The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Silver Rock]

My Horstman line cockerels tail has been filling in very sporadic here lately, so this morning I decided to pull his main tail feathers out in hopes that over the next couple months it will come in more even and look much nicer. Here are a few pictures of what he looks like now.

 

[weavers rocks]

.

 

[cbnovick]

Sad thing is she has had lights on her (along with the others)since the weekend following Thanksgiving....NO EXCUSE!! I think she has definitely proven herself to be in the classification of "poor layer"

Or maybe she has "PTSD" from rooster introduction???

 

[Silver Rock]

I have two lines; my original, and a Canadian line. I feel quite blessed to have the two lines.

Hi Wynette Now that you have Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks of the Canadian line that are over 6 months old can you please share some of the differences you have noticed so far between them and your previous SPPR line as in Type & Color. Knowing that the Canadian line you have are still young, I know there is much to learn about them as time goes on. I am just curious to know the differences you have noticed so far. Some of the differences I have noticed between my Horstman line & Padgett line Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks is other than my keeper Horstman line cockerel the Padgett line looks to surpass the Horstman line in size. The Padgett line pullets are much lighter in base color also not showing the brownish base color that my Horstman line pullets show. My goal this year is to have 2 breeding pens. One will have my keeper Horstman cockerel over three Padgett line pullets. The other will have my keeper Padgett line cockerel over four Padgett line pullets. Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

 

[Wynette]

Hi, Clayton; it's a really good question. I have to be completely honest and say that I have not evaluated them as far as comparison just yet. It's not that I haven't wanted to, but here in Michigan, we've had some very extreme winter weather for almost a full month now. We personally had a power failure of almost a full week; our basement then flooded due to the sump pumps not operating (and our generator being on the fritz - OF COURSE!), and then when the power did come back on, it blew up our refrigerator...so, it's been one thing after another, and we're most definitely still in "catch up" mode dealing with all the issues. I've been making sure everyone is fed and has water, and that's about the extent to the time I've spent with the critters.

I am definitely planning on looking at them much more closley just as soon as the weather breaks a bit. In fact, I'm going to have to go through the cockerels, because they're beginning to not get along and they are penned together. In fact, I may be separating them this weekend, and that's when I typically do go over them, get pictures, and make notes for my files. So,

that this weekend I'll be able to get that done.

 

[aoxa]

Hi, Clayton; it's a really good question. I have to be completely honest and say that I have not evaluated them as far as comparison just yet. It's not that I haven't wanted to, but here in Michigan, we've had some very extreme winter weather for almost a full month now. We personally had a power failure of almost a full week; our basement then flooded due to the sump pumps not operating (and our generator being on the fritz - OF COURSE!), and then when the power did come back on, it blew up our refrigerator...so, it's been one thing after another, and we're most definitely still in "catch up" mode dealing with all the issues. I've been making sure everyone is fed and has water, and that's about the extent to the time I've spent with the critters.

I am definitely planning on looking at them much more closley just as soon as the weather breaks a bit. In fact, I'm going to have to go through the cockerels, because they're beginning to not get along and they are penned together. In fact, I may be separating them this weekend, and that's when I typically do go over them, get pictures, and make notes for my files. So,

that this weekend I'll be able to get that done.

with you!

Hard to believe December here was so much worse than our January.. Man I can take the cold, but the snow AND cold = really unpleasant farm chores.

Sorry to hear about all your trouble! We had a flooded basement two weeks ago from the regular January thaw. This year we had way more snow than normal, so that was a lot of water coming from that snow melting.

 

[Silver Rock]

Hi, Clayton; it's a really good question.  I have to be completely honest and say that I have not evaluated them as far as comparison just yet.  It's not that I haven't wanted to, but here in Michigan, we've had some very extreme winter weather for almost a full month now.  We personally had a power failure of almost a full week; our basement then flooded due to the sump pumps not operating (and our generator being on the fritz - OF COURSE!), and then when the power did come back on, it blew up our refrigerator...so, it's been one thing after another, and we're most definitely still in "catch up" mode dealing with all the issues.  I've been making sure everyone is fed and has water, and that's about the extent to the time I've spent with the critters.

I am definitely planning on looking at them much more closley just as soon as the weather breaks a bit.  In fact, I'm going to have to go through the cockerels, because they're beginning to not get along and they are penned together.  In fact, I may be separating them this weekend, and that's when I typically do go over them, get pictures, and make notes for my files.  So,  that this weekend I'll be able to get that done.

I am very sorry to hear of the troubles you are going through Wynette. I do hope that things start to get better for you very soon. The older I get the more I look forward to seeing Spring come each year and this has been a long Winter for me also. I can't imagine going through a Winter up North and again I pray that the weather improves for you very soon.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks very much, Clayton. I try not to complain too awfully much...there are always those who have it much worse that we do. But, suffice to say - heck YEAH, I'm all for an early spring!

Aoxa, it's been such a weird, weird winter. I love my four seasons, but holy heck, enough is enough, already!

 

[FlockMaster-614]

Dear Rock Breeders and prospective Rock owners,

This week, east of the Rockies, has been just awful.  If you don't want to know, then PLEASE, do not look at next week's forecast either.

This isn't going to be a bumper crop year unless we "go late" into June and we've never had much success at that.  The summer heat makes for small juvies, we've always felt.  Plus the early summer heat and humidity makes quality hatching really difficult.  

So, if you're following this thread and have decided some of these outstanding Rocks are for you, then I'd urge you to realize that you need to make contact with the breeders here ASAP.  Please be patient. Things just are not going to happen as fast for most of us this year as compared to previous years.  Nature knows and the birds are responding.  Nothing inside of them says this is a great time to mate, be fertile, lay eggs and raise young.  
Mostly, we've just got a bunch of Angry Birds on our hands.  

Things will turn around when and if this entrenched weather pattern changes, but it's going to be awhile.  We may have to adjust our goals a bit.  It'll be OK and somebody needs to print a bunch of sweatshirts that say; "I survived the Winter of 2014"

Hi, I have been following this thread for a few days and I must say that I was dying of jealousy looking at all the awesome pictures of all of your birds. I am a sort of newbie to chickens or breeding them is more the point. I have had chickens for two years now and I started with Barred Rocks. However, though mine do look good they aren't pure. I got them at a feed store.

I do want to get some pure Barred Rocks. I am currently working on building some new coops for some other birds I'm getting as soon as the weather cooperates. I am in love with the breed and Barred Rocks are beautiful birds.

Thanks for listening to a newbie and I hope I can learn much more. I'm interested in raising and breeding pure BRs and I'm finding a lot of interesting information on this. Thank you.

 

[aoxa]

Thanks very much, Clayton. I try not to complain too awfully much...there are always those who have it much worse that we do. But, suffice to say - heck YEAH, I'm all for an early spring!

Aoxa, it's been such a weird, weird winter. I love my four seasons, but holy heck, enough is enough, already!

50 more days until spring!