The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[chicken pickin]

Couple pictures of a February hatched pullet that I am looking forward to seeing grow out.

She looks like she is growing well being just a Feb hatched chick. The markings on her are just stunning, I hope she turns out well for you as she matures.

 

[SilverRockFarm]

She looks like she is growing well being just a Feb hatched chick. The markings on her are just stunning, I hope she turns out well for you as she matures.

Thank you!

 

[Beekissed]

She is very beautiful! I like her big head and long body already.

My pullets are all laying daily and the eggs are increasing in size, so I'm pretty pleased with their early maturity and good start on laying. Can't wait to get those eggs to a size that will sustain a nice, large and healthy chick. Breeding might be a little later than I had hoped but still glad to even have something to breed this year. This gives me a little time to add some runs on my breeding pens and build an extra breeding hut and run for a spare project.

Received my leg bands today!!!

They look ginormous but I'm thinking they will start to look proportionate on these big ol' WR legs when applied. Especially on the males.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't know if all of you guys have heard of the Silver Gene in White Plymouth Rocks but it is a means that they have a silver base which makes them stay bright white even when exposed to the sun or if they are eating lots of corn. Some people call them "stay whites".
Here is a picture of one of our White Rock chicks where you can see the Silver Gene expressed heavily.

Interesting, I have never heard of a silver gene in the whites before. And BTW, your male in your avatar is STUNNING!

 

[3riverschick]

Originally Posted by Matt1616

I don't know if all of you guys have heard of the Silver Gene in White Plymouth Rocks but it is a means that they have a silver base which makes them stay bright white even when exposed to the sun or if they are eating lots of corn. Some people call them "stay whites".
---------------
Yes, this is why I like the Light Sussex and Delawares so much. they are both eWh/eWh S/S Co/Co except the Delaware also has the barring gene. Both are "stay white" breeds. The history of the Light Sussex is very interesting in this respect. The three breeds used to found it included both eWh and eb alleles. In the early years of last century when they were trying to perfect the white and black coloring, there is a lot of discussion on how to breed out the "brassiness" in the birds. This evolves into talking about birds that "stay white" and how to make a strain of them. By the 1930's, discussion has pretty much ceased about brassiness. My theory is that the early breeders were using the "art" of breeding to move the Light Sussex from eb/eb and eWh/eb to a pure eWh/eWh variety which would "stay white".
Best,
Karen

 

[jonsccm]

Who knows who the best breeders are that may have bred to SOP quality hatching eggs?

 

[uphilljill]

Now this is what I like to see... Full nest boxes!

 

[Beekissed]

Amen! Just did a total of eggs laid by my 4 new pullets and few elder hens since their onset of lay on or near 3/16 and they have laid 8 and 1/2 doz. eggs in 19 days, as of tonight. I'm currently waiting until the pullet eggs have gained their full size and they are almost there...almost. I'm getting a late start on breeding this year but it's all good....this will put chicks on the ground in good foraging months and before it gets too hot, so I'm happy with it.

Feels good to have a start on a working flock again.

Missed going to that poultry show over there in OH as I was pretty sick. I hated to miss that...I was pretty excited to go to my first poultry show.

Edited to correct POL date...sheesh!

 

[Beekissed]

Anyone heard from Fred? Haven't seen him post for a bit and am hoping he is well. Maybe he's just out showin'? Or hatching like a mad man....

 

[Beekissed]

Heard from Fred and he's busy with chicks and such!

He's waaaaayyyyyyy ahead of me...most of you all are. I've been under the weather and waiting on pullet eggs to get to a good size for hatching, but they are a perfect size and shape now and I've got to tweak the breeding pens today and more so later this week.

You guys are going to laugh at me but I'm going to be doing a little toenail grooming on the male before breeding starts. I'm going to trim toenails and then file them down with the dremmel until they are dull and can't rip up my girl's feathers. He's pretty large and also a very aggressive breeder, so he does a lot of balancing and shifting while up there....meanwhile the feathers take a beating.

This group of pullets have way better feathering than last year's breeding hen, so it may not even be an issue but I'd still like to give him a pedicure all the same. I was going to remove his spurs but I just can't bring myself to do that...it's just too....ICK.

Hurts me to even think about it so I'll be trimming and grinding those as well, just to dull them a little. He's a nice male, doesn't try to fight or struggle when I work with him, so it won't go too badly. He's been penned up for 3 wks now, pacing and wanting his ladies, so he should be ready for the main event.

Breeding starts this week. Finally.