The Omega Rocks: The Last & Ultimate Barred Plymouth Rock Flock

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I've had one aggressive bantam Cochin rooster. He actually was the only aggressive rooster I've ever had.

I did have one of my trio of adorable porcelain d'uccle cockerel have a go at me his first spring, but he soon gave it up because I would catch him and pen him. It was mostly sneaking up behind me and trying to flog the back of my leg. Good thing he was adorable, and live a good long life. The bantam Cochin went in the freezer. Oddly enough both roosters came from a 4H show breeder who sold at the swap meet.

I've raised a lot of roosters. Unfortunately many have to go in the freezer, but I'm never afraid of any of them, and all purebred bantam cochins I make room for. I do have to get the bachelor pen ready soon. Lots of little red combs running around. I haven't counted them yet. That sneaky polish hen added a bunch with little punk rock Mohawks behind their single combs. I'm interested to see what they look like grown. Polish and mottled bantam Cochin mixes.
 
oldhenlikesdogs said:
I've had one aggressive bantam Cochin rooster. He actually was the only aggressive rooster I've ever had.

I did have one of my trio of adorable porcelain d'uccle cockerel have a go at me his first spring, but he soon gave it up because I would catch him and pen him. It was mostly sneaking up behind me and trying to flog the back of my leg. Good thing he was adorable, and live a good long life. The bantam Cochin went in the freezer. Oddly enough both roosters came from a 4H show breeder who sold at the swap meet.
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Ah, those little guys! My Belgian D'Anvers are a related breed to the D'Uccles and they have the Little Man Syndrome. Not the brightest bulbs in the package, I'd say. But at about 20 oz, their flogs are like puffs of air so I don't even count them. Most of mine were always threatening to rip me to shreds, especially if I brought a camera into the pen. They didn't like the papparazzi, LOL. My porcelain rooster lived to be 11 and he sort of mellowed out later in life, never flogging, just threatening to take me out. On the flip side, the big 10-14 lb guys are not anything to mess around with because they can do real damage if you don't see them coming.
 
Communication with Jamie Duckworth today. He has been so beyond accessible and helpful. I sent him photos of Nathaniel today and asked him about which strains he bred into his birds to create his line. I promised I would call him when I got an uninterrupted minute. Here is what he said for those interested:

I think for your purposes, I would keep the better personality ones as you are around them a lot. I don't keep a mean bird. I get a few with crooked toes, I think most breeders do. I don't keep those as breeders. My pen 7 male always greets me and is very friendly! So his son's must be like dad!
Back in 2005 or so, I got some chicks from Joel Gilman north of Richmond who inherited Tommy Stanley's flock. I also got some birds from a friend in Illinois. He crossed white rock into them to help with tails. I got eggs from him after about 3 generations of breeding from that cross. I have had a closed flock since then. I did get a male from another friend in New York last year and am doing some test ratings with him. We'll see what happens! I hope this helps! I have about 200 birds now and am culling at a good pace the ones hatched in March. That looks like the start of a good male in the photos, but he will change a lot! I like the broad back, his tail will eventually come, that dang barring gene sure stunts them. I have Silver pencilled that have tails at 6 weeks.... lol. Call sometime, we'll chat.

I will be separating the four males I am selling into the back pen so that the three I am keeping can establish the order of their flock amongst themselves. They are way too rowdy and the girls are just over it. One of the pullets got in the face of some cockerel that was bugging her, flogged him and chased him all over the pen....and he ran for his life! Feisty gal.
 
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I separated the four guys from the main group today. It was awful trying to round up such a large group of 11 going 15 different directions in the heat. Seemed it would be easier until they are sold. The first two were Crooked Toes (Little Man's brother), and Floppy Comb. As I went back to get the others, a war broke out with those two or a massacre by Floppy Comb who saw his chance to pummel the pariah in the group.
Crooked Toes was yelling and running for his life, getting pounded. I called for Tom to come help as I rescued the poor kid. That is literally the first time that boy was happy for me to pick him up! I got the other two in there and those two brothers were huddled away from the Floppy Comb and Split Comb brothers (no names since they are not staying). Later, they had chilled out a bit and were getting along okay. Good grief, the drama! I just want to get to my final core group so I can grow them out and be sure I want all three cockerels in there.
 
Sounds like a rodeo Cynthia.

That's why long term bachelor pens have never worked out here. I can pen bonded pairs or trios, but anymore than that I see a lot of bullying and mating of the younger or more meeker cockerel. It's too bad for them. I don't like putting them in the freezer, but not enough homes here for all of them, and I don't like bullies. I try to accommodate the bottom cockerel as they usually are the best acting to the hens. I have another month or two before I need to start rounding boys up as the mature.
 
oldhenlikesdogs said:
Sounds like a rodeo Cynthia.
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It was. Floppy Comb is very dominant. Even his brother bows to him. We got a msg about our ad on FB last night, but notiification did not come in until today. I hope we haven't lost the chance to sell them. I asked Jamie what he sold his for because I didn't want overprice them and have to hang onto them for months (or the rest of their lives, ugh), I am asking only a small feed donation of maybe $10 for each. The split point cockerel is really a good one, selling him a bit cheaply at that price, but better to sell lower than to have people pass on it; at least someone gets a chance at a better BR than hatchery. He's def worth more than that. If these were stellar breeders, I'd hold off for more cash than that, but it will also help with the feed bill to have them gone sooner rather than later.
 

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