Blue Moon Valley Heritage Chickens Blog

Selection process October 21, 2011

OK, I was asked how to I choose my keepers for breeding. One is I am basing breeding on the Standard of Perfection or SOP for the breed. Therefor whatever is not allowed in the breed is first to go. Major DQ is white color. No white is allowed in the color at all. Luckily it has not showed up except in chicks just hatched but turns brown within a couple of days.

Since roosters and hens are two total differnt color and patterns in the variation, it make things more interesting. First I look at leg color for early rejects. If leg color does not match chicks are gone before 4 months. After that selection waits till 5 months and older. Right now cockerals will be thinned based on combs and fluffliness of underfeathering. This is supposed to be a tight feathered breed not like the Cochins which is much looser in feathering. I can also seelcted at this age based on tail set and poor wing set. I do not do body or pattern selection till over a year old. Reason is this color variation changes with each molt. So when they finally have their true adult molt I know there pattern is set. For those chicks hatched this year in May selection for them will not be until fall next year. This is one big reason there are not alot of breeders of the pattern plymouth rocks. Most do not have the time of space to wait that long before making final selection on keepers for breeding. I am lucky in that I have the space and time since I do not show.