Featured Breed/Variety of the month for January 2012

The Barred Rock 

The Barred Rock is one of the all time popular favorites in this country. Developed in New England in the early 1800's by crossing Dominiques and Black Javas, it has spread to every part of the U.S. and is an ideal American chicken. Prolific layers of brown eggs, the hens are not discouraged by cold weather. Their solid plumpness and yellow skin make a beautiful heavy roasting fowl. Their bodies are long, broad, and deep with bred-in strength and vitality. These chickens are often called Plymouth Rocks, but this title correctly belongs to the entire breed, not just the Barred variety. Whatever you call them, you can't beat them for steady, reliable chickens. Baby chicks are dark gray to black with some white patches on head and body.The face of a Plymouth Rock is red with red ear lobes, a bright yellow beak, bay-colored eyes, and a single comb of moderate size. Their feathers are fairly loosely held but not so long as to easily tangle. The chicken's bottom feathers are soft and downy, like baby chicks feathers.
In terms of temperament, both roosters and hens are calm and will get along well with people and other animals such as pets. The hens often will go broody if in the right environment, and are good mothers. To read more about these magnificient birds and to view more pictures click here.

  

Update

My Barred Rock pullet "Baby" won Best of Variety, Best of Breed and Reserve American Class Champion at Bluebonnet Classic 2012.

Baby in the photo-shoot box at Bluebonnet Classic 2012

Barred Plymouth Rocks

I am a very happy camper today. I just got 12 dynamic Barred Rocks. Its incredible. First of all they have correct type and They actually have straight bars, and the white is white and the black is black. Barred Rocks also have to have yellow legs.Looks like I am off to a great start. I will be posting more great Barred Rock information as I get it. I will post pictures soon of my birds.

Below are some Plymouth Barred Rock facts I have found on the internet.

• 1811 The first 'Plymouth Rocks', the results of an attempt to make a breed of this name in the US, became extinct.
• 1847 An intermingling of several breeds - which included White Cochins, Dark and White Brahma's, Black Java's, Langshans, Dorking's, Black Minorca's and Spanish, and Dominique's - took place in the US.
• 1849 3 'Plymouth Rocks' were exhibited at the first poultry show in Boston, US, by Dr. John Bennett.
• 1850 Dr. Bennett reports in his 1881 poultry book that he made the 'Plymouth Rock' at this time by crossing a Cochin cockerel with a 'fawn-coloured' cross-bred which included Malay and 'Wild Indian' blood. Harrison Weir also wrote 'The Plymouth Rock is in reality one half Cochin China, one fourth fawn colored Dorking, one eighth Malay, and one eighth Wild Indian' which substantiates the ancestry of Bennett's strain
• 1869 Specimens resembling the Barred Plymouth Rocks of today were exhibited in the US. by D.A. Upham of Massachusetts under the name of 'Improved Plymouth Rocks' to avoid confusion with Bennett's birds. Parks Poultry Farm in Pennsylvania specializes in the breed commercially and makes them well known in America.
• 1870 Breed recorded as having 'Dominique' plumage - the American term for barring or cuckoo colour. Lewis Wright claims a 'new' production occurred, differing in colour to Dr.Bennett's. He suggests the modern Plymouth Rock had a number of different origins, from birds bred from various American breeders. The Upham strain is the most probable source Wright referred to and undoubtedly contained a large amount of Dominique blood (the Dominique is also a breed in the US and has barred or cuckoo plumage - the Scots Grey is said to be an ancestor of the Dominique).
• 1872 Plymouth Rocks reached Britain, exported by Mr W.Simpson who took honours at Birmingham Show that year in the AOV class with Barreds. British Plymouth Rock Club is founded.
• 1874 The breed (Barred variety) is recognized in the American Standard of Excellence.