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Barred Rock

Very tame nice breed that gives you big beautiful brown eggs. They aren't that loud and the...
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General Information

Breed Purpose
Dual Purpose
Comb
Single
Broodiness
Average
Climate Tolerance
All Climates
Egg Productivity
Medium
Egg Size
Large
Egg Color
Brown
Breed Temperament
Kind, Skittish
Breed Colors/Varieties
Barred (black and white)
Breed Size
Large Fowl
APA/ABA Class
American
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Barred Rock Rooster​

The Plymouth Rock a.k.a. Barred 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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Barred Rock chicks

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Barred Rock Juvenile (pullet)

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Barred Rock hen
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Latest reviews

BarredRock412
Pros: Great with kids, friendly, aware of predators, quiet.
Cons: Eats more than our two RIRs combined, often gets pecked on by others.
I love my barred rock. We bought her off craigslist from a breeder when she was about four months old. She's great with kids, loves being picked up and has never attacked, and absolutely LOVES people. Her feathers are extremely soft and she has a lot of fluff. She is very trusting and will fall asleep in my lap. The only time she is ever loud is if she sees a predator, she will squawk loudly and hide when she sees anything in the sky- airplanes, crows, literally anything. She doesn't even trust the family dog. She is a great layer but eats so much... it's shocking how much of a foodie she is. Since she is so docile, she is at the bottom of the pecking order and gets pecked on by the others. If you're looking for a family-friendly bird and great layer, I would highly recommend the barred rock.
Purchase Date
August 2020
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kbroom
kbroom
These Barred Rocks are so beautiful. I'd love to have those. I'm still in the decision stage. So far, I think I'll start out with just two babies. I'm still working on their coop. I have the actual core, but I must fence in underneath the back upstairs deck. It will be 20X20 X10. That should give them plenty of room. I was going to let them be free range, but after watching some videos, where a man said, "If you're going to be free range, just understand that you're going to have some dead chickens," I decided to keep them in a large cage. Their coop will be inside.
DesertGrrl
Pros: - Very gentle and calm birds.
- Makes cute sounds
- People friendly
Cons: - Don't do well in hot weather/climate.
- EATS A LOT OF FEED
My Barred Rock is totally awesome!
Does well with my other chick.
Very chill and laid back and loves sitting on my shoulder nicely.
She doesn't bite and is overall an amazing bird.
She will run up to me if I'm near the coop.

The Bad:
- My Barred Rock is very intolerant to hot weather (mostly black feathers is probably why) and will pant and have wings out (I live in the desert, but my Delaware does fine in this weather).
- Eats a lot of food almost non-stop.
They have a huge appetite for food.
Purchase Price
Free. Was a gift.
Purchase Date
Sept. 26, 2020
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RosiePosey
Pros: Great layer, easy keepers, larger sized.
Cons: Aggressive
We keep free-range chickens that just go in the coop at night so it's important to us to have a fairly protective rooster. Oreo is a fantastic protector of his ladies and treats them all well. He's fought off the neighbor's cat, a fox, and a hawk so far that we've seen. The downside to that is he sometimes thinks he needs to fight us off too! Somedays he's sweet and will eat out of your hand. The next day you round a corner or get out of the car and he's flapping up at you trying to get you with his spurs. The hens are aggressive with the other girls in our mixed flock too. The leghorns can hold their own but nobody else wants to be near them. They do lie a good sized egg consistently and for our purposes, they work. I probably wouldn't recommend this Roo for a more pet-type boy nor the hens for a mixed flock that is cooped as they may beat up the other girls.
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IslandRockFarm
IslandRockFarm
Same happens with us! They are great producers but they are mean hens. We had to move a couple hens to a different coop because they would bully, feather pluck, and wouldn't allow them to eat. This happened though after a mink attack where some hens died, and may have shifted the power dynamic.
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Sealizrus19
Sealizrus19
My hens are mean bullies too. Will probably never get more again...
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Comments

ChickensARGreat
I agree! Our barred rock pullet is VERY smart! She knows how to warm up to us humans...I always think she is plotting something, though. She is never skittish, and always works her way to the front of our flock. Yes, she is bossy. But she let's me pet her whenever I want. Looking forward to eggs later...a few more months to go... fingers crossed!
 
jaxia
im a new chicken momma and i lucked into a BR. i love her to death. Amy is so sweet. my 7 yr old can come right up to her and pick her up and sit down with her in her lap and Amy will just fall asleep as she gets petted. she also will eat and drink out of my daughters hands. you cant go wrong with a Barred Rock!
 
carnivore
I only have one BR in my flock, but she's my baby! After the morning feeding she jumps up in my lap and takes a nap.
 
Jacqdiva
I ought 4 young ones from a breeder unsexed. Looking forward to seeing what they turn out to be. They all come for cuddles with or without food.
 
janet9462
Oh my We just got a barred rock hen and my granddaughter named her Oreo ! Our Oreo is being very bossy!
 
11mini
My BR is not laying yet :( She does get along well with my RIR as well. She is the first one to come right up to my feet wanting treats. She does not however like being held and is very squirmy. Maybe that will change after she starts laying.
 
My Hens and Roo
I agree. I have one RIR and One Barred Rock, both our oldest and partners in crime! Emily, our BR had held her position as "Queen" as we call her, from day one. She has also been known to be quite kind, even protective to whomever might be the last gal in the order as well! I find that to be ironic, but I have witnessed it many times. Emily is a good old gal!
 
My Hens and Roo
My Barred rock, Emily is one of my oldest...retired now, but is and has always been the "Queen" of the coop! Like Amy Sue's, Emily has survived two coon attacks, and yes, stubborn got her there as she insisted on roosting "IN" the redwood tree instead of under it in the coop! She too was the boss of our rooster, a Jersey Giant named Emu...all 19 pounds of his gloriness!
Thing I most love about her is the semi~ roll of rooster she took on when Emu became too much for the ladies (he went to live with a harem of 8 Jersey Girls like himself). While she is head honcho, at the same time, she routinely stands up for the last in the order and keeps the rest of our flock in check as well. Wouldn't have it any other way! Like I said, she's retired now...old, and we will dearly miss that girl when her time comes!
 
DianaMallory
I have 2 BR in my new flock and one of them is so mean to me! She bites me every chance she gets and I say bite because she doesn't just peck me she grabs hold and doesn't want to let go! I did the swift smack to the back of her head today! Not hard,but enough to let her know I am the lead hen not her! Then I picked her up and tried to let her know I am not going to hurt her. She didn't bite me but I think we are going to have a long training session on not biting! One of my golden buffs will jump on my lap or anywhere else she can get to for attention. I hope my BR gets nicer.
 
Diannastarr
i have 4 all from chicks & one did try to peck me every time i fed them after they were older ...??? by the first peck , I pushed her back ,not hard but just to let her know , i wont allow that kind of treatment, and now they all think im a rooster...??? i guess....lol as they squat down when i walk by ..lol.. she stopped trying to peck at me , so it can be stopped im sure , i would not let it go past that first time, but i also pick them all up, and talk to them....lol. i have to say barred rocks have an interesting personality....lol..and i have one that sits at my kitchen door and talks through the screen door to me all day long....lol.. even as chicks they would look you right in the eye, and always watching what ever i did, unlike some other breeds of chicken .who seems to care less..? the barred rocks seem to be very bright, but are mean to my other birds...? all my younger birds are wyandotts, and they run when they see the barred rocks coming, gosh :(
 
Diannastarr
i also feel that some hatcheries do have mean temperament ed birds, because they being the only ones who could survive in that kind of environment , so it stands to reason its the mean ones who are the survivors & who will go on to produce the stock being sold...????
 
jknox1982
I have 2 barred rocks. one is showing interest in me while the other doesn't seem so interested. it is a work in progress but I love the breed they are beautiful birds and give me eggs just about every day!!
 
barredrockin
I have 50+ barred rocks. They are Free Range. I lock them up at night after the roosters make sure all hens are in. The Hens are very calm. The roos are 1.5 years old and are calm and aggressive. If I pick up a hen and she makes a crying noise then I will have all 4 Roos looking to lay down the law which is why I keep them. I haven't lost a bird to anything. I had a hawk attack a rooster a year ago and I had 3 roosters come to his rescue and all there was is flying brown feathers. That hawk hasn't been back since. I have to say they are a very good breed and the roos will come up to me and are calm.
 
song of joy
It sounds like this bird is quickly heading for the stew pot!

I've had 4 barred plymouth rocks to date, and one was so aggressive to the other flock members at roosting time that I had to cull her. The others have been inquisitive and friendly, but not usually to the point where they want to be picked up or even touched. Individual personalities can differ quite a bit within a breed, and sometimes you end up with a dud, but thankfully your hen is not typical of the breed.
 
Bean789
I have a BR, Roxie, within my flock and she is one of the most friendly among the group. She is usually first one to come to me and of course, first one to the treats, but she is not mean at all to the others in any way. In fact, I know she is not top of the order but the Golden Laced Wyandotte who is top chick, never bothers her and seems to respect her position in the flock. Roxie seems to protect a couple of our bantams from harsh treatment from others also. She is ok to pet and pick up. She will peck at me sometimes but mostly I think it is because she goes after my rings on my fingers. I notice a difference when I take them off before going into the run. Glad I did not get one that has the 'tude' yours has.
 

Item information

Category
Chicken Breeds
Added by
dylan729
Views
209,620
Watchers
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Comments
403
Reviews
235
Last update
Rating
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