The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[Beekissed]

First broody hatch is out on my breeding pens....out of 15 eggs set from 3 different birds, only 9 were fertilized and formed a chick. The rest were clears and discarded...not rotten, though, so the rest of the flock consumed them.

Still waiting on the last chick...2 days late on the hatch. This was a weird broody hatch, with some eggs hatching a day late, though they were all set at one time. Now I have one that's two days late...don't know if it will hatch but it's still moving around in there, according to my float test. The mother left the nest behind to tend to chicks, so slipped that active egg under another broody to see if it will actually hatch.

All but one chick has the deep silver flush distinctive of the Blosl line's silver gene...the other is as yellow as an Easter Peep. Vigorous and healthy chicks, even though hatched from pullet eggs.

Next two hatches will be the first week of June.

 

[Beekissed]

These chicks seem pretty small to me...might be from hatching from pullet eggs? Their heads are bigger than the rest of their body!

 

[Fentress]

Here comes a stupid question, but I can't resist, can't hold it back back any longer. My BR get big, but the chicks are very small, as chicks go. So the genetics are there for size.The eggs are smaller than what I am used to, probably medium to maybe large size. So, small eggs produce small chicks? Is there a relationship between egg size and chick size?

 

[MrsEskew]

I love this breed. Beautiful birds you all have!!

 

[desertmarcy]

Here comes a stupid question, but I can't resist, can't hold it back back any longer. My BR get big, but the chicks are very small, as chicks go. So the genetics are there for size.The eggs are smaller than what I am used to, probably medium to maybe large size. So, small eggs produce small chicks? Is there a relationship between egg size and chick size?

Yes, you can't get a huge chick out of a small egg. But if the genetics are there, they will catch up in size. A lot of my BR lay smaller than I'd like, I am working on that.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Here comes a stupid question, but I can't resist, can't hold it back back any longer. My BR get big, but the chicks are very small, as chicks go. So the genetics are there for size.The eggs are smaller than what I am used to, probably medium to maybe large size. So, small eggs produce small chicks? Is there a relationship between egg size and chick size?

I'm guessing you are hatching from young birds??

My pullets lay a smaller egg than my hens.....over time I am trying to hatch from hens over 2 yrs old and less from pullets. Egg size is definitely different, although to your point, they CAN catch up if genetics and proper feed are there

 

[Fentress]

Thanks. Yes, I am hatching with pullets, actually they are 1 year old now. Last year I got hatching eggs from Jamie Duckworth and in general the eggs are a little smaller than what I would like, but it's not that big of a deal, they do grow very large and seem to have good meat qualities which I like, but the chicks are so small and create problems with the rough and tumble free range environment that I throw them into. So, it's a management issue on my end that I have to find solutions for. Vigor is not an issue, just the size and their ability to traverse obstacles. I have heard people say that hatching with pullets is not preferred. Is the smaller egg/chick the only disadvantage or are there other disads to hatching with pullets? Of course, I don't have a choice because that is all I have, I was just wondering for future reference.

Thanks again

 

[Beekissed]

I would like to know this as well, Fentress, as my girls are young pullets as well and their eggs are just now getting larger, a month after breeding. The chicks I hatched from their eggs are a tad on the small side as well and I hope that doesn't translate into a small adult size also.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Beekissed and Fentress

In my world, I can now hatch from hens as opposed to pullets, but still do occasionally if I see a stellar pullet. At one point I too was forced to start with pullets and you do what you have to do

Hatching from pullet eggs should not limit size of adults so long as genetics are there for size. I also find (being in the deep south) that I get larger birds if hatched Jan/Feb as heat slows down the consumption of feed in the summer months, thus stunting growth

In a "perfect world" I would hatch only from hens nearing the 2 yr mark....but there are always exceptions

 

[Fentress]

I kept this guy because he was the only male that hatched from one of two lines I got from the breeder. Light in color, which I think means something to people who double mate, nice tail, but otherwise not so great, kinda small, high breast, but he has grown on me and he did fill in some as he aged. As it turns out, he will be the only cock I mate this year. He's done his job and I will get a good sample of his genes. Took some pic's for posterity, because he can't go back to the flock.