The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Fentress]

I'm looking forward to processing my first K and comparing the meat and shape of carcass to the hatchery birds. I would like to do that at 20 weeks, but for now they are piled up in two corners of the coop roosting on corner brackets, attached to the skids, in very awkward locations. The adults have always been very good with the chicks, except when it comes time to get on the roost. I have tried adding more roosts, but the adults just spread out to control more space. It is actually kinda funny, not much I can do about it.

 

[aoxa]

LF rocks take forever to finish. I have a group (8-10) still here that are in the wait and see stage. All 7-8 months old and school is still out on them all. I've culled all I can for obvious defects and/or traits I don't want to move forward. Other than that, its a waiting game. I find some of mine are not finished until 12-15 months....as you said "patience"

Yep... same here.

I cull pretty early for barring I don't like too. If they are still naked by 4 weeks, out. I'm having a hard time this year, many are looking good really early. Wayyy better than last year.

I'm finding they also take a long time to reach sexual maturity for the boys. They hit puberty about the same time the pullets do here. They keep their baby voices for what feels like forever.

I have some girls that are naked at 6 weeks and they have been cut from any potential breeding. Think I should cull them (ie: kill) or let them feather out for layers for someone's pet flock? They have wing, head and butt feathers, but their backs are bare. I'm wondering if a certain hen is passing this slow feathering on.. I guess I'd have to do test breedings with each pullet to figure it out?

I'd say 1/50 are very slow to feather.

This year I see them fully covered by feathers by 7-8 weeks except the tails on the boys.

 

[AndyP]

On my way home from a 520 mile round trip to meet Fred, I got a VERY nice cockerel and an OUTSTANDING pullet. Now things just got serious... I'm pretty sure by 9 o'clock tonight my wife will be completely sick of my "chicken talk" I maybe sleeping in the coop tonight... THANKS FRED!!!

 

[denn1948]

Good for you Andy. I have 16 from Yardfullofrocks hatching eggs10 cockerels 6 nice pullets, I could not be happier. Dennis

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well Andy, that pullet is one of the best I've ever bred. Enjoy her. The male is average, but he comes from a great line and he's got all the DNA of his forebearers in him, that's for sure.

Set every egg she lays next March,April and May and you'll have 40-50 of those wonderful birds next spring. Take care and enjoy them. Really great to meet you and your brother and dad as well. Hope they found something at Jay's, eh?

 

[Fred's Hens]

That's AndyP's pullet now, the BR on the left. The two White Rocks are my oldest of three or four sets of Whites. I'm hoping to get all these Whites in lay before the snow flies. The wee little ones, at least before the ball drops on New Year's Eve.

 

[Findtex]

Well Andy, that pullet is one of the best I've ever bred. Enjoy her. The male is average, but he comes from a great line and he's got all the DNA of his forebearers in him, that's for sure.

Set every egg she lays next March,April and May and you'll have 40-50 of those wonderful birds next spring. Take care and enjoy them. Really great to meet you and your brother and dad as well. Hope they found something at Jay's, eh?

Well done Fred. it I always good to help fellow travellers.

 

[normanack]

Well done Fred. it I always good to help fellow travellers.

Travelers going down the middle of the road . . .

 

[normanack]

It's probably obvious, but I'd still like to know faults you automatically cull for -- what do you cull as soon as you see it, and what can you wait on to see if it corrects itself? Thanks.

 

[aoxa]

It's probably obvious, but I'd still like to know faults you automatically cull for -- what do you cull as soon as you see it, and what can you wait on to see if it corrects itself? Thanks.

Knock Knees, split wing, crooked toes, crooked beak, growth retardation, slow feathering (must be feathered by 8 weeks), small head, messy barring (messy barrings is a deal breaker with cockerels. They won't be used or sold. They are used for meat only, but thankfully I don't get a whole lot).

If the girls have any of these features, they are sold as pets. I don't sell boys that are not good quality. Unless they are bought as chicks of course.

I'm really thankful I don't have a lot with these features this year. Some are definitely better than others, but this year is much better than last