shopping for barred plymouth rock chicks

[Folly's place]

My typing skills are not so great, and I also don't always fix the boo-boos.
The ads here pop in and out, and mess up the whole experience often. I'm typing, something comes up, and away it goes! Anyone else have this happen?
The SQ birds are beautiful, and will only come from breeders. The hens may or may not be good egg producers if they are only selected for 'pretty'.
Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
I think selecting for the bird's original size, shape, and purpose is the way to go.
Show birds don't always fit that mold.
Many are larger than the original standard.

 

[CB3fish]

My typing skills are not so great, and I also don't always fix the boo-boos.
The ads here pop in and out, and mess up the whole experience often. I'm typing, something comes up, and away it goes! Anyone else have this happen?
The SQ birds are beautiful, and will only come from breeders. The hens may or may not be good egg producers if they are only selected for 'pretty'.
Mary

Thank you, Egg production is very important and not physical appearance. I do like the larger hens and not the scrawniness of others.

 

[CB3fish]

Thank you, Egg production is very important and not physical appearance. I do like the larger hens and not the scrawniness of others.

How can one judge an egg producer from a pretty?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

One way is to compare the space between the keel bone and the pelvic bones. Another is to count the eggs they lay.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

you are so right, I was half asleep when I wrote this UG. Thanks.

Sorry, I just see a lot of people use the loaf kind for when they want the bred kind. People taking things for granite (instead of granted)... sigh.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I feel your pain.

 

[speckledhen]

My Stukel Rocks were very good layers in their earlier years, but I've lost two of my three original hens now-they are aging. The remaining original will be 7 yrs old in April and her niece is only a few months younger. They were not quite as good layers as the two hatchery BRs I started with, however, one of the hatchery gals died of internal laying and the other of cancer, so they had serious reproductive issues. Neither were great examples of the breed, not nearly the size or shape of these heritage line hens.
The Stukel line hens have had no egg issues at all. With good heritage stock, they may not lay like gangbusters that folks have come to expect of hatchery birds, but, then again, they lay an average amount and will most likely lay longer into their lives, albeit at a reduced rate as they age, and they will likely live longer and with fewer reproductive issues. That holds true for not only my Rocks, but my other breeds as well in hatchery vs breeder quality birds.

Sometimes, there is a price to be paid for a high producer in reproductive malfunctions. Just ask yours truly who has had 15-16 hens die of those ailments with only two being good breeder stock (one a Rock, one an Orp). The rest were hatchery direct or daughters of hatchery hens.

 

[Folly's place]

It's hard to fine breeders who select for production qualities, or especially longevity!
Hatcheries seem to select for egg production, which makes sense because it's in their best interest to produce many chicks. This also likely includes using breeders one year, when they are most productive, and then they're out.
My two breeder experiences, with different breeds, weren't an improvement. In both cases, egg production was very poor, and the birds didn't do well long term. Again, the breeders used birds one year, so no selection for longevity.
Most of us can't manage to start with 200 chicks so we can cull down to the best 10 or 20 individuals!
Mary

 

[Urchickchic]

Beautiful Bfs!!!!