That's great! We'd like some pix. I've never had Rocks.
White rocks
An online friend of mine is coming to town for a poultry show. DD and I are very excited about meeting her and her hubby in person and seeing our first chicken show. She is planning on bringing a surprise for my daughter... three or four white rocks that are a few weeks old. Right now they're just starting to get some feathers.
My friend says that these birds will be about twice as big as our commercial chickens. Any experience with show quality white rocks? What do you think of their personality? Our pullets are almost a year old. How old do your chicks have to be before you introduce them to the flock? I bet that half show quality mutts would be pretty birds. We currently have Buff Orps, EEs, and Wyandottes.
This is so exciting. My daughter will have some very nice birds to show in 4H next year.
My friend says that these birds will be about twice as big as our commercial chickens. Any experience with show quality white rocks? What do you think of their personality? Our pullets are almost a year old. How old do your chicks have to be before you introduce them to the flock? I bet that half show quality mutts would be pretty birds. We currently have Buff Orps, EEs, and Wyandottes.
This is so exciting. My daughter will have some very nice birds to show in 4H next year.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Well, they will be about the same size as the birds you have now.. a little more upright in carriage than your Buffs or Wyandottes and not as fluffy butted.
We have White Rocks and have for ages as one of our flocks.
They are much calmer and nicer than Barred Rocks, they are steady layers of a good sized brown egg and are pretty trouble free. They are white which makes them bright to an airborne predator like hawks.
As far as mixing the two.. I would give them a chance to grow a bit.. maybe another month and then you can put them to free range with the bigger girls as long as the chicks have a hidey hole to go to where they have their own food and water and can escape from the bigger girls. Plus, big chiockens love nothing more than they love chick starter!!! They will take every last bite of it if they can get to it.
We have White Rocks and have for ages as one of our flocks.
They are much calmer and nicer than Barred Rocks, they are steady layers of a good sized brown egg and are pretty trouble free. They are white which makes them bright to an airborne predator like hawks.
As far as mixing the two.. I would give them a chance to grow a bit.. maybe another month and then you can put them to free range with the bigger girls as long as the chicks have a hidey hole to go to where they have their own food and water and can escape from the bigger girls. Plus, big chiockens love nothing more than they love chick starter!!! They will take every last bite of it if they can get to it.
My friend says that show birds are much larger than commercial birds. That's why I expect the White Rocks to be so large. We have a broody sitting on some of our neighbor's eggs and then we'll have these young birds. The eggs, if they hatch, should be ready in a week. When do think we can put the young ones together? We plan to let mamma raise her babies.
I realize that we need to keep the young birds separate from the grown birds. How old/big do the young ones need to be before they can be with the adults?
I realize that we need to keep the young birds separate from the grown birds. How old/big do the young ones need to be before they can be with the adults?
my WR's are a good bit bigger then the barred rocks I have, they are not show quality though or Im just guessing. they were very stand offish with the rest of the flock but they seem to estabilished a little order. Mine loook like they would make nice roasters though they are in my laying flock so that wont happen. they have settled in to and I'm
happy with that I still have a few that are stand offish with me but interact with the flock just fine. they also have been the most study egg layers and the largest maybe I will post a pic of this super large egg I got the other day. its crazy large!
the only two that really want to set out of my 19 hens are two of the white rocks.
cant get them out of the nest boxs!
very glad to have them in the fold as I had no intention!
happy with that I still have a few that are stand offish with me but interact with the flock just fine. they also have been the most study egg layers and the largest maybe I will post a pic of this super large egg I got the other day. its crazy large!
the only two that really want to set out of my 19 hens are two of the white rocks.
cant get them out of the nest boxs!
very glad to have them in the fold as I had no intention!
Cool! I've heard that show birds are not as prolific as commercial birds. We have one broody buff orp now. She's not even a year so if she's a good broody while still a pullet I see it as a good sign for her usefulness in our flock.my WR's are a good bit bigger then the barred rocks I have, they are not show quality though or Im just guessing. they were very stand offish with the rest of the flock but they seem to estabilished a little order. Mine loook like they would make nice roasters though they are in my laying flock so that wont happen. they have settled in to and I'm
happy with that I still have a few that are stand offish with me but interact with the flock just fine. they also have been the most study egg layers and the largest maybe I will post a pic of this super large egg I got the other day. its crazy large!
the only two that really want to set out of my 19 hens are two of the white rocks.
cant get them out of the nest boxs!
very glad to have them in the fold as I had no intention!
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
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