Amrock chicken breed. (European version of Plymouth)

[alb123]

Hello everyone.
Last year I bought 10chicks, all Amrock. Amrock is a chicken breed very popular in Europe. They're dual purpose birds. Basically amrocks are the European version of barred plymouth rock. They are very docile and calm. The 10 chicks resulted in 5 hens and 5 roosters. Now I have 9 because we lost one of the roosters. The ladies just started laying. I'm adding some pictures for you to see
I hope you enjoy. Feel free to ask for more info.
All the best
-B

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They definitely look different than what I'm used to.

 

[alb123]

They definitely look different than what I'm used to.

Hello there. Are you familiar with this breed?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hello there. Are you familiar with this breed?

I'm just familiar with regular old barred rocks, so yours are interesting looking to me.

 

[BaakNL]

History
The Amrock was cross breeded at around 1870 in Massachusetts from the Cochin (black variety), Dominique and the Java grouse. The breed originates from the same ancestors as the Plymouth Rock. The amrock and the Plymouth Rock also have many similarities, the difference being mainly in the production of meat and eggs (Amrock).

The amrock has been bred primarily for its usefulness for many years, with less attention paid to the appearance of the chickens. Meat production and bone capacity were especially important - the animals were selected for this. Certainly until the 1950s, amrocks were very popular and were frequently kept in professional farms in many countries.

The amrock was only recognized as a standalone chicken breed in 1982, and not as a sub breed of the Plymouth Rock.

Appearance
The Amrock is a medium-height chicken breed with a striking striped plumage. Roosters weigh between 3.25 to 4 kilograms, hens slightly lighter at 2.5 to 3 kilograms. They are large and broad with a slightly sloping tail, broad tailset and a medium length robe. The tail is also almost fully spread and carried medium height. According to the breed description of the amrock, the breast line should be deep and well rounded. On the head is a red, single comb and the animal also has red earlobes. The eye color is always orange-red.

The legs are yellow in color.

Colors
The amrock only occurs in one color variety, namely black and whoite striped (Dutch: koekkoek).

Character of the amrock
The amrock is known as a calm and friendly chicken that can be tamed well if the caregiver is very patient and calm. Due to their heavy build and weight, amrocks rarely or never fly, so they can be kept in the free range without fear of flying away. A gate of about 80 centimeters ensures that the animals do not leave the site.

Incubation and eggs
Amrocks are known for rarely brooding. If you want to breed with the amrock, you should use an incubator or a hen of a different breed that breeds well.

The amrock is a very good egg layer, with no less than 240 brown / yellow eggs per year, each weighing 58 grams.

Usage options
The amrock is originally kept as a dual purpose breed, where the animals are kept and bred for both meat and eggs. Today, the amrock is not much seen in commercial chicken farming, but is more in the hands of lovers of this breed and hobby farmers.

Particularities
The stripe drawing in which the amrock is bred is unique. Roosters have white and black stripes that are the same breed, while hens have black stripes that are twice as wide as the white stripes. This makes the hens darker in color than the roosters.

Another fun fact of the amrock is that the chicks are auto-sexing. This means that newborn chicks can be selected by gender based on their color. These young sex characteristics are very special, because most chicken breeds can only be seen at a later age whether there is a hen or a rooster. Amrock chicks are darker in color when it comes to hens. Roosters are lighter in colour than their sisters.