The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Egghead_Jr]

I wasn't even thinking of marketing purpose and what some shadier folks will and do do... Purely on my own idea of when with pride and confidence one might call something your own creation.

My mind was more focused in the direction of say the "Ringlet Line" and in such if you see a long, nice tail there is good odds it came from a certain breeder, no name needs mentioning. Myself, if I acquired some of those birds and put them together wouldn't put my name to them as I didn't do that improvement, merely collected and hatched eggs for a year. I mean, how much can I mess it up in a year. And in the Ringlet Line again if I said I had some "75's" we all know who made that out cross and how many birds must have been culled through in two short years for that change to be made for good or bad. Obviously I think excellent move forward and purchased some eggs that are tilting at temp as we speak. I don't even know if the 75 creator still calls them Ringlet or simply Good Heritage stock but the point is I didn't make those major decisions nor did I do massive culling to standardize the results.

In attempt to focus the train of thought my scatter brain is on I'll just say; if many good breeders can look at a photo and via characteristics of the bird simply know where the blood line came from then obviously the person who made those changes deserves mention. I personally would not put my name to something unless I made the changes or had them for a few years so wouldn't want anyone else to get the blame for the shape they are in.

 

[gjensen]

Lines and Names

There's lots of different opinions of this matter, but here's where I stand. Once you've done any breeding matchups, the subsequent birds are your birds and nobody else's. I respect the foundational work that went into my birds and I'm quick and free to give those folks "credit" for the work they did, but once I select the female and I select a male to put over her and hatch out chicks, those chicks are mine. Period. Two and three generations? Even if I keep the line the same? No matter. Mine. I made all the choices for good or bad. The former breeder is completely off the hook and there's not much point in name dropping anymore.

I bred them. I take all the blame of what they are or are not. What are your thoughts?

I agree with this for the most part.

I do not see the name dropping for marketing purposes as much as I see it as simple pride. It is as if the names imparts some special value to the birds. Not that it makes a whole lot of sense when the bird is either good or not.

On the other hand, I would be a little hesitant to call something my own creation when it is not. I would be more likely be to blame for the faults than I would deserve credit for the bird's merits. It would not be as if they magically appeared once I got my hands on them. The strengths did not come by my own doing. They were already there.
Calling something my own creation would be a little prideful if I only just begun with them.

I like the names of strains as far as an identifier. A way to get a feel for the history.

What I prefer to hear is someone to say is that " I started with such and such birds, and I have been trying to do well with them". As an example. Then credit is given where credit is due, and blame is where it should be. So to speak.

They really become identifiable with a name when others start identifying them that way. Not because we say so. Five years down the road, when there has been real progress and people start to recognize the merits of that hard work and ability.

For example, I can pick out Dan Honour's Buff Leghorns from a crowd of Buffs. You can actually see the stamp he has put on them. They are identifiable as his own. The birds declare it and other's know it. Dan does not credit his own line as much as others give him credit for what he has accomplished. He is respected in the hobby, because his ability and knowledge is proven. His birds speak for themselves. It is not as if he picked them up a year or two ago.

I guess that I am trying to be realistic. We haven't really done anything, until others recognize that we have. When the birds start being recognized as our own.

I have had my NHs through four generations now (the ones I have now). They are not much more my own doing than when I got them. They are starting to reflect what I see, but they are still throwing some of the same junk other's are, and some decent birds like other's are. They produce pretty good birds and poor birds. I saw a picture recently online that someone put my name by. I wish they wouldn't have. I would have killed the bird myself.
Also what strengths they might have came with them. They were well bred birds (like them or not) when they got here. I did not do that. Someone else did, across the ocean.

 

[denn1948]

My eggs are due to hatch Sunday. Scott

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

My eggs are due to hatch Sunday.    Scott

How many made it to the hatcher?? Good luck

 

[racertomtom]

and in such if you see a long, nice tail there is good odds it came from a certain breeder, no name needs mentioning. Myself, if I acquired some of those birds and put them together wouldn't put my name to them as I didn't do that improvement, merely collected and hatched eggs for a year. I mean, how much can I mess it up in a year. And in the Ringlet Line again if I said I had some "75's" we all know who made that out cross and how many birds must have been culled through in two short years for that change to be made for good or bad. Obviously I think excellent move forward and purchased some eggs that are tilting at temp as we speak. I don't even know if the 75 creator still calls them Ringlet or simply Good Heritage stock but the point is I didn't make those major decisions nor did I do massive culling to standardize the results.

Let’s just use this as an example. That breeder didn’t put those tails on barred rocks, the previous breeder did, yet you call them his birds. He got them from eggs hatched from a Bob Blosl arrangement. Those long nice tails are very, very difficult to maintain and the current breeder has had 6 years to loose those tails but hasn’t. I might add he’s made some nice color improvements along the way as well. The previous breeder has not had a say in that line in 6 years yet the line is very good, perhaps better than the previous line. So yes, this is the current breeders line.

The breeder of the 75s is going to leave it up to you to do your own culling and pick out the pens of the next generation while he works on the 87.5s. So guess what? The 75s just became yours.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

My eggs are due to hatch Sunday.    Scott

How many made it to the hatcher?? Good luck

Scott, I adore my Columbians. They are about 6 wks old and so handsome! I have 1 male and 3 females.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The breeder of the 75s is going to leave it up to you to do your own culling and pick out the pens of the next generation while he works on the 87.5s. So guess what? The 75s just became yours.

Rounding up to 88, I'm considering referring to them as the Piano Keys next year. Fitting, for the Barred, don't you think?

.

 

[Fred's Hens]

OK, since everyone else is showing baby pictures, I took a few myself this morning. I'll try to chat about things I see so there's more to the post, educationally, than just gratuitous chick photos.

First, this little K pleases me for a number of reasons, above the 6 other males in that brooder class. His white is improved and I really need to improve the white on my birds. He's typical in that he is stout, wide in the leg spacing and wide headed. We'll just grow him out and see what's what.






Next, I marked this pullet with an arrow. I have her dam, her grand dam and her great grand dam.
There is a certain "cookie cutter" look to this female descendant that seems to pass from female to female. I can already see it her. Not a good photo of the others. But there looks to be some culls there.




Working our way down in age, here are some 2.5 week old chicks. I put an arrow on this chick mainly because every time I look into that brooder, this chick is always, always posing the exact same way. Uncanny. Calm and self assured. That it is already showing off that good type? Priceless.



Just a random sample of a few of the chicks enjoying their holiday weekend.

 

[racertomtom]

OK, since everyone else is showing baby pictures, I took a few myself this morning. I'll try to chat about things I see so there's more to the post, educationally, than just gratuitous chick photos.

First, this little K pleases me for a number of reasons, above the 6 other males in that brooder class. His white is improved and I really need to improve the white on my birds. He's typical in that he is stout, wide in the leg spacing and wide headed. We'll just grow him out and see what's what.

Add fully feathered to the list of likes!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Oh, and not to neglect the Whites.