The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

My third hatch of the season came off this past weekend. All the chicks in this group were sired by my male (F3) that is being used to remove the brassiness from my male CRs. 18 eggs went into the hatcher and 16 hatched....2 never even pipped for some strange reason.

Here is a group shot of the chicks (represents 3 separate pens, single matings)





There was one very strange chick hatched in the bunch...it looks very chipmunk-like and is NOT normal at all for a Columbian. After discussing with a genetics friend, it is eb/eb, S/S without any pattern gene (missing Co)....which means not only is the father split to columbian, but the mother is as well. Neat, but very, very rare as it would take a perfect combination to create this and it was only due to the accident of my "project male" that it was discovered.

 

[catdaddyfro]

My third hatch of the season came off this past weekend. All the chicks in this group were sired by my male (F3) that is being used to remove the brassiness from my male CRs. 18 eggs went into the hatcher and 16 hatched....2 never even pipped for some strange reason.

Here is a group shot of the chicks (represents 3 separate pens, single matings)





There was one very strange chick hatched in the bunch...it looks very chipmunk-like and is NOT normal at all for a Columbian. After discussing with a genetics friend, it is eb/eb, S/S without any pattern gene (missing Co)....which means not only is the father split to columbian, but the mother is as well. Neat, but very, very rare as it would take a perfect combination to create this and it was only due to the accident of my "project male" that it was discovered.

I like that watch that and see if it doesn't turn out silver duckwing Scott hope it makes it and you keep it till it plumes out for interest sake LOL

Jeff

Jeff

 

[Fred's Hens]

Last week, before leaving KY, we hatched out the first 4 chicks of the F2 program. (Technically, they are B1A chicks)

There they are.



Oh, a few Reds too.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Last week, before leaving KY, we hatched out the first 4 chicks of the F2 program. (Technically, they are B1A chicks)

There they are.



Oh, a few Reds too.

very tiny headspots on those Fred....normal to this line??

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Someone asked a while back about identifying traits in the brooder, this chick would have a "freak big head", one of the traits I look for in my birds

 

[Fred's Hens]

very tiny headspots on those Fred....normal to this line??

At hatch. The spots on the males are there, you just have to get used to "seeing" it amidst the black fuzz. The white will show within two weeks. These high quality Rocks are BLACK when they hatch,

I can see them now, even in that photo.

 

[uphilljill]

That one in the back has really dark legs. Pullet?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Jill, very likely.

As you know, when the yellow comes in at 4 weeks, by golly. Do they EVER develop yellow legs. A thing of beauty.

 

[Fred's Hens]

They're actually pretty easy to sex, virtually as the fuzz dries.

 

[Bennett farm]

How do you sex them at that early of an age?