The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[BGMatt]

Here's young White Rock that Ken posted early on in this thread. That is nice, wide, thick, big, freak, call it what you will, but that's a head. Nice to have a photo from this "plane" to see a nice skull. They're either born with this or they're not. I see many of our birds that also have that nice skull and a few that do not. We can't neglect this feature when we're selecting your breeders.

When do you first look for it? One of my mentors says, "You find it in the brooder".

Yup, those White birds were bred for years by Robert Blosl. They're in good hands at the Weaver estate now.

I saw a great comment on Rock heads on another forum posted by Danny Feathers, he said that if you can look down from above and see the eyes it's too narrow..

 

[Wynette]

If large heads indicate such good rate of lay, why do my red sex links (who's rate of lay can not be beat at least while they are young), not have freak heads?

I'm sure it's in reference to purebred birds.

 

[Fentress]

I saw a great comment on Rock heads on another forum posted by Danny Feathers, he said that if you can look down from above and see the eyes it's too narrow..

I assume that applies to all of the American Breeds and probably others as well? There are certain structural characteristics that seem to be common to well bred birds, strong head (as discussed above), wide back for the entire length of the body, broad, deep breast and feet well apart. Any other structural priorites that you can think of that constitute a quick check list for good breeding?

 

[Ripster]

Fentress, a couple of things that I always look for is stoutness of bone and feather quality. Birds that have nice stout bones seem to have better structure overall. I've noticed that good feather quality seems to go hand in hand with good type and production ability.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Ok, cleared away the wood working project and finished my travel box today. It's good to go next week.
8 bird box.

 

[smarsh]

is that electrical wire for a handle? i have used that also

 

[Fentress]

Fentress, a couple of things that I always look for is stoutness of bone and feather quality. Birds that have nice stout bones seem to have better structure overall. I've noticed that good feather quality seems to go hand in hand with good type and production ability.

thanks, did not know about the feather quality.

 

[Fred's Hens]

is that electrical wire for a handle? i have used that also

Nah. Although it sure would work. It's a chunk a ski rope or anchor line or whatever I pulled out of the box.

Man, the price of romex, I sure guard it these days.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The skull, the shanks and so forth bespeak bone structure, as Rip said and these are outwardly visible things. To me a frail bird is never going to be thrifty. The skull, being lightly feathered, allows us to see bone structure. The legs as well. The keel should be felt by handling as well as other anatomical features.

Knock kneed suggests poor integrity of that structure, as does pinched tails betray the bone structure of the tail. Tail are more than simple matter of "feathers" formed or pointed in the wrong direction. A pinched tail bird has a pinched underpinning. Proper bone structure allows the bird to carry itself and function properly.

 

[BGMatt]

I assume that applies to all of the American Breeds and probably others as well? There are certain structural characteristics that seem to be common to well bred birds, strong head (as discussed above), wide back for the entire length of the body, broad, deep breast and feet well apart. Any other structural priorites that you can think of that constitute a quick check list for good breeding?

It's probably a good rule of thumb, can't think of a breed that's supposed to be narrow skull.

"Size" is a ambiguous term, but I'd say with Rocks the keywords would be broad, wide, deep in just about every aspect. Feather quality as mentioned can be linked to productivity and general health. One thing you'd want to avoid is lots of extra abdominal fat, beefy stuff pubic bones, a lot of fat covering over said pubic bones. As those are all hall marks of a bad layer. (Also taught by Hogan in "Call of the Hen") but you can apply those to any breed. I mainly love Asiatics, and size is king, everything huge, big massive heads, huge big boned shanks and legs, height that makes a Rock or Giant jealous, but I still want (relatively) fine pliable pubic bones, without a lot of fat covering them.