The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

Yeah....I haven't gotten my results back either.

I think the problem is that there is "no cure" for the disease

 

[Silver Rock]

A couple pictures of my Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock pullets enjoying a nice evening. These are the only two of my pullets that hasn't gone broody yet. In the last week 4 of my pullets has gone broody.

 

[alana124]

Hi all ...First off, your pictures of the birds are really beautiful and inspiring...makes you never want to buy from a hatchery again!

But now that morning chores are done (I farm and raise chickens), I have to ask--as breeders, where do you guys put all your flocks? How do you keep them separated from each other? I see many of you have several different breeds or types of Rocks (white, penciled, barred) living together; do you have large barns partitioned off? I hatched out Buckeye chicks 4 weeks ago who are chomping at the bit to get out of their brooder (all feathered out, ready to go) and am patiently but excitedly awaiting my XW/Jeremy ordered chicks! YIPPEE...My husband is building several coops for me but in the meantime, where do I put the kids? I can't let them free range it since the fences won't be up till Sept. (too many fox and coyote by me). I have 3 coops that house the egg layers, the breeders, and the old RIR who earn their keep cleaning up the vegetable & herb gardens...and I want to order pure bred Buckeyes but am afraid I have no place to put them, and can't kill off the one flock of Buckeyes who earn their keep laying eggs --not yet...my barn is already packed with chickens including 1 week old Cornish X for market in July..PHEW! I am a chicken NUT! I would like to stop raising Cornish X, and concentrate on just raising BPR and Buckeyes.

So I wonder, how do you manage them, esp. when attempting Spiral Line Breeding?

Thank you in advance for your wonderful insights and experiences.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Each of us have different sized facilities, different goals, different number of birds, etc. Theoretically, a "flock" could just run together until breeding season. At that point, let's say one has 2 cockbirds and 6 or 7 females to rotate around. One only needs three breeding pens, of some kind. I call it scaling. Scale your facilities to meet your needs and the size and number of birds one is working with at the time.

Most folks do NOT attempt to keep 3 or 4 or more breeds. The more breeds, the more facilities one is forced to have. That is not something recommended to those just getting started. Focus on your one, main breed, would be my advice.

I was just chatting with a fellow Rock breeder yesterday and the topic of culling down came up again. I mentioned again that I will be down to fewer than 16 birds before the snow flies in winter. There may be 75 birds on the property right now, but they won't all be staying for the winter.

Blosl used to say over and over. Start with the very best birds you can get. Start small. Shoot down the middle. Stay focused. The danger of being overwhelmed is that one becomes just another of those "here today, gone tomorrow" folks.

Edit to add: Bob liked the KISS principle and repeated it often. Good advice.

 

[alana124]

I see. Thank you Fred's Hens --I guess it's just a matter of decision making--because it comes down to the starting all over again that sets me back a year, but I don't want to be a production monster. I want to stay small but profitable.

AGREE about KISS--it's just too bad Mr. Blosl passed; his posts are great and I'm learning a lot from them too.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I know I'm a broken record, but have to keep repeating this as well. Partners. If you have a breed partner(s) within an hour or two drive, it takes the pressure off each partner in a tremendous way.

Rather than one person having to hatch out 80-100 chicks, brood 80-100 chicks, maintain 3 or 4 cockbirds and 10-12 quality breeding females, and all the space/facilities such an operation requires, this can be cut down to a manageable size. With 3 partners working together in a co-operative venture, an amazing amount of progress can collectively be made.

 

[Fentress]

Hi all ...First off, your pictures of the birds are really beautiful and inspiring...makes you never want to buy from a hatchery again!

But now that morning chores are done (I farm and raise chickens), I have to ask--as breeders, where do you guys put all your flocks? How do you keep them separated from each other? I see many of you have several different breeds or types of Rocks (white, penciled, barred) living together; do you have large barns partitioned off? I hatched out Buckeye chicks 4 weeks ago who are chomping at the bit to get out of their brooder (all feathered out, ready to go) and am patiently but excitedly awaiting my XW/Jeremy ordered chicks! YIPPEE...My husband is building several coops for me but in the meantime, where do I put the kids? I can't let them free range it since the fences won't be up till Sept. (too many fox and coyote by me). I have 3 coops that house the egg layers, the breeders, and the old RIR who earn their keep cleaning up the vegetable & herb gardens...and I want to order pure bred Buckeyes but am afraid I have no place to put them, and can't kill off the one flock of Buckeyes who earn their keep laying eggs --not yet...my barn is already packed with chickens including 1 week old Cornish X for market in July..PHEW! I am a chicken NUT! I would like to stop raising Cornish X, and concentrate on just raising BPR and Buckeyes.

So I wonder, how do you manage them, esp. when attempting Spiral Line Breeding?

Thank you in advance for your wonderful insights and experiences.

I feel your pain. As a beginner these are the things you have to think through, keeping in mind the basic principles of keeping chickens which you probably already know. For instance, I free range and use electro-net fencing, so I am mobile. Plus I like to work with broodies. I keep a flock of chickens and have realistically never been able to keep more than 2 cocks in the flock, that will make for a limited breeding program. If you mate the children back to the parents, thats your two cocks there and that consitutes just one line of breeding. Most of the breeders build a lot of pens, if for no other reason, to keep the prefered number of males on the property. The reintroduction of males back to the flock, from either a breeding pen or grow out pen, is something I am concerned about for next year, when I start up for the first time. Good luck at figuring out your situation and what you can get accomplished.

 

[Fentress]

I know I'm a broken record, but have to keep repeating this as well. Partners. If you have a breed partner(s) within an hour or two drive, it takes the pressure off each partner in a tremendous way.

Rather than one person having to hatch out 80-100 chicks, brood 80-100 chicks, maintain 3 or 4 cockbirds and 10-12 quality breeding females, and all the space/facilities such an operation requires, this can be cut down to a manageable size. With 3 partners working together in a co-operative venture, an amazing amount of progress can collectively be made.

That was a big reason why I chose BR, because Jamie Duckworth was 3 hours away. I wish he was a little closer and I sure would like to establish some partners close by. And no it is not a broken record. Months ago I new I would have problems with a breeding program, but I thought I would work my way through it and maybe I still will, to at least some degree. However, in general, I have issues that will not be easy to resolve, so the partner approach is a solution that works.

 

[alana124]

Awww, thank you, Fentress. But right? I mean, it's fun learning new thing, yet kind of blarghety when it comes to being a newbie-beginner.

I looked into electro-netting; what do you use for a shelter for them? Would a dog house or some small box-like thing be enough for them? I just get worried with predators at night time.

At the moment I also have 2 cockerels (cocks? what constitutes a cock--their first birthday? hatchday?) However the one cock will move to the freezer this weekend. Yeah, lots to think about *sheesh*

 

[alana124]

I know I'm a broken record, but have to keep repeating this as well. Partners. If you have a breed partner(s) within an hour or two drive, it takes the pressure off each partner in a tremendous way.

Rather than one person having to hatch out 80-100 chicks, brood 80-100 chicks, maintain 3 or 4 cockbirds and 10-12 quality breeding females, and all the space/facilities such an operation requires, this can be cut down to a manageable size. With 3 partners working together in a co-operative venture, an amazing amount of progress can collectively be made.

I'm in! I hope to become, and aspire to be a working partner.