The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[DMRippy]

Here I was thinking I had three pullets, but that head spot is really deceiving unless you look closely at it. That plus the comb shape and general overall attitude/ carriage of this one tells me you could be right. If this is my boy and he develops into what I hope, I have to find a way for him to stay. Rex may have to make some room over there on his side of the coop until I can figure out a better arrangement. I'm thinking Isaac probably isn't going to stand for another barred bird in his section.

I've decided that the Black Rock pullets with these will be sold so if anyone is interested in them, let me know. They'd have to be picked up here.

Are these the ones we discussed being sex linked and cockerels?

 

[speckledhen]

Are these the ones we discussed being sex linked and cockerels?

Which do you mean? The ones I'm selling off are the ones you guys told me would have to be pullets, the solid blacks. I don't want any more black chickens of any type. I'd have to go back to the discussion, but that was the consensus, back on Page 204 or about there. I don't think anyone said I'd have any definite cockerels, only that the blacks would have to be pullets. I'm confused here.

You either get a barred chick or a non barred chick out of single barred Rex and the straight BR hens. Any with barring will have a head spot, pullets or cockerels.

 

[DMRippy]

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I would have to look too.... I don't remember but if you got some solid pullets you should have also gotten some single barred cockerels.

 

[speckledhen]

I would have to look too.... I don't remember but if you got some solid pullets you should have also gotten some single barred cockerels.

I may have. The other two barred chicks may very well be cockerels-their head spots are larger than the one I'm pretty sure is a male now, though it has the smallest head spot. This chick is not single barred, but looks to be double barred to me. Sure has some super crisp, bright barring, nothing like Rex had as a chick. This is even better than Indy's was. Of course, it's only just over two weeks old, but it looks very promising. I'm really looking to replace Indy, if there's any way I can find to keep another male around here. Isaac may not pass on for a couple more years and I am not like lots of folks. I cannot keep building pens and coops and don't want to, either.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
I can't pick cockerels out from the heat spots. I have sold several chicks TRYING to pick pullets and these all had TINY TINY head spots all have been roos. They are double barred so that theory does not hold with my birds.

 

[speckledhen]

I can't pick cockerels out from the heat spots. I have sold several chicks TRYING to pick pullets and these all had TINY TINY head spots all have been roos. They are double barred so that theory does not hold with my birds.

It doesn't hold as well with heritage stock as it does with hatchery stock, BUT it's NEVER about just the head spot. I keep telling people that. It has to do with head spot, plus leg front color plus down color. I can sex a hatchery BR with 90% accuracy every time doing by those three things together. I did it for years with only one or two missteps with my BRs, until these came along. These other lines are much more difficult.


Here is an historical document on sexing of BRs:


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[Beekissed]

Had a major set back on breeding WRs Sunday morning. My biggest, best hen was dead off the roost. Hale and hearty the day before and doing well, laying every day and dead the next morning..she was 1 yr old on the 24th. Did a PM and found she had liver disease...looks like her liver just went to pieces inside of her and she had a massive bleed out. Everything else internally looked good and healthy. Hoping the other hen isn't affected in the same way.

On the bright side, eggs collected from the WRs in the brief time The Rock was loose and breeding show massive bull's eyes...don't think I've ever seen such fertilization in all my life~cracked one egg this morning for breakfast and the bull's eye was big as a large pea, so if this other hen is healthy and survives, he ought to be able to produce some offspring with her. He's a boss on breeding!

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Had a major set back on breeding WRs Sunday morning. My biggest, best hen was dead off the roost. Hale and hearty the day before and doing well, laying every day and dead the next morning..she was 1 yr old on the 24th. Did a PM and found she had liver disease...looks like her liver just went to pieces inside of her and she had a massive bleed out. Everything else internally looked good and healthy. Hoping the other hen isn't affected in the same way.

On the bright side, eggs collected from the WRs in the brief time The Rock was loose and breeding show massive bull's eyes...don't think I've ever seen such fertilization in all my life~cracked one egg this morning for breakfast and the bull's eye was big as a large pea, so if this other hen is healthy and survives, he ought to be able to produce some offspring with her. He's a boss on breeding!

Awww, dang Bee, so sorry about the poor girl. Setback, yes, but just temporary. Keep us posted, KK?

 

[Beekissed]

Awww, dang Bee, so sorry about the poor girl. Setback, yes, but just temporary. Keep us posted, KK?

Sure will...currently waiting for any sperm from the farm rooster to be out of their system before breeding her to The Rock but as soon as this rain lets up this week I'll be turning him loose on her. I can't afford to wait the full 30 days for the change over, so I'm going to take my chances and get some eggs in the incubation nest ASAP.

 

[rancher hicks]

Had a major set back on breeding WRs Sunday morning. My biggest, best hen was dead off the roost. Hale and hearty the day before and doing well, laying every day and dead the next morning..she was 1 yr old on the 24th. Did a PM and found she had liver disease...looks like her liver just went to pieces inside of her and she had a massive bleed out. Everything else internally looked good and healthy. Hoping the other hen isn't affected in the same way.

On the bright side, eggs collected from the WRs in the brief time The Rock was loose and breeding show massive bull's eyes...don't think I've ever seen such fertilization in all my life~cracked one egg this morning for breakfast and the bull's eye was big as a large pea, so if this other hen is healthy and survives, he ought to be able to produce some offspring with her. He's a boss on breeding!

While it is sad that this happened, it is good to know she had a problem early on. I have read that it's best not to hatch from young birds so if there is a problem it can be avoided in your line of birds. Is that right?

Myself I work toward a hearty line in my birds. Sick birds are not tolerated.

I do have some BR's hens but lost my rooster some time ago.

Now I don't know why but now that I think about it I've lost three roosters who were older. Is there anything that might affect roosters more than hens? I didn't do a PM on any though. I wouldn't know a problem of internal if I saw one.