The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Silver Rock]

Big, wide head.  The head is a tell tale sign of intelligence and vigor.  The Rock, of any variety, looks like a Rock when you get the head right.   They're composite birds and some of the "other" stuff shows up as small headed birds and Rock breeders need to guard against crow heads, flat top heads, flat back of heads, and one of the worst; skinny heads.

Clayton's number one cockerel has a very pleasing head.  Striking really.  The other cockerel he has shown lacks that nice head completely.  That Clayton has a choice for his breeding program?  Awesome.  
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Hi Fred, the Padgett line cockerel you are referring to as having a small head is only 4 1/2 months old. Honesty judging pictures can be very hard as in real life his head looks very similar to the Horstman cockerels head at 4 1/2 months old. Who would have thought by looking at pictures of my Horstman line cockerel at 4 1/2 months old he would have filled out to the cockerel he is today. I do believe in the next few months the Padgett line cockerel will look much nicer as he fills out. But I will keep a check on it and keep posting pictures so everyone can judge him for themselves also.



Clayton Grace "Silver Rock"

 

[Silver Rock]

The picture I posted a few post back comparing the two cockerels was a little off as the Horstman cockerel was a little older. Here is a better picture for comparing the two as they are much closer to the same age below.

Below is the Horstman cockerel.

Below is the Padgett cockerel.

 

[normanack]

I can't say I agree here.  I've got a few breeds with extremely large single combs (and wattles), and they get frostbitten every winter.  One was in a breeder cage (indoors) this winter, so was never even outside, so...no moisture on his comb.  He did get a good amount of frostbite on his comb.

Not agreeing or disagreeing, just commenting on Wynette's post as we are in the same area. I have two birds with large single combs, both in the same coop. One has no frostbite (maybe one tiny dot on a tip). The other got nearly dubbed -- it looks like he'll lose not only the points but also part of the blade and into the meaty part of the comb.
The non-frostbitten bird is a Barred Rock.
The other one isn't.
I don't know if where they roost in the coop made the difference, or the breed. Maybe both.

 

[Wynette]

Not agreeing or disagreeing, just commenting on Wynette's post as we are in the same area. I have two birds with large single combs, both in the same coop. One has no frostbite (maybe one tiny dot on a tip). The other got nearly dubbed -- it looks like he'll lose not only the points but also part of the blade and into the meaty part of the comb.
The non-frostbitten bird is a Barred Rock.
The other one isn't.
I don't know if where they roost in the coop made the difference, or the breed. Maybe both.

very interesting! Thanks for posting.

 

[aoxa]

Not agreeing or disagreeing, just commenting on Wynette's post as we are in the same area. I have two birds with large single combs, both in the same coop. One has no frostbite (maybe one tiny dot on a tip). The other got nearly dubbed -- it looks like he'll lose not only the points but also part of the blade and into the meaty part of the comb.
The non-frostbitten bird is a Barred Rock.
The other one isn't.
I don't know if where they roost in the coop made the difference, or the breed. Maybe both.

Could make a difference how they sleep as well. Some sleep with their head tucked under their wing, some don't. I'm not sure which way would be more apt to get frost bite, but under the wing may cause more moisture around the comb and lead to frost bite. Maybe.. Just thinking out loud here.. Especially where they are raised in the same coop, and have the same type of combs.

I hate the look of a dubbed comb on the barred rocks. My NN that got it looks so nice in neat compared to before. He had a large floppy modified pea comb. Kind of nice seeing it all neat lol.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Big, wide head. The head is a tell tale sign of intelligence and vigor. The Rock, of any variety, looks like a Rock when you get the head right. They're composite birds and some of the "other" stuff shows up as small headed birds and Rock breeders need to guard against crow heads, flat top heads, flat back of heads, and one of the worst; skinny heads.

Fred

You and I have discussed this before, but you are DEAD ON about what we laughingly refer to as "Freak Big Heads"....in my Rocks, they either have them or they don't. My copy of the SOP is the 1998 version and in the figures on page 21, figures 39 and 40 and on page 22, figure 41....those pictures tell it all. Head and body characteristics....and to borrow a line "form follows function" is oh so very true even in poultry.

A bird with a narrow skull or one that tends toward crow-headedness, also tends to carry characteristics including short backs, narrow hips, knock-knees (or at least narrow legged)and in females, tend to be poorer layers.

My first hatch is due Saturday!! Can't wait to see what results I get this yr

 

[aoxa]

Fred

You and I have discussed this before, but you are DEAD ON about what we laughingly refer to as "Freak Big Heads"....in my Rocks, they either have them or they don't. My copy of the SOP is the 1998 version and in the figures on page 21, figures 39 and 40 and on page 22, figure 41....those pictures tell it all. Head and body characteristics....and to borrow a line "form follows function" is oh so very true even in poultry.

A bird with a narrow skull or one that tends toward crow-headedness, also tends to carry characteristics including short backs, narrow hips, knock-knees (or at least narrow legged)and in females, tend to be poorer layers.

My first hatch is due Saturday!! Can't wait to see what results I get this yr

I think this girl has a nice head. Gotta work on that cushion and raise that tail up. But I am working with what I've got. Janet did say that the tails raise up in her line after they start laying. She did mention the cushion is a problem, but I will raise some out and pick the best cushionless (or the least obvious cushioned) girls to move forward.

This picture is at least a month old..

Not a single one of my Barred girls have cushions.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I think this girl has a nice head. Gotta work on that cushion and raise that tail up. But I am working with what I've got. Janet did say that the tails raise up in her line after they start laying. She did mention the cushion is a problem, but I will raise some out and pick the best cushionless (or the least obvious cushioned) girls to move forward.

This picture is at least a month old..

Yes, she does have a nice head. When I look at heads I immediately tend to look at:

- the distance from the center of the eye to the top of the head,
- the distance from the center of the eye to the bottom of the head,
- skull curvature
- width of skull
- beak to back of head
- depending on age, I may look at waddle development

Cushions are simply a result of the cochin/brahma influence in the color pattern. I fight it too. I think if you'll focus on "freak big heads" and LONG backs, you'll begin to see the cushions disappear. It could be the way this pullet is standing, but she appears to have a tad bit of a rainy day back (slopes toward the tail)....should be flat from shoulders to hips. BTW - and I'm no expert on the pattern, but she appears to have nice penciling to me

 

[aoxa]

Yes, she does have a nice head. When I look at heads I immediately tend to look at:

- the distance from the center of the eye to the top of the head,
- the distance from the center of the eye to the bottom of the head,
- skull curvature
- width of skull
- beak to back of head
- depending on age, I may look at waddle development

Cushions are simply a result of the cochin/brahma influence in the color pattern. I fight it too. I think if you'll focus on "freak big heads" and LONG backs, you'll begin to see the cushions disappear. It could be the way this pullet is standing, but she appears to have a tad bit of a rainy day back (slopes toward the tail)....should be flat from shoulders to hips. BTW - and I'm no expert on the pattern, but she appears to have nice penciling to me

She does have rainy day butt in the pictures. Not always, but yes sometimes she does. It's improving, but since they are in pens I can't really take photos of them with my telefocal lens.. but it is

Her pattern is nice. I know it looks sharp and eye-appealing, but It's more confusing for me to really judge the pattern VS barring for example.. I've attached a photo of her a few weeks before that picture showing her chest.

 

[aoxa]

What the heck went wrong with this one. Anyone care to help me? lol

He is going to the pot, but really.. I have no idea what could have caused this.



I laugh every time I look at this photo. He is a walking basketball.