The Plymouth Rock Breeders Thread- Part Deux

[Mosey2003]

Well that makes me worry much less, thanks! I typically like to store them in a spare turner on the counter, I think this year I may go ahead and put a wide, shallow pan of water under it just to make sure there's enough ambient humidity. The basement stays somewhere around 60-65F so isn't too bad, though I do wish it was closer to 50F. I just really am hoping for good, strong hatches so I can knock this out in as few batches as possible.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I used to store in basement and turn eggs as collecting once or twice a day. Anymore they are carried into the house from coops and set in egg cartons on the TV stand next to the door going out to the coop. Only thing about that room is no direct sunlight.

Geesh, when I picked up eggs from Murphy years ago he collected them in a shed outside. Egg carton, pointed end down and it frosted several nights. Got 18 or 19 eggs from that trio of his (that's easily 1.5 week collecting) and hatched 15.

 

[Mosey2003]

I hope these are so robust!

You know, remembering back to my very first birds and hatching, I collected for two weeks at least and I don't think I even turned them and I had a heck of a hatch rate... Hopefully moving past those problem hens will restore my luck

 

[Mosey2003]

I had a pullet in the house over the weekend and weighed her just for fun - 7lbs 9oz, with an empty crop. I'm honestly surprised she was that heavy, that's quite excellent.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

That is a good weight, she'll easily be standard weight when full grown.

The maple buds are forming, snow is melting and chickens are finally coming into lay. Spring is coming! Sold off all my extra birds and gave away all the extra cockerels. I need to charge more, sold all the pullets available in 24 hours of posting on craigslist. Last of snow in the falling apart separate enclosed run I'll shovel out tomorrow morning and put a quad in. Let em go for few weeks to clean out pullets/hens then start collecting for the season. Pretty excited.

Downside is I miscalculated when Easter is this year so will be a week late for our annual hatch. Oh well. More upset about the mink that visited last week. Lost one of my best pullets of last year, if not the best, and the Partridge hen was taken too. Bummer. I got the mink at least so that shouldn't happen again. Will just have a few losses when the hawks come back. Better get to hatching quick!

Didn't make the Northeast show this year to pick up another Partridge or two. Going on a bee run to Georgia this May and will see if Norm has something for me if I swing by Maryland en route. Or get the contact info from him for Matt in Mass and make a 6 hour round trip there soon if he has anything. Partridge project is stalled without a Partridge Dam.

 

[Mosey2003]

Sorry, I've been a bit out of sorts as far as updating around here. Sorry to hear about your pullet! Hopefully you manage to find something, especially with all the COVID lockdown stuff happening.

I've been hatching steadily. Putting number four in the hatcher tonight. First hatch I had one survivor, not terribly shocked there, fertility was way low. Have 6 from the second, and 22 from the third. I have six batches total, and batches 4, 5, and 6 have at least 30 hopefuls, so I figure I'll finish out somewhere around 100. That's not what I had planned really, but with everything going on, that will do. Got that first pullet (I think) wing banded, will do the next six sometime later this week. I like a bit of size on them before I place the band. Then it's just keep hatching and rotating through brooders until they're big enough to go out in the 'horse' stall. Currently have a broody on a nest as well, I broke up the breeding pen and left her in there with her eggs. Had two other broodies in the layer pen that refused to break, so tried to put them on a nest of their own in with the other and they magically broke, imagine that. Oh well.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I set Easter weekend. Later than I could have but someone didn't close the pen door well and the Plymouth and Wyandotte breeding quads were together for an afternoon. So had to separate again and wait to clean out unwanted mating.

 

[Mosey2003]

Well, I'm packing up the incubators for now. I have 92 chicks hatched, that should be a good start. Looks like out of the first two sets I have one with a good comb, out of 7, which is a bit depressing, but am more hopeful out of the later sets since the numbers are higher. If I feel like I really didn't get enough, I might single mate the one outside pullet and hatch a batch from her in the fall.

 

[racertomtom]

Well, I'm packing up the incubators for now. I have 92 chicks hatched, that should be a good start. Looks like out of the first two sets I have one with a good comb, out of 7, which is a bit depressing, but am more hopeful out of the later sets since the numbers are higher. If I feel like I really didn't get enough, I might single mate the one outside pullet and hatch a batch from her in the fall.

Hello, I'm looking to build up some stock to get back into Barreds. I'm intrigued with the cross you are working on and would like to buy some of your culls after you sort your flock this year, if you would be interested. I'm near Marion, IL, Not sure where North-Central IL is. Keep up the good work, you're doing well! Tom Wheeler

 

[racertomtom]

I've heard good things about Shaffer Line. It looks like one of your breeder hens has incomplete barring. The Sire should go a long way in aiding that. Not to put down Shepherd Line. Very old closed flock they are with a ton of potential.

The hen in post #2 does not have incomplete barring, she is a cockerel bred female (from a cockerel line). Along with plenty of solid black feathers in her plumage, her black bars are a little too wide. That is exactly what you want to breed to a show quality male to produce excellent color. The male offspring from that pairing should have had awesome barring.