The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

[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......

:

WOW.....looks like a classified, top secret experiment to me

 

[Fred's Hens]

Wine refrigerators? Really! Did you get this tip from Cheryl or Martha?

 

[Wynette]

Wine refrigerators? Really! Did you get this tip from Cheryl or Martha?

Neither - ha!

I was cruisin' CL a few years back and saw a wine fridge. Now, I'm not much of a wine drinker, but out of curiosity, I clicked on it to see the pic...noticed the digital readout indicated 58, and I thought HOLY HECK, that's the exact temp I strive for in my [cooler] that I currently used for egg storage!

 

[juliechick]

Scott was going to show us his 3 finalists. We're still looking forward to seeing those. Hard to believe, perhaps, that Scott would only take three pullets forward?

Actually, with each passing year I am more convinced that less is more. I'd rather breed the two or three best birds and take that 40 chick hatch out rather than put 7 or 8 so so birds in the pens hoping that shear numbers will get the job done. We're going to go very "small" and narrow this coming year.

It's interesting to me to hear you say that less is more. I am forced to breed this way because I just don't have room for 100 or more chickens. I'm pushing it with the 30 I have now. I'll be narrowing them down to a couple breeding pens by Spring. Anyway, I've always heard breeders say you have to hatch lots and lots of chicks just to get a few good ones. Maybe that's not always the case.

 

[cbnovick]

It's interesting to me to hear you say that less is more. I am forced to breed this way because I just don't have room for 100 or more chickens. I'm pushing it with the 30 I have now. I'll be narrowing them down to a couple breeding pens by Spring. Anyway, I've always heard breeders say you have to hatch lots and lots of chicks just to get a few good ones. Maybe that's not always the case.

From what I've read and observed from veteran breeders and through other threads here, it's really relative to the quality of breeding stock...ie how homogenous/consistent your genotype is for desired traits (SOP) expressed as phenotype as observed in your flock their offspring...If one is dealing with a rather run down, rare breed or even a newer variety (color) of an established breed which would then necessitate hatching a lot and culling a lot for several+ generations.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

From what I've read and observed from veteran breeders and through other threads here, it's really relative to the quality of breeding stock...ie how homogenous/consistent your genotype is for desired traits (SOP) expressed as phenotype as observed in your flock their offspring...If one is dealing with a rather run down, rare breed or even a newer variety (color) of an established breed which would then necessitate hatching a lot and culling a lot for several+ generations

100% dead on.....

My first 3 years with Columbian Rocks I hatched a LOT of chicks (100-125 most years). Next season I hope to raise about 6 dozen (3 pullets, 1 dozen eggs each, bred back to their sire) (2 hens, 1 dozen each, bred to a son/nephew) (1 "project girl", 1 dozen eggs, bred back to her son)....I'm hoping that will cover me

 

[cbnovick]

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

 

[Fred's Hens]

It's interesting to me to hear you say that less is more. I am forced to breed this way because I just don't have room for 100 or more chickens. I'm pushing it with the 30 I have now. I'll be narrowing them down to a couple breeding pens by Spring. Anyway, I've always heard breeders say you have to hatch lots and lots of chicks just to get a few good ones. Maybe that's not always the case.

This is just my own thinking and you can take it for what value it brings to you.

Here's the reality. In order for 100-150 chicks to have meaning, you'd have to brood them, pen them, feed them and care for them. That does indeed take considerable resources of time, space and money. I sure cannot do it. It simply isn't realistic for many folks in this hobby. Further, I would like to think I've developed a fair eye over my life time, but even so, culling can only done at certain points along the way. If you culled 50% of your chicks at 8 weeks, you'd still have 50-75 chicks to pen, feed and care for. I don't see my eye being good enough to cull fast enough to keep the number of juvenile chicks down to a manageable size. You'd sure have a whole lot of selling to do as well.

If I were to hatch that many, I'd have to make very deep cuts very early on in the process. So, in the end, I'd rather just live within the realties of my own ability and resources. If it puts me at a disadvantage to someone else? So be it. I can live it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

From what I've read and observed from veteran breeders and through other threads here, it's really relative to the quality of breeding stock...ie how homogenous/consistent your genotype is for desired traits (SOP) expressed as phenotype as observed in your flock their offspring...If one is dealing with a rather run down, rare breed or even a newer variety (color) of an established breed which would then necessitate hatching a lot and culling a lot for several+ generations.

That's exactly right. If you cannot do the hatch out 120 chick method (Scott HAD to do this when he first got going. He can tell that story) then I strongly suggest following the advice of some wise, experienced mentoring type folks who advise that you must get the very best stock, initially, that you possibly can. Get some birds that yes, will take some work, because all birds always need work, or you fall backward, but don't take on those huge Mt Everest challenges that require 120 chicks to pick through. You risk burn out and quitting early.

Start slow. Start with super high quality, Go slow. See if this whole thing suits you or not.

 

[aoxa]

Finally have some updated photos of both varieties of Rocks.

The Pencilled:




Smaller girl

Following are Fred's favourite:







The leg colour is MUCH MUCH improved. Very yellow now. Sigh of relief!!

I actually have two more girls very similar to this one that are not being free ranged. One had hurt her leg from a hawk (better now) and one was in there to teach newborns how to eat, and I just never moved her.


Boys.



Now for the Barred, who are much smaller and only a week younger:





It was raining and they were trying to keep dry. I love the barring in them, but wish they'd be more feathered out and larger at 10 weeks. The best boy I have at this age is not being free ranged.

As you can see leg colour has done a complete 180!!


Before.