The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[DMRippy]

F1 Barred Rocks, 7 1/2 months old, left three eggs. Rhode Island Red pullets, 11 months old, right three eggs.

Just curious do any of you breed for egg color at all? I have some that lay a nice darker brown eggs and some that lay a lighter brown eggs. I don't breed for that.... should I be? I do for my Marans and the Ameraucans but never thought about it for brown egg layers.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Egg color is part of the breed's feature, if you will, with those breeds. It is very important to the breed and even described in the SOP if I remember correctly.

Not so for a Rock. A medium-light brown egg, sometimes with a slightest pink cast, is standard Rock fare. Sorry. No bearing on breeding at all, as long as it is a quality egg. If a hen didn't lay a quality egg, she eliminates herself from the breeding pool because I don't set inferior eggs. Hope that helps.

 

[Rockman44]

I raise bantam Columbian Plymouth rocks and so far chicks have been doing good and getting some nice rocks though still working on them intensely. My Rocks have pretty nice leg color so far I just want to hear some ideas on what you guys do to keep the yellow in the legs I still haven't quite figured it out as I don't want to feed to much yellow corn cause of the worry of staining

 

[DMRippy]

Egg color is part of the breed's feature, if you will, with those breeds. It is very important to the breed and even described in the SOP if I remember correctly.

Not so for a Rock. A medium-light brown egg, sometimes with a slightest pink cast, is standard Rock fare. Sorry. No bearing on breeding at all, as long as it is a quality egg. If a hen didn't lay a quality egg, she eliminates herself from the breeding pool because I don't set inferior eggs. Hope that helps.

I think broodies and inferior eggs manage to cull them selves. LOL

 

[tigercreek]

=just to mark

 

[normanack]

For those of you who are beginning your breeding program in the New Year, would you mind laying out your schedule for the newbies? (Or pointing to where in the thread you’ve already done so) As in,

1. if/when do you separate out breeding pairs/trios/flocks
2. if/when do you start feeding different/conditioning feed
3. ditto light schedule — do you use lights with your breeders/why
4. when do you start collecting eggs
5. how many days do you collect before setting the eggs
6. do you do a succession of hatches
7. how many eggs per hatch

And as the months go on, when you cull and what for, where and how you keep and feed the chicks, when do the breeders go back with the flock (if they do), etc.

Finally (just kidding, there’s never a “finally”) do you use recordkeeping forms, and do you mind sharing them?

Please also let us know if you’re in a northern/middle/southern climate, and any other relevant factors I’m sure to have forgotten.

MANY many thanks for sharing what you’ve probably already shared a million times.


One of my two babies last spring

 

[Fred's Hens]

Of necessity, given the largess of the questions, I will give brief replies.


1. if/when do you separate out breeding pairs/trios/flocks

We will separate out the breeders three weeks before collecting. I will begin by putting males, each with two females. We'll swap out birds in different combinations keeping close records. Will leave single matings until a bit later. We give both males and females some rest breaks along the way.

2. if/when do you start feeding different/conditioning feed

Am already feeding a super quality diet, so I don't expect much change, except for perhaps a scoop of 24% GameBird perhaps, as a dessert.

3. ditto light schedule — do you use lights with your breeders/why

Yes, we light the breeders. It's all about collecting as many eggs in as short a period of time as possible. Gotta rock 'n roll. Can't drag this out. The light is needed for the cock for fertility as well.

4. when do you start collecting eggs
We will start collecting eggs a week after joining.

5. how many days do you collect before setting the eggs
I never set eggs more than 7 days old. There's no need to take those risks.

6. do you do a succession of hatches
Yes, we keep the assembly line moving from Feb 1 through May 10th and then pretty much break everything up. The birds need a break and heat/humidity of early summer is not the hatcher's friend.


7. how many eggs per hatch
24 egg incubators, two running. Our target varies from year to year. Our hope this year is 150 chicks, on the ground.

And as the months go on, when you cull and what for, where and how you keep and feed the chicks, when do the breeders go back with the flock (if they do), etc.
Culling is done for lack of vigor or malformities as soon as they are observed. We don't have one, massive flock, but breeding is done for us by May 10 and life turns toward other things.


Please also let us know if you’re in a northern/middle/southern climate, and any other relevant factors I’m sure to have forgotten.
We can begin earlier in the So Kentucky farms, but must also quit earlier down there. The breeding season, either way, is 3 1/2 months. We start one hatch, 3 weeks, later up here but go one hatch, 3 weeks longer.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

For those of you who are beginning your breeding program in the New Year, would you mind laying out your schedule for the newbies? (Or pointing to where in the thread you’ve already done so) As in,

1. if/when do you separate out breeding pairs/trios/flocks
2. if/when do you start feeding different/conditioning feed
3. ditto light schedule — do you use lights with your breeders/why
4. when do you start collecting eggs
5. how many days do you collect before setting the eggs
6. do you do a succession of hatches
7. how many eggs per hatch

And as the months go on, when you cull and what for, where and how you keep and feed the chicks, when do the breeders go back with the flock (if they do), etc.

Finally (just kidding, there’s never a “finally”) do you use recordkeeping forms, and do you mind sharing them?

Please also let us know if you’re in a northern/middle/southern climate, and any other relevant factors I’m sure to have forgotten.

MANY many thanks for sharing what you’ve probably already shared a million times.


One of my two babies last spring

Ok.....here's my "program" although yours will vary based upon your breeding goals for the year. (following your list of questions)

All this is based upon living in the South (NW Ga) with intentions of completing ALL hatching in Jan (and maybe into Feb)

1. Breeder Birds have been separated since November....only to the point that pullets/hens are only in close proximity to cocks/cockerels of the same breed (no free ranging of multiple breeds)
2. Diet - I do not change....my grown birds receive the same diet yr round and I have no issues with fertility
3. Lights get turned on the 2nd week of November and are gradually adjusted over a period of 4-6 weeks to achieve 13 1/2 hours of light between artificial and natural light. Addition of light is in the AM only!! Right now lights come on at 330am, off at 830am. Sundown is around 530pm so birds are getting 13 1/2 - 14 hours of light. Light is needed to get regular eggs for hatching. Otherwise, egg laying is very sporadic in my flock
4 - 7 These steps is dependent upon your breeding plans/pens and are all interrelated. In my case, I will set up single mating breeding pens this next week. 3 pens, each with 1 pullet/hen. I will rotate a K or a C (depending on the plan) through these pens (day 1 - in pen 1, day 2 in pen 2....etc) to insure each female is mated by the male I am wanting to use. I begin collecting eggs 10 days after this begins. I collect eggs all week long, marking them to the pen # that they came out of (records keep as to what each pen # represents in terms of mated pairs). I set eggs every Saturday evening. That insures I "should" be home on the day of hatch (a Sat night or a Sun morning). I will keep this rotation going until I have set enough eggs from each breeding. This year for example my plan is as follows

Last years Sire over 2 older hens and 2 of his daughters (4 pen matings)....I will collect for approximately 3 weeks from each pen, hoping to get 18 eggs from each breeding....roughly 6 dozen chicks (72)

2013 hatched K over the 2 older hens (mother and aunt) (2 pen matings)....will collect for approximately 3 weeks from each pen, hoping to get 18 eggs from each mating....roughly 3 dozen chicks (36)

"Test" mating of 2013 hatched K over a 1/2 sister....18 eggs

Toe punching to pen # and record keeping is necessary. I keep 2 things...pen/paper records in a spiral notebook and also an Excel spreadhseet. My desktop crashed a few months back, so I am having to "re-create" the spreadsheet from memory and paper records. Nothing I can post of any value there (sorry)

Hope this helps

 

[catdaddyfro]

I raise bantam Columbian Plymouth rocks and so far chicks have been doing good and getting some nice rocks though still working on them intensely. My Rocks have pretty nice leg color so far I just want to hear some ideas on what you guys do to keep the yellow in the legs I still haven't quite figured it out as I don't want to feed to much yellow corn cause of the worry of staining

Green stuffs and feed with tagetes(carotenoids/Xanthophyll) in them are good for yellow pigments. Me, I feed probly around 50% corn diet don't have any more issues with yellowing than anyone else that feed little to no corn. Its not corn oil that does the yellowing(brassines) its more often due to autosomal red gene all chickens oil their feathers down with the same oils, some yellowing can be attributed to sun exposure and weathering of older plumage too.

Jeff

 

[Egghead_Jr]

1. if/when do you separate out breeding pairs/trios/flocks
2. if/when do you start feeding different/conditioning feed
3. ditto light schedule — do you use lights with your breeders/why
4. when do you start collecting eggs
5. how many days do you collect before setting the eggs
6. do you do a succession of hatches
7. how many eggs per hatch

And as the months go on, when you cull and what for, where and how you keep and feed the chicks, when do the breeders go back with the flock (if they do), etc.

Finally (just kidding, there’s never a “finally”) do you use recordkeeping forms, and do you mind sharing them?

Please also let us know if you’re in a northern/middle/southern climate, and any other relevant factors I’m sure to have forgotten.

I'm not a serious breeder but am serious about breeding. My breeding efforts and needs will come with the quality of birds acquired.

1. Separate birds 3 weeks prior to collecting eggs. Viable Cock sperm from unwanted pairings will last that long in hens.
2. I feel my feed is an all condition, all climate, all the time source of nutrition.
3. I really have nothing to breed this spring, maybe I should be using lights to at least get eggs from these girls. In general with breeding stock people will want them to lay well for the long haul so typically wouldn't induce added winter laying.
4.&5. I collect eggs for two weeks, rotating eggs twice a day, from my better birds to ensure there's a good amount to incubate all at once. Don't like staggered hatches. Eggs will stay hatchable for 2 weeks without significant decreased hatch rate. People hatch eggs that are a month old or even store bought refrigerated fertile eggs. Hatch rate decreases though.
6.&7. I try to get all my incubating done in one hatch as I do have a broody who will set her own. If my own numbers couldn't be gotten in spring hatch I do another immediately. The number is as many as you can handle.

I cull for weakness right away, then obvious defects at the times I'm getting meat. Going to try grilling 10 week olds this year, the 14 week old last year were tough. I cull again at 18 to 20 weeks. There isn't much meat gain waiting after that and say you hatch out 30 or so birds you should be able to have 2 best cockerels and 6 pullets to keep for growing out until setting up another breeding pen next year for final selection.

I've no need to keep records as of now. This coming year I'll have to use leg bands and keep record of those and build another coop so I've my experiment pen and breed line separate.