The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Fred's Hens]

The subject comes up with some frequency here, but not all leg bands are created equal. At the farm store the other day they were out of the bands I prefer. All they had were the spiral type, so unfortunately, I had to pass. I need to re-supply. While popular with some folks, I'd rather not use the spirals.

Strips of vet wrap are pretty good for temporary banding. It tends to fall off, so some caution is advised.

We had a member here, just a two dozen posts back, show the wing band. I'm sure a private message would get you the scoop on them. I do not use them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

At the very beginning of this thread, some of you long time readers may remember, I was sharing about our project to add some vigor to the GSBR birds that made up our foundation stock.

Our F1 pullets turned the year calendar today, so in my mind, they are now hens. Be that as it may, I am astounded by the increase in egg size as compared to their GSBR dams. I'll post a photo and hopefully show the difference. It is quite amazing and very encouraging.

The Good Shepherd females we have had for over 3 years consistently lay a very small egg. I don't know if others find that to be the case as well?



The eggs on the top row are from our F1 females, while the eggs on the lower row are from our pure GSBR females. Some of the latter females are now entering their third laying season and one sometimes expects larger eggs from a mature female, but this has not really proved to be the case with that strain.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

At the very beginning of this thread, some of you long time readers may remember, I was sharing about our project to add some vigor to the GSBR birds that made up our foundation stock.

Our F1 pullets turned the year calendar today, so in my mind, they are now hens. Be that as it may, I am astounded by the increase in egg size as compared to their GSBR dams. I'll post a photo and hopefully show the difference. It is quite amazing and very encouraging.

The Good Shepherd females we have had for over 3 years consistently lay a very small egg. I don't know if others find that to be the case as well?



The eggs on the top row are from our F1 females, while the eggs on the lower row are from our pure GSBR females. Some of the latter females are now entering their third laying season and one sometimes expects larger eggs from a mature female, but this has not really proved to be the case with that strain.

I'm not sure if this is helpful or not (probably not...because I have no idea what you're really talking about, lol), but I've noticed my BR hen's eggs are a LOT smaller than my Easter Egger hens. She's the most consistent of my layers though. Lays most every day.

Could you post a picture of a BR hen that meets SOP well? I'd like to compare my hen. Here's a picture I took of her today.

 

[Beekissed]

That's quite a big difference, Fred. Not even a little bit smaller..but way smaller. These pullets from Kathy lay a uniform, extra large egg each day. Hardly any of them are making it through to the end of hatching, though, and that worries me. Mostly these mutt BAs are the ones at the finish line but the WRs are not making a good showing. I'm hoping this is not a pattern....I'll know this next month as theirs are the only ones I'll be hatching.

I do know they are not as easy to breed as other chickens and often run or put up a fight, particularly if the cock is rough in mating.

 

[racertomtom]

The Good Shepherd females we have had for over 3 years consistently lay a very small egg. I don't know if others find that to be the case as well?

Are the GSBR 3 year old birds laying very often?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Are the GSBR 3 year old birds laying very often?

Tom, the good news is that Frank no doubt bred these birds primarily as meat birds. But, yes, the strain we have are excellent layers, by count. We found that surprising, a bit, and it has held true across the board and even as the hens mature. Great layers for birds as large as they are.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Bee, Ken Weaver tells me all the time how good his White Rocks lines lay. He pegs his strain from XW Poultry, Jeremy Woeple at 24 eggs per month and his Blosl strain at 25 eggs per month.

Judging by the eggs Ken sent me, I'd say his XW strain lays a slightly larger egg.

All this blows away a lot of uninformed opinions held by folks, erroneously, that "Breeder stock are poor layers" or "heritage strains of SOP don't lay well" or "breeders who breed to the SOP ruin the laying of their birds to make 'show' birds out of them".


Folks, do not believe everything you hear or read as gospel on the internet.

That's quite a big difference, Fred. Not even a little bit smaller..but way smaller. These pullets from Kathy lay a uniform, extra large egg each day.

 

[Fred's Hens]

These pullets from Kathy lay a uniform, extra large egg each day. Hardly any of them are making it through to the end of hatching, though, and that worries me.

I'd talk to Ken Weaver about what he does or doesn't do in hatching his lines. His experience on this might benefit you greatly in improving your live hatch rates. Tom Wheeler, right here, has more experience at hatching these lines of Rocks than most folks you're ever gonna meet. Again, adapt what these folks tell you to your own situation as we all have deal with our own incubation methods, equipment and skill level, not to mention local climate and time of year.

In my own case, and I'm sure I'll get a big A-men from the choir here, but there isn't anything I've found harder to hatch than the GSBR. Flat out. Frankly, and I mean no disrespect to anybody's line or strain and dissing isn't why I say this. But I want chicks to pop out like popcorn and there are a few factors that any breeder has to focus on to make that happen.

But It's getting late here and I'm long overdue for bed. Maybe tomorrow I'll share some thoughts.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: Watch the handles on those.... they will break pretty easy.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, Ken Weaver tells me all the time how good his White Rocks lines lay. He pegs his strain from XW Poultry, Jeremy Woeple at 24 eggs per month and his Blosl strain at 25 eggs per month.

Judging by the eggs Ken sent me, I'd say his XW strain lays a slightly larger egg.

All this blows away a lot of uninformed opinions held by folks, erroneously, that "Breeder stock are poor layers" or "heritage strains of SOP don't lay well" or "breeders who breed to the SOP ruin the laying of their birds to make 'show' birds out of them".


Folks, do not believe everything you hear or read as gospel on the internet.

I'll say, though I am just getting into the laying performance of these two pullets, these bird's from Kathy are defying that opinion also...I'm getting an egg a day here in peak season from them. The eggs are impressively uniform and large, with uniform color and texture. The air cells are also perfect and the yolks are large and stand up well.

I'd talk to Ken Weaver about what he does or doesn't do in hatching his lines. His experience on this might benefit you greatly in improving your live hatch rates. Tom Wheeler, right here, has more experience at hatching these lines of Rocks than most folks you're ever gonna meet. Again, adapt what these folks tell you to your own situation as we all have deal with our own incubation methods, equipment and skill level, not to mention local climate and time of year.

In my own case, and I'm sure I'll get a big A-men from the choir here, but there isn't anything I've found harder to hatch than the GSBR. Flat out. Frankly, and I mean no disrespect to anybody's line or strain and dissing isn't why I say this. But I want chicks to pop out like popcorn and there are a few factors that any breeder has to focus on to make that happen.

But It's getting late here and I'm long overdue for bed. Maybe tomorrow I'll share some thoughts.

I'll be tuning in.....

Watch the handles on those.... they will break pretty easy.

That's why I never fill these all the way to the top. I've not used that bucket since those meat birds either, though it didn't break on me the sides were so flimsy that the high temps caused a thing in the bucket where the negative pressure made the nipples leak if one didn't make a hole in the lid. I switched to the hard sided paint buckets after that batch of birds.