The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Randy2010]

Does anyone on here raise Black Plymouth Rocks? And if so, I would like to buy some eggs or chicks if anyone has any for sale.

 

[Wynette]

[sidebar: you know what works most awesomly for egg storage? WINE REFRIGERATORS. A regular fridge is too cold. Also, remember to keep the humidity high - at 70-75, and, if you keep the eggs longer than 7 days, you do need to tip them at least twice daily]

Per your request, Fred, here are a couple of lovely 12 week old Plymouth Rock pullets......

:

 

[Fred's Hens]

Jill, By June here, and I suspect in upstate NY, the heat and humidity builds in June and we're done by end of May. You could do a mating period in February, March, April and May. Keep a cockerel in with her for a few days, then start collection. When you've collected what you can collect in 9 days, put those eggs in the incubator. Collect what you can for another 9 days, place those in incubator #2. You could pull that cockerel early in the second round, resting the pullet from attention.

Jumping ahead to the next month, rinse and repeat.

She'd have half of every month with her suitor and half the month without. She wouldn't get over worked. I'll also tell you that we don't much by way of bare backs on these birds. Their feather quality is good enough that this isn't a big problem for us. You can see in those "family photos" above that the hens look just fine and the old boy had been busy for a month of two.

This just all depends on your management, timing, scheduling and noting if she's gotten ridden too much. Frankly, we don't push the hens longer then 3-4 months anyhow. They've basically got 8 months of "recovery". You'll just have to see how it goes.

 

[cbnovick]

[sidebar: you know what works most awesomly for egg storage? WINE REFRIGERATORS. A regular fridge is too cold. Also, remember to keep the humidity high - at 70-75, and, if you keep the eggs longer than 7 days, you do need to tip them at least twice daily]

Per your request, Fred, here are a couple of lovely 12 week old Plymouth Rock pullets......

:

I see some real nice YELLOW legs and type happenin' on those pullets! Such a beautiful pattern and having to wait and watch the pattern develop fully makes it even more special...albeit perhaps a bit frustrating at once too.

 

[Fred's Hens]

[sidebar: you know what works most awesomly for egg storage? WINE REFRIGERATORS. A regular fridge is too cold. Also, remember to keep the humidity high - at 70-75, and, if you keep the eggs longer than 7 days, you do need to tip them at least twice daily]

Per your request, Fred, here are a couple of lovely 12 week old Plymouth Rock pullets......

:

How wide is my grin?

 

[cbnovick]

"Show & Tell"

Here's the Buffs at 11 weeks...excuse juvie molt going on here. T'ain't my best photos....had to kind of rush it before getting kids off to school

Wish they didn't prefer the back porch wall for their mornin' preening sessions...I've made it my 5 year old's job to chase them off. lol..ya know he HATES that job.

Here we have my 2 males (friend has another 2)...the one on left (aka Roy Rogers) has been ahead on development...trying to become alpha already as well...



Roy Rogers still on left of Ginger Baker (the male on right)...smallest and friendliest pullet in front. Both males have nice heads and decent combs at this juvie stage...no sprigs...no wonky points



Roy out front...relaxed stance of course. Love his color...even and rich...gonna have a nicely furnished tail I'd bet.



Roy's backside...love that open tail and overall width too...there's still a mix of juvenile downy feathers in with adult feathers coming in here I believe.



Mr. & Mrs. Rogers. lol

 

[catdaddyfro]

as always Cindy so glad for you to have such awesomeness to play around with.
Jeff

 

[cbnovick]

as always Cindy so glad for you to have such awesomeness to play around with.
Jeff

Me too, Jeff...all credit to Mr. Roebuck...I'm just raising them up proper...hopefully gonna make some nice offspring to cast across the states eventually...Any specific thoughts on these (males in particular) yet?? I need to get sunlit photos...wow do their new adult feathers glow...easy to distinguish from the juvenile ones on their backs...

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here's a tip for all you Rock breeders just starting out, yes, this is where we get the yellow leg paint.

http://www.3m.com/product/information/Pavement-Marking-Paint.html

 

[Wynette]

Just you wait.