The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Fred's Hens]

My name is Justine too. Just saying hello, this thread is very informative. I don't have a Plymouth Rock but I hope to get one someday. My husband is wanting to get some Silver Penciled Rocks next year.

Hi and welcome. Here's to hoping you get those Silver Penciled Rocks of your dreams. They're a super hard variety and thus, good ones are extremely rare and even the best have an uphill climb in front of them.

Talk to Wynette, here on BYC and also chat with Danny Feathers. Two folks that can point you in the right direction. It's not too early to get on spring chick lists. Don't wait until until spring to start asking for guidance and developing relationships with the right breeders.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well brutal for me. I'm old and don't like cold. No snow for one thing. Some ice. But it lasts forever. I really meant brutal for the rest of the country. I felt your pain last February. Year before last on groundhogs day it said a early spring. I mean really early. We didn't have any freezes worthwhile the rest of the year. That was a dandy. I didn't garden or have chickens yet. Last year was different. A month behind on everything. It is being said this will be the worst winter for La in 30 years. I have had power outages for 11 days before with no heat. In the teens. I don't want that.

Linda, we were down in NOLA for a week last February and it was spectacular. Our heart is there for many reasons.

Anyhow, to breeding your White Rocks. You've got a Blosl pullet and an XW trio, correct?

 

[LindaB220]

LindaB220

First, not trying to be ugly, but they are BLOSL line birds, not Blosi....(for Bob Blosl)

Secondly, without pictures of what you have, answering your question is difficult. What are you trying to accomplish? Do you have traits in the Blosl bird that can be used to improve the JWhip birds....and vice versa? One thing I've noticed in the Blosl line is that they lack the tail lift necessary for Rocks....perhaps the JWhip birds would help in that area....

Feather quality on the other hand is EXCELLENT in the Blosl birds I've seen

So, we'd need a little better "picture" of where you are and where you want to go in order to give you any guidance in regards to breeding

Thanks a lot for answering this. I did have a doubt about the tails. Not a tall as should be. But it's on both lines. They are only 6 mo old so I have plenty of time to see how they turn out. I wish I could get pictures. Maybe later. Old age getting to me on the Blosl.

We'll talk again.

 

[LindaB220]

Linda, we were down in NOLA for a week last February and it was spectacular. Our heart is there for many reasons.

Anyhow, to breeding your White Rocks. You've got a Blosl pullet and an XW trio, correct?

A Blosl pullet and 3 XW pullets and a cockerel. Hoping for good things on this. The local fellow was nice enough to hold the other half of the payment until next week so I could buy them all.

 

[Fred's Hens]

There are a number of ways to go with this "starter group".

You could just breed the XW line separately and look to procure more Blosl birds, perhaps a few more K's and at least 2 more pullets. Then, breed the Blosl line separately as well. That's likely the conventional wisdom here, I don't know.

I have Blosl, XW and Volk birds and I face some similar future choices and decisions as to which way to go. What I've decided to do this summer and fall is to simply grow out the birds and get to know the strengths and/or weaknesses of each line. I've made some of my decisions, but I'll keep those to myself at this point.

I'm not sure how public you really wish to be with this conversation, Linda. So, I'll kind of hold back and take cues from what you say about your views of the birds you have to work with. Anything you wish to say about them? Any photos of them as you describe them would be ideal. In the end, our "job" here would merely to be an idea stirring feedback group.

Linda, for example, do you know that the XW hatch yellow, while the Blosl's will hatch out smokey silver? The strains have different genotype.

 

[LindaB220]

There are a number of ways to go with this "starter group".

You could just breed the XW line separately and look to procure more Blosl birds, perhaps a few more K's and at least 2 more pullets. Then, breed the Blosl line separately as well. That's likely the conventional wisdom here, I don't know.

I have Blosl, XW and Volk birds and I face some similar future choices and decisions as to which way to go. What I've decided to do this summer and fall is to simply grow out the birds and get to know the strengths and/or weaknesses of each line. I've made some of my decisions, but I'll keep those to myself at this point.

I'm not sure how public you really wish to be with this conversation, Linda. So, I'll kind of hold back and take cues from what you say about your views of the birds you have to work with. Anything you wish to say about them? Any photos of them as you describe them would be ideal. In the end, our "job" here would merely to be an idea stirring feedback group.

Linda, for example, do you know that the XW hatch yellow, while the Blosl's will hatch out smokey silver? The strains have different genotype.

Yes, the idea of the smokey silver in Blosl's is what made me wonder if I need to keep them separate. Ken Weaver sells them both and will send me eggs. Probably next spring. Or chicks. I have enough of a start on XW so I will maybe concentrate on the Blosl. It's killing me not to have a camera because these beauties are spectacular. Stunningly white and fluffy compared to the hatchery rocks that I'm going to be selling. Beautiful backs and no pinched tail. The hatchery birds are a little older and are starting to lay. The others are still pink and preteens. Very docile.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Thi
This is a Blosl pullet, and young. The feather has a silver cast, even at this age. Presently, all my Blosl pullets are holding their tails in a pleasing, 20 degree lift. I do not yet know whether this tail position will change as the pullets mature.




These are XW pullets. Older, now approaching 20 weeks. Their size is huge. Large birds. Very long in the back and very wide through the tails. The rear tent is incredible in width. However, none of them hold their tails above parallel, unless provoked.

The feathers are very wide, incredibly wide.

Feel free to use these pictures, if they help you in describing your own birds.

 

[LindaB220]

Thi
This is a Blosl pullet, and young. The feather has a silver cast, even at this age. Presently, all my Blosl pullets are holding their tails in a pleasing, 20 degree lift. I do not yet know whether this tail position will change as the pullets mature.




These are XW pullets. Older, now approaching 20 weeks. Their size is huge. Large birds. Very long in the back and very wide through the tails. The rear tent is incredible in width. However, none of them hold their tails above parallel, unless provoked.

The feathers are very wide, incredibly wide.

Feel free to use these pictures, if they help you in describing your own birds.

Wonderful, thanks so much. All of them, including the Blosl pullet look just like the front bird in the 2nd picture. Even the cockerel doesn't hold his up much yet. I won't be breeding one of the XW pullets. She's smaller and just not up to snuff. Eggs only for her.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Would you like to take a guess on these two pullets?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here's one more. This is my favorite pullet of 2014. It is a still clip from video, as I find this the best way to capture a bird. That's a little tip I got from Walt Leonard aka @fowlman01

What do you think of her? I need to update this 14 week photo. She's not changed, really, just gotten better and better.