Pen at NY. Could some one tell me if the SOP has changed for the degree of tail above horizonal since then?

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SandyFlatFarm/?yguid=134681846

this female has about as good of angle to her lift as you could ask for.
http://showbirdbid.com/coppermine/rockclub/displayimage.php?album=11&pos=19
http://showbirdbid.com/coppermine/rockclub/displayimage.php?album=15&pos=7

The bottom picture is about as close to standard as I have ever seen. This is the angle I try to shoot for.
You don’t want to have a lift that starts at the neck and goes to the end of the tail like a Wyandotte. You also don’t want a super high angle that encroaches to the angle of a Langshang either. bob

 

[gootziecat]

Thank you. That is very helpful.

 

[punky rooster]

I going to get me a barred rock pair

I will either get them tomorrow or this Sunday can't wait!
punky

 

[seabass327]

Barred Rocks, where to start next year? This spring I bought some heritage type barred rock eggs and a trio of birds, but only ended up with two hens. I've ended up with three cockerels and two pullets. Since I had no good rooster, I also bred the two hens to a larger than average hatchery rooster. I set 16 of those eggs and have 14 birds (3 cockerels and 11 pullets). So I was wondering if I could get some feedback on the birds I have now. The pictures were taken recently. Most of the roosters have been running together so they are missing some tail feathers, but you get the general idea, and the older hens are finishing up their molt.

below is one of the hens. This hen is a little darker, but has a lot less fluff than the other hen. Her legs also have a couple of black scales. None of any of the cockerels have black scales on their legs.

next are two cockerels that were hatched from purchased eggs. The first is much larger and lighter than the second. The second bird isn't standing up completely. These birds are about 7 months old, the mixes 6.

Not a great picture of one of the pullets from the purchased eggs, but you can see the general color. Unfortunately her tail always seems to have the same angle

here are three of the crossed pullets. All are pretty similar and all have some black scales on their legs.

This is one of the cross cockerels. They're much lighter and have poorer barring than any of the other roosters. This one is larger than two of the 3 pure cockerels. Most of these crosses (male and female) are in the same size range as the pure birds.

Last shot showing a comparison of two cockerels.

So. What should I do next year? The two hens from the pure strain I have now don't lay very well. One was in her pullet year and the other older. I got them both in March. The older one went broody in May after laying about 20 eggs and didn't lay another until last month. The pullet maybe laid 40 before quitting some time in May. She just started again. I don't expect them to lay as much as my hatchery rocks or dominiques, but that seems very low. I'm tempted to cross the mixed pullets back to one of the pure roosters to see if the barring improves along with egg production. I've already requested to be put on a waiting list for a different strain of barred rocks in january, so starting over is an option. Any comments would be appreciated.

thanks
rich

 

[ColeyPoultry]

Hello I'm actually new to the Barred Rock breed but already have the large Barred Rock hen names Delly (because apparently her parents were Rock and Sessex) but I've bought some Barred Rock Bantam eggs from a breeder and got 3 chicks.

The colour I've got are the common barred ones (in NZ, we dont have other colours in Rocks other than whites and the Barred Rocks themselves).

I've noticed that amongst my 3 chicks, 2 of them are paler than the other one. Am I right in thinking that I've got two males and one females?

I understood that Barred Rocks have yellow shanks but is it normal to find chicks' shanks looking 'flesh coloured' with vague dark blotches on shanks? Will they 'yellow' up before maturity?


And I agree, Barred Rocks are fantastic!

Delly (my heavy breed BR) is the most friendliest chook one could ever have around but the biggest nuisance as well. I think she got the smarts when it comes feeding times because she wouldn't touch her trough but leaves it to follow me around, trying to get other chooks' share of feed. I have observed her on numerous occassions, going back to her trough to eat hers (but her coop mates often scoffed hers up!).
Not only that, she would constantly trips me up, or I trod on her toes, one of the two!

I, generally, likes to stand between houses/pens having a smoke while observing all chooks having their feed where they are housed. You'd think Delly would be busy scoffing her food down but nope...if I leave her door open and forgotten about her when I got to the stage of observing my chooks. She would come out to see what else I've got in my hand...well...my smoke! Despite not having lit my smoke yet, imagine what happened afterwards when she got to me and how I looked, alone in the paddock amongst the chooks ->

and then running around after a chook with my cigarette in her beak!

She did, however, managed to took off with a lit cigarette, when she saw my partner relaxing on the porch, flew over the fence (I had her wing clipped so obviously that didn't stop her), she came sneaking over and snatch one right out of my partner's lips (so close!!). My poor partner got such a fright

but luckily able to capture Delly quickly before she could hurt herself or lit a 'smoking trail' back to her chook house or wherever she wanted to go

So what did I learn from this particular Barred Rock? To shuffle at feeding times, to overly protect my feeding bucket more than I normally would (or else held up higher), as well as keeping a beady eye out for her at all times (relaxing only when she's secure inside her house!).

Do you think I would trade her for something else....nope lol. She's a naughty character but we love her!