The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[aoxa]

(um.....there sure are Black Marans - I've got them. Just sayin'.

)

Aoxa, are the leg colors good on your SPR? They look pinkish in the pics...I'm sure it must be my screen, because I'm pretty sure mine from PEI Chickens have yellow. Hmm...should I get my monitor looked at?

I lost track of this thread...it's been a busy couple of weeks.

Breeding plans. I haven't told too many folks as some think it's nuts to cross varieties, but since Scott took the plunge, I'll dip my toes into the pool as well. I've got some crosses of my pure SPR male over a lovely Columbian female; I used the largest female with the best type, who happened to be a bit darkly pointed, which should help in my endeavor. I'll be breeding the female offspring from this cross back to the male SPR, for several generations. Should be back to SPR coloring in 5 gens., I'm told. The crossed offspring are lovely - BONUS! I've got 6 hatchlings, gosh, they must be 12 weeks now...(I lose track...need to check records), and I think all 6 are female. Holy heck, when does THAT happen?!?

Need to get pics of my chicks from PEI Chickens - they're growing like weeds, and it doesn't even feel right calling them "chicks" - they're juveniles now. Spunky, healthy, vigorous...they are very special to me, and I know I've thanked her 100 times already, but another hearty THANK YOU goes out to Janet!

Some of them are more pale than others, but none are pink. They seem to have started yellowing up as they have gotten older. They almost looked brown as chicks on some of them. My Barred were the same way, and are really yellowing. I have no doubt they will be yellow once they are mature. All of Janet's birds in the pictures have yellow legs, and my Barreds parents have very nice yellow legs (but some chicks had almost pink looking legs a few weeks ago)




Example

 

[Chickens Naturally]

(um.....there sure are Black Marans - I've got them. Just sayin'.

)

Aoxa, are the leg colors good on your SPR? They look pinkish in the pics...I'm sure it must be my screen, because I'm pretty sure mine from PEI Chickens have yellow. Hmm...should I get my monitor looked at?

I lost track of this thread...it's been a busy couple of weeks.

Breeding plans. I haven't told too many folks as some think it's nuts to cross varieties, but since Scott took the plunge, I'll dip my toes into the pool as well. I've got some crosses of my pure SPR male over a lovely Columbian female; I used the largest female with the best type, who happened to be a bit darkly pointed, which should help in my endeavor. I'll be breeding the female offspring from this cross back to the male SPR, for several generations. Should be back to SPR coloring in 5 gens., I'm told. The crossed offspring are lovely - BONUS! I've got 6 hatchlings, gosh, they must be 12 weeks now...(I lose track...need to check records), and I think all 6 are female. Holy heck, when does THAT happen?!?

Need to get pics of my chicks from PEI Chickens - they're growing like weeds, and it doesn't even feel right calling them "chicks" - they're juveniles now. Spunky, healthy, vigorous...they are very special to me, and I know I've thanked her 100 times already, but another hearty THANK YOU goes out to Janet!

Wynette I'd love to see pictures of them. I know this isn't the thread for it, but maybe somewhere else? I got bored with black chickens and sold them off. I'm trying to remember when that was. It was before they closed the egg bid dot com site because I sold some on there. At that time that's what everyone would say to me, "There is no such thing as a Black Maran" (most people would say Black Marans, I know lol) except the folks that bought them from me. I didn't know of anyone else who had them at the time. I sold the last Trio online to a breeder in West Virginia or Virginia, big difference I know, but can't recall now. He was the only breeder I kept up with because he had a website and when I decided I should have held a few back and wanted to get some from him I tried to contact him by email through his website several times, but never got a reply. That was right at the time the USPS started to contract out shipping to private shippers and I had a heck of a time getting them to him. As I recall they came back to me twice because they had no air service to that his area, had not worked that out yet.

 

[Fred's Hens]

We have the two strains and neither have flesh colored legs. One strain has so much black/grey ink that it does take or can take awhile for the yellow to show. Eventually, it does. Those with this inking photograph, on my cheapo camera as somewhat flesh colored, when they're young. I assure you, that is not the color to the naked eye.




This is an F1 cockerel with yellow to spare.



While this appears on the photo as flesh, it actually so much grey ink that the camera picks it up that way. That may be the case with some of Justine's photos as well. Just guessing.



This F1 also got the real yellow gene, but less of the black inking.

 

[aoxa]

While this appears on the photo as flesh, it actually so much grey ink that the camera picks it up that way. That may be the case with some of Justine's photos as well. Just guessing.

I believe this definitely contributes to it. It isn't as vibrant as I'd expect in person either though. Hopefully it gets more yellow as they age.

Oh and Fred, the pullet you liked of mine - I found her. She is the best one I have while looking at them today. She is even all through her body from her head to her toes. A few of the girls have heads too small for their bodies. hers is just right.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, I do know a good looking pullet when I see one. I thought she looked special and she stood out among the crowd. I just wondered if she still looked good with her head up. No cushion to speak of?

 

[aoxa]

Well, I do know a good looking pullet when I see one. I thought she looked special and she stood out among the crowd. I just wondered if she still looked good with her head up. No cushion to speak of?

Nope, but she is very young, so can't really say she won't have a cushion yet.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You're so right. They can go dumpy on ya as they age. I've been disappointed more than once. But, I got a really good vibe off this one.

She's got nice yellow in her legs, too.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Question.


Whatever variety you breed, would you all muse that most Rocks need tighter feathering than what we usually see, even in our own flocks? Do you also think it is Cochin blood constantly fighting to appear? Thoughts appreciated.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Question.


Whatever variety you breed, would you all muse that most Rocks need tighter feathering than what we usually see, even in our own flocks? Do you also think it is Cochin blood constantly fighting to appear? Thoughts appreciated.

Yes and the Cochin blood in them is a double edged sword so to say; it gives them that undisputed gravy boat/up side down derby hat(whichever way one would describe it) profile/type.Then on the other end also "blesses" us with that loose, fluffy feather tendency one has to keep in check too.

Jeff

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Question.


Whatever variety you breed, would you all muse that most Rocks need tighter feathering than what we usually see, even in our own flocks? Do you also think it is Cochin blood constantly fighting to appear? Thoughts appreciated.

Fred

I would agree about the cochin blood, BUT, in mine, I get the added benefit of fighting Brahma blood that was added to improve size to the Columbians some 15-20 generations back. I'm hoping my cross to the Wheeler barred rock will help me tighten mine up a little more

Quite frankly, most of the pictures I see of the BIG White Rocks appear to be more loosely feathered than I care for