The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[NeilsHamburgs]

Does anyone on here have Doug Akers email? If so send me a pm.

 

[Pooman]

Hello Rock Gurus... ;-)

Thought i check in and let you know that i took Stripey (my crossed Dark Barred Rock) along to a meeting of the chicken club that i joined...

Well it was quite good timing. It was a small meeting and the president has been breeding rocks for a long time. Fortunately he had just recieved 4 Hens and a Cockeral from another breeder interstate. Perfect examples. So we had a good look at both of them and his Hens for comparison with my other Rock Hen from a different line. Basically has agreed with you guys that there is definatley some other breed recently crossed in. But he is so far away in terms of feathering and shape its not funny. The strike rate of black hens is about 25%, of the barred ones they are nicely feathered... Even barring, lining up, all the way down to the skin, they look good. Said he has a good comb and head shape, but lacks he chest. So will see how that affects my hens as they get to laying age.

Now, the best news. Jack offered me a Cockeral and 2 Pullets... free. Awesome. So, i will have some really good stock to go from. Ill post some piccies when i get them. Which then lead into the discussion about farming out some of your stock as insurance against any future disaster of sickness/predator wiping you out. Anyway, a very knowledgeable guy who lives close and is really quite into his chooks. Its awesome... Can ya tell im happy lol

 

[Fred's Hens]

You'll find a lot of generous souls in this fancy. Helping genuine folks get started and move along in the right direction, is a joy.
I'm glad you've found this to be quite true in your own case. Very good.

 

[Pooman]

You'll find a lot of generous souls in this fancy.  Helping genuine folks get started and move along in the right direction, is a joy.
I'm glad you've found this to be quite true in your own case.  Very good.

Yeah, this guy is genuine. Jack told me many stories.
Notable his start though.... Was working in central Victoria (blazing hot summers, mild winters), he and a mate found an incubator, still air, antique thing... He showed me it, it was old when he started 40+ years ago, anyway. His mate had contact with plenty of farmers, who back then all had flocks running around.. So fertile eggs. The deal was halves on the day old,chicks, he hatched em, his mate supplied the eggs. So off they went... All going good, day olds selling, jack keeps some obviously at home....
One day a guy walks in to get some chicks apparently and asks what the chooks were. Plymouth Rocks... Hahahaa, the guys is laughing. That not a Plymouth Rock he says. Doesnt buy anything and leaves... Few weeks later a knock at the door in the evening after dark. Its the bloke from earlier and says ive got something id like to show you.... Out to the car, pulls out this Cockeral and says this is a. Plymouth Rock... And 2 Hens..
Anyway it kept going for a bit, there were many elaborate stories you see... In the end the deal,was he could have the chooks free and breed em. But Jack needed to drive this guy around to the chook shows and auctions... Lol, musta lost his licence or something. So thats where his start happened, and his introduction to shows etc.

It does feel nice that he is passing it down. Cheers to chicken people

 

[Pooman]

Just did a google...

Bit over half way down this page is Jack Pavey with im guessing....? the line of Plymouths I'll be getting, ... 2 years old link
http://marshchooks.webs.com/inthenews.htm

And from looking at those light sussex they have (1/3 the way down), i think Snowy (my biggest oldest fattest thing... From my original aquisition) has a bunch of Sussex in her.... Mmmmm interesting

 

[my sunwolf]

Yeah, this guy is genuine. Jack told me many stories...

I love that story. Mostly it reminds me that breeding poultry is an art that is passed down in similar ways. And that even if you make a living off of the results of your art (farming), you are generous with your knowledge. And probably not making much of a living

 

[my sunwolf]

I am either re- or de- railing to some whites that are running around my yard.

Got this cockerel with three pullets last spring, but butchered all the pullets as there was something I didn't like about them (they were off but I am not trained enough to say why). He was not really that great, but had a good temperament, nice neck and comb. I bred him to my favorite hen.

The cockerel at 8+ months:


Doing the deed:


The hen at 2+ years (ignore the nasty coop):


Pullet A from breeding:


Pullet B from breeding:


There's a third pullet I can't ever seem to get a picture of--she's more skittish and her tail is more pinched and higher.

What are everyone's thoughts? I understand that they're backyard birds but... they look nice to me. I can't ever remember exactly how the backs are supposed to look. Their feathering looks broad and tight to me. Someday soon I will invest in the SOP. Couldn't get any better photos either; I think I'll place them in rabbit cages next time to get them to stand still. Seeing "crow head", "snake neck", and other serious issues is still difficult for me. I no longer have the cockerel is the sad part of this... may have to order some White Rock eggs and try for another decent one.

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

She looks like a single comb yellow legged dorking.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The cockerel's tail set is easily twice as high as the Standard calls for and is very short bodied. Somewhat typical of hatchery stock breed type.

The females are also not White Rocks. They'd be DQ'd I'm afraid, if entered as such in a sanctioned exhibition. Getting high quality, bred to standard White Rocks isn't difficult. Now would be the time to make some arrangements with quality breeders.

I'd skip the eggs, if it were me. Spend just about the same amount of money and get 6 or 7 chicks, 5 weeks old, in a box. You'll be farther ahead in the long run. Shipped eggs are a roll of the dice and hatch rates can be horrid.

Hope you get some chicks this spring and enjoy the raising and breeding of true bred, White Plymouth Rocks. Being from Virginia, you might prefer to drive to the border and pickup your chicks. Most breeders cannot ship into Virginia.

 

[Fentress]

What is the problem with shipping to Va.? I drove to Raleigh to get my start, but that may not always be the case.