The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

Yes I am breeding them, and I am trying to find some more young hens to add.

Not sure where you live, but Kraig Shafer in Ohio has some very nice barred bantams

 

[philyaw539]

Not sure where you live, but Kraig Shafer in Ohio has some very nice barred bantams

I am located in NC.

 

[Lacy Blues]

It begins with genetics. Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, of course. But then it is indeed diet. Fats, proteins and other food stuffs, things that "put a feather on them" as the old timers used to say. May sound kind of gross, but birds that can pick through piles of horse manure, picking seeds that have been through the horse and partially digested will put a feather on a bird. I'm not even sure why, but it works.

When we talk about "selecting" for breeding, we don't mention feather nearly enough. We get be-dazzled, obsessed, or concerned with other aspects that we overlook how important feathering is. We also need to keep breeders until they are two and three years old to better judge their feathering genetics as true, mature adults.

The Standard talks about a feather as a measure of the birds ability to hold up in weather and the protection the feather provides. Some birds (like a heritage line of Barred Rocks) can be out in rain and still look good while others (like hatchery stock of egg layers) look like drowned rats.

Thank you Fred. I don't know that my birds might be considered as sow's ears but they're what I have and that's all I have to work with right now. I hope to be able to get a couple more lines here this spring and then the following spring, another. I'm not at all grossed out by chickens picking through horse manure. I have a neighbor that I can get manure from, however, I don't think he feeds any grain (not sure about that though). My bird's ration is fermented (predigested) and they've had manure from time to time but I need to fix my wheelbarrow or get the ATV over there to collect manure from him more consistently.

Feather quality is definitely something I am trying to work toward... just not sure exactly how to do it. Thanks for your advice.

Fred (and all)

Bob was always a proponent of "the fastest feathering birds" and as you know based on the WR eggs in your bator, he had some of the finest feathered WRs ever.

I have one breeding pen this year that is throwing chicks that feather significantly faster than the other 3....It will be interesting to see in a few months if the QUALITY of feather is any better in that line than the others. It's truly amazing over the course of yrs as you said, to be able to pick out certain details that you may have never looked at before. This hobby is one that provides an opportunity to continuous learning and certainly for experimentation

Would love to see a recent pix of that Aug hatched pullet too when you get time.....she's a dandy!!

Scott, when you say they feathered significantly faster, what did you see first? My birds are growing their wing feathers of course but how soon for back, head and sides? What is the time frame, approximately, for fast feathering?

Now that I'm retired, I've waited 5 years to get the kind of birds I had back then, stay white Rocks from Halbach. I didn't want just any old White Rock. Most people dodge the White birds because they say they aren't attractive or fancy enough for them. All that tells me is they've never seen or handled a Halbach White, nor seen a flock of them out on green pasture in the early morning as the sun is just coming up.

I think a fully white bird is a stunning sight. I've only seen them at the shows where they stop me in my tracks. I like them well enough but my heart has already been sold down the river to that elusive fine example of an Andalusian.

I hope nobody minds me lurking a bit on this thread as I don't have rocks but I was brought here by a discussion about feather quality and am trying to learn.

Hope that's ok.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

"Scott, when you say they feathered significantly faster, what did you see first? My birds are growing their wing feathers of course but how soon for back, head and sides? What is the time frame, approximately, for fast feathering?"

Lacyblues, last year my chicks were about 5-6 weeks old before I took them from my brooder boxes and put them "on the ground" in a grow out pen. Around this time they were typically completely feathered (everything except for perhaps a strip down their backs) or close to it such that they could maintain their own body temp without the need for add't heat. I have one pen this year that reached this same point at exactly 4 weeks!! I also note a serious jump in size (which could be the feed change). However, I see this more rapid feather growth ONLY from that one breeding pen (pullet 23 sire Jack)...all others are exhibiting the typical 5-6 week time period to fully feather

Hope that helps

Scott

 

[Fred's Hens]

I'm willing to work with birds over a 4-5 year period, but I'm not willing, at my age, to waste my time either. I've got some birds that if they were all I had to work with? I could select for feather improvement but I seriously question whether I have 20 years to mess with that. Not all of us expect to live as long Mr Wilford Kittle who has been breeding Reds for 70+ years and at the age of 95 is still working with Dick Horstman. I know I've had birds that simply didn't have it in them and no matter how long I fussed with them, it was not likely to improve all that much.

What I'm saying is nothing different than Bob taught the nubies (like me) in the Reds forum a few years back. Forget it. "Go get a trio or a quad of top quality birds and get on with it. Just don't mess them up." Bob never much believed in the popular notion of "breeding up" that which were essentially hatchery "scrubs". (Bob's term) There's a lot to be said for Bob's wisdom in that matter.


.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thank you for your opinion Fred. I have some that are worth keeping and I have more coming in the spring. I want to narrow it down to 4 groups and keep them for my own enjoyment but still breed to the standard. I do appreciate your insight and your help and your words do echo those of Bob. I don't know that I have 20 years either... I guess I'll look them over and see which ones I'm willing to work with that won't be a waste of my time.

Before I moved to where I'm at, I think I was making progress but since moving here 3 years ago, I think I've lost most of that progress. Things are not set up here the way I want them to be and I'm working on that too. Hopefully this year I can take some steps in a forward direction.

 

[Fred's Hens]

"Scott, when you say they feathered significantly faster, what did you see first? My birds are growing their wing feathers of course but how soon for back, head and sides? What is the time frame, approximately, for fast feathering?"

Lacyblues, last year my chicks were about 5-6 weeks old before I took them from my brooder boxes and put them "on the ground" in a grow out pen. Around this time they were typically completely feathered (everything except for perhaps a strip down their backs) or close to it such that they could maintain their own body temp without the need for add't heat. I have one pen this year that reached this same point at exactly 4 weeks!! I also note a serious jump in size (which could be the feed change). However, I see this more rapid feather growth ONLY from that one breeding pen (pullet 23 sire Jack)...all others are exhibiting the typical 5-6 week time period to fully feather

Hope that helps

Scott

Somebody is either carrying a gene or that particular mating "nicks" as the old horse guys used to say. What are you thinking, Scott?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Somebody is either carrying a gene or that particular mating "nicks" as the old horse guys used to say. What are you thinking, Scott?

Fred, I'm hoping the mating just clicked perfectly as the female in pen 2 is a full sister to this one and I see nothing the same from her (female #21/jack sire)....I'm looking forward to seeing them in 6 months and see what I got

 

[Ducktang]

I have some bantams that may help you. I am east of Raleigh. Get in touch, maybe we can swap.

 

[philyaw539]

I have some bantams that may help you.  I am east of Raleigh.  Get in touch, maybe we can swap.

Was this to me, or others?