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Plymouth Rock

The Plymouth Rock originated in New England in the 19th Century & were created by using breeds such as Dominique, Dorkings Cochins, etc.
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General Information

Breed Purpose
Dual Purpose
Comb
Single
Broodiness
Seldom
Climate Tolerance
All Climates
Egg Productivity
High
Egg Size
Large
Egg Color
Light Brown
Breed Temperament
Friendly, Easily handled, Bears confinement well, Docile
Breed Colors/Varieties
White, Partridge, Buff, Barred, Blue, Columbian, Silver Penciled, Black. RED
Breed Size
Large Fowl
APA/ABA Class
American
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The Plymouth Rock is a very popular duel-purpose American breed, known for their excellent laying ability, general hardiness, and calm good nature which makes them a good choice for small backyard flocks and homesteaders.

Chickens called "Plymouth Rocks" were shown as early as 1849, but that flock disappeared and later strains from several different breeders combined to form the foundation of today’s Plymouth Rock breed. Mr. D.A. Upham of Worcester, MA is credited as being one of the primary influences on the breed, he first exhibited his birds at the Worcester, MA poultry exhibition in 1869. His birds are generally acknowledged to be the ancestors of the breed we know today.

A number of different breeds are reputed to have gone into the formation of the Plymouth Rock, including Dominique, Brahma, Black Java and Cochin. The breed gained a great deal of popularity quickly and the Plymouth Rock became the most popular farm chicken in the United States up until WWII.

The original color of the breed was Barred and early in the breeds history the name "Plymouth Rock" implied a barred bird. Barred varieties remain the most popular color today. As more color varieties were developed, the name Plymouth Rock became the designation for the entire breed, which can now can be found in other colors including White, Buff, Partridge, Silver Penciled, Columbian and Blue.

The Barred Plymouth Rock was one of the breeds used as the foundation for the commercial broiler industry in the united States in the 1920's and the White Rock is still often used as the female side of the Cornish Rocks or Cornish Cross type commercial broiler cross.

They are single combed, quite winter hardy, and the hens are good layers of brown eggs. They are occasionally broody and make good setters and mothers.

The Plymouth Rock breed was recognized by the APA in 1874 and is on The Livestock Conservancy's Recovering list.

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Plymouth Rock juvenile
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Plymouth rock chicks

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Plymouth Rock hen

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Plymouth Rock rooster

For more information on Plymouth Rocks and their owners' and breeders' experiences with them, see our breed discussion here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-plymouth-rock.982643/
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Latest reviews

J
Love my Babies
Pros: Sweet and very friendly
Cons: None
I have gotten 3 Barred Rocks, they’re 9 weeks old and the sweetest, friendliest birds. All 3 will sit on my lap or arm and snuggle in for pets. We have one girl Mabel, who’s so curious and funny. When transitioning to the coop from brooder ( brooder was inside ) we’d take them to the coop in a tub for a few hours, then gather them up to bring back in. Mabel jumped on top of the tub to “supervise” until all girls were inside the tub then she’d jump into the tub herself. She’d repeat the process when going back into their brooder as well. Just love her. Love this breed. We also have Gold Lace Wyandottes and those girls are the fighters seems to be. We have 3 Black Jersey Giants and equally sweet as Barred rocks but are very shy and quiet.
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Grandma The Chicken
Pros: Really friendly and come in many colors.
I also have this breed of chicken. One of my chickens, Grandma is a brown Plymouth Rock (which can be mistaken as a Barnevelder). Unlike other Plymouth Rocks, Tony seems to be more anxious.
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Addicted To Chickens
Pros: Social
Friendly
Cons: Can get picked on easily
I have some of these sweeties of my own and they are super sweet.I think they are nautrally social and loving to their humans.
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Comments

Kjordanov
I would like some of those one day. I think it would be funny to see my red hens (I can't even remember the breed name right now -_-)
pecking at the barred rock chicks because they will peck on my small white leghorns. (I guess that is kind of mean to think but at least the hens I have don't REALLY hurt the chicks just a few pecks. LOL)
 
RoyalPayne
My barred rock, out of 42 mixed pullets, was an accident. She was suppose to be one of 5 leghorns. I do not like zebra chickens, no reason, just don't. My husband, however does. This is his favorite, by far. So much so he actually chases the roosters when they go after her. Comical. She is a favorite amoung the roosters and has lost all the feathers off her back and wings. And they don't seem to be growing back. It's been 6 months since we seperated the hens and roos, and still no feathers, fluff, any growth at all. Poor thing.
 
Peepsicle
I have a 6 week old Barred Rock pullet. She's WONDERFUL. She sleeps in my arms like a baby! She's beautiful too. I love her. Her name is Lady Lacey. That's her in my avatar on top of the hen house. I think that Barred Rocks are the best breed of chicken there is. I went through two cockerels just to get her. Before I picked her out, I kept nervously reminding myself, 3rd times a charm, and it was!!
 
TurtlePowerTrav
Try rehabing your roo with treats. Lots of them. Mine especially likes pancakes and raisins. It took about 4 weeks to finally get him to eat out of my hand. Now when I come out he is the first one to come say hi. If after a month of trying rehab without improvement, freezer camp.
 
redfeather13
I have five hens, no rooster, no stress (sorry boys) and I still get eggs.
Roosters like to be 'top dog' so to speak - probably sees you and 13yo as threat to his hierachy.
Also I have heard stories of people having to trim their claws so they don't injure the hens when mounting??
 
Grey and green feathers
my super aggressive Rhode Island Red rooster drew blood on everybody else, but would sleep in my arms on his back as if he were a baby. the only thing i did to make him so good to me was to repeatedly test him and challenge him, fighting back when he would take me on. for example, id wave a hand up and down in front of his face to see if he was thinking of testing me. if his head bobbed along or he attacked, id grab his head (be gentle but firm) and held him down (one hand over eyes, other holding legs) untill he was calm. when he got up, id test him again. soon, i was "top roo" and he let me do whatever i wanted. i had to get him used to feet too cause he wasnt bright and had to learn they were two ends of the same snake.
 
Grey and green feathers
oh- and lots of treats from my hand. all kinds of treats and tlc ;) cant forget that. they sometimes like their bottom jaw scratched :) theres no recipe for the perfect rooster but i loved that old boy
 
mfr4550
I have a much smaller space than you but allow my chickens to range my yard during the day. I began to have a problem with them going into my neighbor's yard so I cliped their wings. This solved the problem for me. My smaller, lighter chicken ( a Buttercup) can still make it over the fence but she chooses not to since no one else can go with her. Good luck!
 
Tlawler
Got 10 pullets at Tractor Supply on March 2nd. It's now the end of August, and these ten beautiful birds are laying like it's now tomorrow, with production averaging eight a day. We are out in the country so their very modest noise level (certainly lower than the guinea hens we had a few years ago) is completely unnoticed by neighbors. We do, however, now supply our good neighbors with eggs (it's just my wife and I at home, and we don't rightly eat 56 eggs a week!), and it's sorta kewl to be able to do that. The girls are friendly, great producers, and really nice to look at (what more could you want out of women!). I wish I could let them "free range," but lots of dogs run off leash out here, and with just 10 hens the "flock" would be decimated pretty quickly. They do have a chicken coop that is around 6 x 7 and around 6 feet high, and their outside area is around 12 x 12.
 
pixtaker
Thanks everyone! We have started carrying him around a few times a day.....i'm still a little nervous he's going to go for my face, lol...We had 2 of the ladies not come home last night...they hop the fence daily and the roo goes with them, so i'm not really sure where they went....thinking of getting a few more hens to keep my numbers up...chicks or hens that are closer to their age is the big question now....
 
Y N dottes
U might want to post this on the chicken behavior thread to get more people to see it. I have 3 barred rocks about 25 weeks and they are very quiet....almost no sound.
 
Peepsicle
Hmmmm... My BRs cluck and cackle. I've no idea what could be wrong, maybe you've got a quiet one?? Any way, do what Y N dottes said. Good Luck!!!!!!!!
 
Malissa
My 2 are tops as well. The 2 EE's seem to be at the bottom. I also have a Welsummer male and female. I think the female ranks higher than the EE's. Funny thing. My roo hates me. He attacks me daily. It's getting old. I let them out yesterday and forgot to keep an eye on him and he attacked from behind. That quick, my BR, Rosa, went up to the roo and scolded him! She pecked him! He came at me again, and she defended me once more! The girls follow me when I call them and they know I give them good treats and trust me. They don't like to be caught and will run, but if I sit still and call them, they have no problem coming to me. I felt so good that my little girl stood up for me. They are so sweet! Definitely love them all, but the BR's walk to their own drummer sometimes and I love that!!!
 

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Category
Chicken Breeds
Added by
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Watchers
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Reviews
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