The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Silver Rock]

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?

Hi Donna, well as much as I want to start using the Double Mating breeding system to improve the color and penciling in the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks I have decided to hold off on that and try my best to improve the Type in this variety. I just don't want 10, 15, 20 years down the road thinking maybe if I would have crossed the two "Dick Horstman line & Danny Padgett line" into each other I may could have improved the Type in the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks. I will never know until I try it so this Spring "more than likely the next few years at least" my breeding pens will be setup with a focus on trying to improve Type.

Clayton Grace

 

[Fred's Hens]

Clayton, I gotta say, you got good direction. Much better approach. Good for you.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Did a Show 'n Tell today with some teens and adults. They have birds I gave them as a quad several years back. What fun it was to have this young lady go in an grab me a bird I'd point out. We feel the bird, talk, point out various features of the bird, good and bad. Helped them setup 3 breeding pens, working with what we had to choose. 8 males and 12 or 13 females to weed through. We handled every bird. Choices were made. A lot of bird were setup for compensatory breeding in hopes of moving forward, but a lot of birds went to "death row" as they call it. These birds are terrific eating and we never lose track of that.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, here's the first pair mating she chose. I think she did really well.



Then, later, she's going to add this older hen. I concurred with the decisions.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Anne, if you see this, I found this boy over in a cockerel pen of 6 or 7 young bachelors. Just as I was about to snap his photo, he turned his back to the wind and it blew his tail apart, but he's got a fine tail. Are these guys really as "thick" as they appear? Oh, yes. These are real Rocks you can eat. About a fist and a half between the legs and 10 lbs plus and he's just 11 months old.

Great big, round, front end. He'll do. Saw this guy as a youngster last October and tagged him in my mind. Yup, he finished pretty nicely. Should we stuff this fella in a box and bring him back north? We'll see.

 

[Silver Rock]

Clayton, I gotta say, you got good direction.  Much better approach.  Good for you.

Hi Fred, yes moving forward can be done with much more progress when one can put his own interest aside and accept the advice from others who he knows has much more poultry breeding knowledge than himself. I also move forward on advice you have put out there. I had my brother come to my house today and showed him the difference between birds from breeders to birds that come from a hatchery. I also explained to him how the SPR are in need of more breeders and how him living within 5 miles from me would greatly help me out. He really like the looks of my Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks and agreed to replace his "hatchery Red Leghorns" with Silver Penciled Rocks. So over the next month I will be setting him up with a couple breeding pens. By next Spring between the both of us we should be able to put many Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock chicks on the ground to cull from.

Clayton Grace

 

[beausonge]

Hi Fred, yes moving forward can be done with much more progress when one can put his own interest aside and accept the advice from others who he knows has much more poultry breeding knowledge than himself. I also move forward on advice you have put out there. I had my brother come to my house today and showed him the difference between birds from breeders to birds that come from a hatchery. I also explained to him how the SPR are in need of more breeders and how him living within 5 miles from me would greatly help me out. He really like the looks of my Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks and agreed to replace his "hatchery Red Leghorns" with Silver Penciled Rocks. So over the next month I will be setting him up with a couple breeding pens. By next Spring between the both of us we should be able to put many Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock chicks on the ground to cull from.

Clayton Grace

That is great that you can have your brother help you out with your breeding program. My friend's daughter is interested in chickens for FFA. I have given her a start in Araucanas but it is such a tough breed. I talked to her about partnering with me in the Partridge Plymouth rocks I will be getting from Dick Horstman. She is super excited about it and so is her mother. It is so much more interesting and fun when you have someone to share your plans with.

Vickie

 

[Silver Rock]

That is great that you can have your brother help you out with your breeding program. My friend's daughter is interested in chickens for FFA. I have given her a start in Araucanas but it is such a tough breed. I talked to her about partnering with me in the Partridge Plymouth rocks I will be getting from Dick Horstman. She is super excited about it and so is her mother. It is so much more interesting and fun when you have someone to share your plans with.

Vickie

Hi Vickie, I agree with you 100%. Having someone to share this poultry hobby with makes it so much nicer & enjoyable. Me and my brother have been crazy about chickens longer than we can remember as our father raised chickens long before me and my brother were even born. Below are a few pictures of the Poultry Show Ribbons that my father and his brother got in the early 70's down in Florida.

 

[Ripster]

Hi Vickie, I agree with you 100%. Having someone to share this poultry hobby with makes it so much nicer & enjoyable. Me and my brother have been crazy about chickens longer than we can remember as our father raised chickens long before me and my brother were even born. Below are a few pictures of the Poultry Show Ribbons that my father and his brother got in the early 70's down in Florida.

Clayton,

Just out of curiosity what was your Dad's name and what did he raise. I was showing in Florida back then so I was wondering if I knew him.

Ripster

 

[Silver Rock]

Hi Ripster, my fathers name is James William "Bill" Grace and his brothers name is Tommy Grace. They raised Buff Orpington and a few other breeds but the Buff Orpingtons were my fathers breed of choice. He and his brother stop showing poultry after my father married my mom in 1973. I guess after marriage my father decided he had his hands full as by 1975 he & my mom had three baby boys me and my twin in April of 1974, then our younger brother 15 months later in July of 1975.

Clayton Grace