The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[desertmarcy]

Marcy, if it were me? I re-vamp the diet for a month. Forget the Red Cell and the other base feed and feed something else. Are you certified organic? Is this a requirement for your program and integral to your project? If so, then go get something else, anything else, that is organic and has 20% protein in a fully balanced feed.

If not, then let us know what feeds your local feed mill supplies and maybe we can suggest something. It is urgent for you to get to the bottom of this ASAP and by golly, I'd want to know quick and I'm sure you would as well.

Cold turkey. Complete change in feed. Stay on the new program for the next month. Within 3 weeks you'd know if something was amiss in your previous diet. If nothing changes within a month, then alert Houston that you've got a problem.

I don't think it is the feed. Rhode Island Reds, Orloffs, and Buff Rocks on same diet have good fertility. In fact, fertility on the Buff Rocks (2 pullets in with one cockerel) is almost 100%. The organic is integral to my program, yes, of not feeding GMOs and not supporting Monsanto...

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Desertmarcy, try another round of eggs, but I hear from many places this line has an issue with fertility and hatchability. You might need to use a male from another line if all else fails

 

[desertmarcy]

Desertmarcy, try another round of eggs, but I hear from many places this line has an issue with fertility and hatchability. You might need to use a male from another line if all else fails

That is what I am leaning towards. I have a judge friend, Gene Helton, on the lookout for a male for me. I did not have this issue last year, but I lost the male I was using last year and so now am breeding even tighter.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I don't think it is the feed. Rhode Island Reds, Orloffs, and Buff Rocks on same diet have good fertility. In fact, fertility on the Buff Rocks (2 pullets in with one cockerel) is almost 100%. The organic is integral to my program, yes, of not feeding GMOs and not supporting Monsanto...

Desertmarcy, try another round of eggs, but I hear from many places this line has an issue with fertility and hatchability. You might need to use a male from another line if all else fails

OK, that's good information. If your other Rocks are doing fine, then I agree. Not very likely you're gonna see an improvement even if feed, and yes, I assumed a change to another organic feed, would produce the results you're looking for.

Further, I dislike appearing to dis a line in public, but I'll just say that Scott's statement has support in many quarters. PM me if you want my more frank point of view and experience.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I don't think it is the feed. Rhode Island Reds, Orloffs, and Buff Rocks on same diet have good fertility. In fact, fertility on the Buff Rocks (2 pullets in with one cockerel) is almost 100%. The organic is integral to my program, yes, of not feeding GMOs and not supporting Monsanto...

Put that boy over some other females, spare females, scrubs, just any females. Seriously. After two weeks, start cracking the eggs and looking for fertility and/or bake a few in the incubator and see if there is evidence of viability at day 7.

If you find fertility? You'd know it' s the compatibility of the hens to that cockerel. Just another step in investigating this matter.

 

[newbiechick1]

Hello all! My husband and I will be purchasing our first chickens this year. Plans for coop and whatnot are coming along great great but we can not agree on a breed. We have agreed that we want a chicken that does well in hot and cold weather ( we live in wv). We would like large brown eggs and would prefer a breed that lays well and is not broody. I love the buff color... I was looking at the buff orpington breed but am afraid of the broodines and I was told their eggs are not very big. Any suggestions out there would be great! Would the buff rocks make a good first time chicken? Do they lay well? Are they friendly? Thank you all in advance!

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: x3 having a similar issue with my roo....

 

[Southerlys]

Anyone have any started hens near St. Louis for sale? Small backyard newbie here just getting started.

 

[Silver Rock]

Well after talking with someone I look up to and follow in the breeding advice that he shares with me. I have decided to change up my Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock breeding pens a little. I will be running three breeding pens this Spring.

Breeding pen #1 will have a Horstman male over Padgett females.
Breeding pen #2 will have a Padgett male over Horstman females.
Breeding pen #3 will have a Padgett male over Padgett females.
All the breeding pens are set up and ready to go. I am already getting plenty of eggs off my 10 month old Horstman pullets and expecting my 5 month old Padgett pullets to start laying in the next couple months.

Clayton

 

[DMRippy]

Well after talking with someone I look up to and follow in the breeding advice that he shares with me. I have decided to change up my Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock breeding pens a little. I will be running three breeding pens this Spring.

Breeding pen #1 will have a Horstman male over Padgett females.
Breeding pen #2 will have a Padgett male over Horstman females.
Breeding pen #3 will have a Padgett male over Padgett females.
All the breeding pens are set up and ready to go. I am already getting plenty of eggs off my 10 month old Horstman pullets and expecting my 5 month old Padgett pullets to start laying in the next couple months.

Clayton

I Like that plan! are you looking for more specifics to put in the pens? Like dark pullets with a certain roo? Lighter pullets with another kind of roo?