The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Wynette]

Holy Smokes....94 in upstate NY??? That's brutal. I think your summer up there has been worse that what we had down here. Until Sept, we had only 12 total days at 90 degs or more. Last yr we were counting the # of days over 100!!! Guess that's global warming for ya

I scoff at your 94 and raise you 97 degrees - still - by 5 p.m. last night in my neck of the woods. Fans don't help; they just blow hot air around. Today it's supposed to be just 91 here - how 'bout up your way, Fred?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

My forecast for the next 5 days

TodaySep 11​

88°F​

66°F​

Mostly Sunny​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

WIND:
E at 3 mph

Details​

ThuSep 12​

88°​

68°​

Mostly Sunny​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

WIND:
NW at 6 mph

Details​

FriSep 13​

85°​

58°​

Partly Cloudy​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
20%

WIND:
NW at 8 mph

Details​

SatSep 14​

81°​

59°​

Sunny​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
0%

WIND:
ENE at 7 mph

Details​

SunSep 15​

82°​

61°​

Partly Cloudy​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

WIND:
ESE at 5 mph

Details​

• 10 Day Forecast

ADVERTISEMENT​

​

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hi everyone!

This thread popped up when I signed in. I'm not a breeder, but barred rocks are my FAVORITE!!!
I love all the eccentric breeds and colors and different colored eggs, but my all time #1 choice is the BR!
They have so much personality!
Love seeing the pics on here

 

[Fred's Hens]

The cold front is just about hovering above us. All I know is that tomorrow and Friday will be refreshing!! All those folks who say they love 97 degree (or worse) weather for 9 months of the year are welcome to all of it.
Just wish they keep it down by them instead of sharing it with us up here.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hi everyone!

This thread popped up when I signed in. I'm not a breeder, but barred rocks are my FAVORITE!!!
I love all the eccentric breeds and colors and different colored eggs, but my all time #1 choice is the BR!
They have so much personality!
Love seeing the pics on here

You're very welcome to enjoy this thread. It is dedicated to Rock enjoyment. Warning. These are passionate, bred to Standard type folks. But... we don't bite. Not much anyhow.

 

[catdaddyfro]

The cold front is just about hovering above us. All I know is that tomorrow and Friday will be refreshing!! All those folks who say they love 97 degree (or worse) weather for 9 months of the year are welcome to all of it.
Just wish they keep it down by them instead of sharing it with us up here.

Hey I just wish we both could just share then it would be just good then Fred your 50's and my 90
's should average out to about a good even temp huh? 50's+90's= 140's/2=70's perfect LOL

Jeff

 

[cbnovick]

​

K...sp we're talkin' weather....desert dwellers caught a break the past few days....cherished rain and mid 80's for the high...BUT here comes the heat again....can't wait for November here. Sure wished I was back in Northern Cali...

​

​

Scottsdale​

Updated: Sep 11, 2013, 6:08am MST​

​

ThuSep 12​

96°​

76°​

Sunny​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
0%

WIND:
N at 5 mph

Details​

FriSep 13​

97°​

79°​

Sunny​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
0%

WIND:
E at 6 mph

Details​

SatSep 14​

100°​

80°​

Partly Cloudy​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
0%

WIND:
E at 7 mph

Details​

SunSep 15​

103°​

81°​

Sunny​

CHANCE OF RAIN:
0%

WIND:
E at 3 mph

Details​

​

 

[cbnovick]

Hey I just wish we both could just share then it would be just good then Fred your 50's and my 90
's should average out to about a good even temp huh? 50's+90's= 140's/2=70's perfect LOL

Jeff

love those averages....

 

[Fred's Hens]

Farmers. Always talking about the weather. Can't do a dang thing about it, but they love talking about it.

Anyway, back on point here.

It's show and tell time. Let's see your handiwork from last spring's hatches, recent hatches, etc. Let's get some young birds up here and chat them up. The good, the bad, the "still workin' on 'em" photos.

On a tractor forum I sometimes visit there is a saying whenever guys get on there and say they've bought this implement or modified this part or have finished with this or that project. Talk, talk, talk. Without photos, it never happened. I like that.

 

[uphilljill]

So, let's just say Jill ends the year with her chosen pullet and her alpha cockerel and beta cockerel. How many chicks can she realistically even expect to hatch? Isn't this a dismal prospect altogether? No. And here's why it isn't dismal. Ok, while we're hip deep in Barred Rocks, we do breed another line of Reds and we are almost no better off with breeders, good, select breeders than Jill is with the Rocks. But we've got a plan.

Single pair mating. One pullet, one cockerel. That pullet is expected to lay 20-22 eggs in the month of February. (lighting assumed). Obviously, with just one incubator, Jill won't be able to save eggs for a month. But she can save them for 11 days if she keeps them at 48-55 degrees, like in an attached garage or root cellar. Se can put potentially 9 or 10 eggs into an incubator. Stagger another 11 days and start a second incubator with 9 or 10 more fertile eggs. By running two incubators, and assuming a conservative 60% hatch rate, Jill can hatch a dozen chicks in February and a dozen chicks in March and a dozen chicks in April for a total of 36 chicks on the ground before calling it quits for the season. She could use her alpha in February, her beta in March and go back to her alpha for April. 36 chicks. Very realistic.

We'll be doing virtually this same program. I think putting 30-36 chicks on the ground is a solid and realistic goal.

This sound like a practical breeding plan, and I do have the 2 incubators so I'll give it a try and keep you posted.

I don't use lights, so may not get started til March.

Is there any benefit to trading alpha & beta roosters 3 times (monthly) vs only twice with a longer period each? I'm thinking she may like a little break in between roosters and that a break may also help make it clear who the baby daddy is?

Also, she'd have to cooperate and not go broody at some point. Have you noticed that tendency in this strain?

BTW: We're supposed to hit 90 degrees today in Upstate NY. First time since early July. It's been an unseasonably cool summer, usually in the 50s at night. My tomatoes haven't enjoyed it, but I sure have.