The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Fred's Hens]

Awe Justine, you're not alone. Shoot, I often give away better birds to folks than I keep. That's alright. In many cases, if you share do right, it comes back to you. Literally. I could pick up the phone next spring and call a half dozen folks and get eggs, chicks or later on, get brooded birds back, all I'd want or ever need. I don't worry about such things.

I am a rather ruthless culler. I don't need to fuss around looking at 80 birds this time of year, plagued with indecision and keep trucking feed home from the mill in 100 pound sacks and breaking the bank.

I've got some "culling" quotes from some very top notch breeders that perhaps I'll share here. It's not intended to inflame anyone, but there's just a whole higher level of being a breeder than what most folks are really prepared for, it seems to me. I dunno.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here's one of my favorite old time quotes.


As Fred Jeffrey always said....never leave the coop without a dead chicken in your hand.

 

[aoxa]

Awe Justine, you're not alone. Shoot, I often give away better birds to folks than I keep. That's alright. In many cases, if you share do right, it comes back to you. Literally. I could pick up the phone next spring and call a half dozen folks and get eggs, chicks or later on, get brooded birds back, all I'd want or ever need. I don't worry about such things.

I am a rather ruthless culler. I don't need to fuss around looking at 80 birds this time of year, plagued with indecision and keep trucking feed home from the mill in 100 pound sacks and breaking the bank.

I've got some "culling" quotes from some very top notch breeders that perhaps I'll share here. It's not intended to inflame anyone, but there's just a whole higher level of being a breeder than what most folks are really prepared for, it seems to me. I dunno.

Fred, you may want to try bulk feed, or splitting an order. It saves me $200 every 8 weeks, and I don't have to lift a thing. My tractor does. However, I have a lot of birds. The feed is made fresh for me as well, which is nice.

I will cull hard before the snow sticks to the ground. Until then I am not selling any more pullets. I want at least 6 more for my breeding pen.

If they are obvious culls early on, I end up taking them to the zoo and they give me $2.50 a bird. They'd have to be as large as a full grown Silkie (1.5-2 pounds). I would have so much chicken in my freezer if I grew them all out for us!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Fred, you may want to try bulk feed, or splitting an order. It saves me $200 every 8 weeks, and I don't have to lift a thing. My tractor does. However, I have a lot of birds. The feed is made fresh for me as well, which is nice.

I will cull hard before the snow sticks to the ground. Until then I am not selling any more pullets. I want at least 6 more for my breeding pen.

If they are obvious culls early on, I end up taking them to the zoo and they give me $2.50 a bird. They'd have to be as large as a full grown Silkie (1.5-2 pounds). I would have so much chicken in my freezer if I grew them all out for us!

You're feeding way, way more beaks than I, my dear. I am quite the minimalist these days.

 

[aoxa]

You're feeding way, way more beaks than I, my dear. I am quite the minimalist these days.

I don't even know how many right now Fred.

It's shocking. Maybe 400? Including the chicks... I won't know numbers until I vaccinate for show in December. Then I will tell you Last December I vaccinated 179 birds. By breeding season I was down to 99. I sold off 80 (too many eggs!!)

 

[Fred's Hens]

OK folks. It's time for me to introduce some new birds to you all. There are three strains shown. I'm still just growing them out and getting familiar with the characteristics of each strain. Hope you enjoy the eye candy, 'cause that's about I can say about them at this point.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Getting down to the 6-10 females (depending on your breeding goals and needs) and culling down to those last 2 or 3 keeper cockerels means birds get sold off or eaten this time of year. This is as it should be.

Fred is so right....time to get the #s down, down, down. I hatched right at 100 Rocks this yr and as of last night I have 36 left. By late Oct there will be no more than a TOTAL of 20 (including layers)

To all, as you begin culling, be DARN SURE not to overlook the females that got you where you are this yr!! I've seen too many folks make a mistake of ONLY keeping Ks and Ps from this years hatching. Very rarely do I cull a "hen" I have used as a breeder, that throws good offspring, until I've had a chance to breed her back to her best son. I currently have 3 hens that will be around for their third season of breeding if the match ups make sense.

The same can be said for a stellar male....if he is throwing good offspring, be certain to take him back over his best daughter(s).

Both options avoid brother/sister matings which can yield some "sketchy" results sometimes

 

[LindaB220]

OK folks. It's time for me to introduce some new birds to you all. There are three strains shown. I'm still just growing them out and getting familiar with the characteristics of each strain. Hope you enjoy the eye candy, 'cause that's about I can say about them at this point.

Stunning, the five I bought 2 days ago are finally adjusting to a new home. One Blosi pullet, three Jwip pullets and a cockerel. All are absolutely wonderful. They are 5 mo old. Not laying yet. I'm hoping to get a Blosi cockerel this year and concentrate only on White rocks. Don't have a camera yet and it's killing me. They are so beautiful.

 

[Matt1616]

Stunning, the five I bought 2 days ago are finally adjusting to a new home. One Blosi pullet, three Jwip pullets and a cockerel. All are absolutely wonderful. They are 5 mo old. Not laying yet. I'm hoping to get a Blosi cockerel this year and concentrate only on White rocks. Don't have a camera yet and it's killing me. They are so beautiful.

Where did you get a Blosl Pullet from?

Matt

 

[weavers rocks]

here is one of my five and half month old pullets I'm keepin this year