Lap chicken
Pros: Friendly, good layers, gentle, docile, personality plus
Cons: stubborn
Our Barred Rocks are the most pleasant birds to have around. They talk to us; one even imitated the tonal patterns of human speech when she saw us.
Rated #28 in Chicken Breeds
Member Reviews: Barred Rock
Positive Reviews
Negative Reviews
a mixed bag
Pros: great layers, friendly to people, pretty, substantial, cold hardy
Cons: bossy bossy bossy to more docile chickens
In my flock of 10 I have 7 Buff Orpingtons and 3 Barred Rocks... my rocks are silly, sweet, outgoing chickens but they are beating up my very docile orpingtons. How do I know this? well lets just say that my Orpingtons are all having issues with ratty looking feathers but my barred Rocks are in absolutely perfect feather. While I love my rocks to bits, I am going to have to rehome them as it is just not fair to the other chickens in the flock. I had done my research but did not realize how bossy the Barred Rocks could be. If you have a flock with very docile girls in it, I would not recommend Rocks.
More Reviews
Love mine! <3 Best Hens I have.
Pros: Great attitudes, Great eggs, Loves Attention.
Cons: None.
I have Barred Rock hens. The first is Oreo, very laid-back and Nonchalant. Loves to sit on my lap. Love attention. The second is Lulu, This hen is a primadonna. Dramatic. If I don't pay attention to her, she will peck me until I pick her up and pet her. They are both different. But they are both very great with kids. I'd love to have more of this breed in the future!
Beautiful Addition to a Flock
Pros: Good layer; beautiful feathers; tough girls
Cons: kind of mean; bossy
My barred rocks had me so worried when I first had them. I was convinced they were both roosters because they were mean, bossy, crowed, and had spurs! Turns out, they are fantastic layers. They just like to rule the roost. Once they started molting (before my other breeds that first year) they were quite humbled and no longer dominate so aggressively. They still rule the roost, but now only the other chickens fear them (not my children). They are tough girls, though, and since I have no roosters, I'm thankful for the role they play in the flock. They shout 'hawk' and move the other chickens to shelter when birds fly overhead (or planes!) and they peck at the cat to keep...
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kind and loving
Pros: cute people lovers, get along well with other breeds
Cons: prone to illness
we had a barred rock named Pecky, we got her on accident at dells! we thought we were getting 3 black sex links but we ended up with 2 sex links and a barred rock, she was very nice and would almost beg you to pick her up, however she continuously was getting a new illness every summer, she was still a good layer and very pretty to look at. i am sorry to say she died last year from mareks disease luckily it did not have time to spread to the rest of the flock. over all they are very goodhearted birds.
Best breed we have!
Pros: Friendly, Hardy, Great layers, Great foragers
Cons: None
These birds have been the foundation of our flock. They have stood up to the arid Colorado weather here which means cold winters, hot summers and not much rain so no many plants or bugs. Very friendly, anyone can pick them up. Still some of our best layers going into their 3rd laying season. Our only broody hen is a Barred Rock and she is happy to sit a large clutch of eggs every year. Would definitely get this breed again.
Decent Birds
Pros: Good brown egg production
Cons: bossy
I have one full grown barred rock though I have had others in the past. Each one I have had is very bossy and very intent on proving pecking order. I have to keep my one locked up when I first start to do integration with my younger birds because she will not just show she is the boss, but she will run from food bin to food bin to keep them from eating. Which means, I wind up with skinny chicks and a skinny barred rock. She does lay me about 5-6 eggs a week it seems. And they are good eggs. Just gave us a double yolker the other day. She isn't the most social of birds but then again she isn't exactly antisocial either. She just...
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The best chicken's ever
Pros: Sweet nonflighty great mothers amazing layer's awesome pets and also awesome free range
Cons: i am yet to find one after 7 years of owning and breeding them
They are the perfect chicken! Very easy going chicken's great to have around kids. Easy to mix with other breeds of chicken's also I mix them with guinea fowl the babies always turn out great. They make wonderful mom's only standing with my silkies when it come's to broodness. My hen's lay daily some times two egg's a day! Just an all around perfect breed!
Amazin
Pros: Cute smart funny loving
Cons: break legs of bantys when trying to mate
My banty rooster is my baby! He is sooooooo cuuute and sweeeeeet!
Very good layers
Pros: gentle with children and curious, a pleasure to watch, hardy in cold weather
Cons: a bit broody, desires to be lead hen
We have a barred rock, a little bantam. She is a curious lady and keeps the other three bantams in order. She likes to watch the children, staying about 5ft away at all times. Our barred rock has so many different noises and calls, a joy to watch and chatter with. When 6 months old she became broody, but was easy to break. She layers 4-5 eggs each week and loves to eat slugs.
Barred Rocks
Pros: Very good layers
Cons: none
Mine are all very good layers and are HUGE.
Barred Rock
Pros: Productive Egg Layers
I've had Barred Rock chickens before including a rooster. The hens were productive brown egg layers, which laid a medium size egg daily. The rooster was docile towards me, however aggressive towards other humans and wildlife in the area. On a positive note, he saved my flock from coyotes because of his protective behavior. Their color pattern isn't a favorite of mine but that is only opinion! "Ace" the Barred Rock rooster: A few Barred Rock hens:
