Barred Plymouth Rock Tips

[BMW the Awesome]

I am getting 4 Plymouth rock chicks on Monday. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me, as this is my first time raising chicks.

 

[LilRedRoo]

Just keep them warm in a brooder since there are not enough of them to really keep each other warm, and keep the food and water clean. They are a pretty breed, and I hope you enjoy having them around. They are generally well suited for free ranging if they have plenty of cover and a solid coop for safety, but can tolerate confinement as well.

 

[Messipaw]

I have two barred Plymouth rocks. They are almost a year and a half. They are awesome birds. Cold hearty. Friendly. And getting big. They love to free range and perch high. They are also great solid layers. I love them. Good luck.

 

[slatts]

I have two BR and they are my favorite. I'm not really into the pet aspect of chickens but have to say they are the friendliest. Not my best egg layers though.

 

[Cacique500]

We handled ours a lot when they were little and still do...they're very friendly now. Treats in your hand (or crumble) lets them know your hand isn't a big scary thing, it's a good thing that gives them treats.

 

[BMW the Awesome]

If I keep the chicks inside, how long do I have to have the heat lamp on them. Do I have to keep the heat lamp on them 24/7?
Also what should I use for bedding. How long do BRs take to start laying. Thank you for the replies.

 

[ZenGopher]

I got 4 Barred Rocks last April and they are an awesome bird! I kept them inside in a brooder under continuous heat for about 9 weeks, then moved them into their coop which at the time was in the garage to protect them from the cold (it was a really crummy spring here in west Michigan in 2013). Hubby got their official run and attached coop finished about the first week of June and they were in it full time at that point with no additional heat source. (I supplemented their heat when they were in the garage when I knew it was going to be below 60 for the night).

They have been awesome, funny little birds. Because they were handled so frequently when they were little (honestly, who can't help but hold a baby chicken?) they are quite tame. They don't love being picked up but they will hop up on to whichever human is near of their own volition. When we are outside they follow us around like puppies; I'm sure they figure if they follow us long enough there will be a treat. They are usually right.

Summer was a hot one and as long as we kept them supplied with fresh, cold water they weathered it like champs. This horrible winter has proven them to be a very cold-hardy bird. Our first snowfall was in mid-November; at the time 3 of them were laying. We consistently got 3 eggs per day until the 4th started laying in mid-December. We were getting 4 per day until the 3rd week of January when I figure they got as fed up with the weather as we've been and said "No way. We're splitting this duty up! Two of us will lay every other day!". So, we've still been getting two eggs per day and I hope as the weather continues to warm they'll get back to an egg each per day.

So far I am very happy with our BR's. They've been healthy, good laying, hardy birds. I look forward to having them as full grown birds this spring and summer.

 

[BarredR]

I have six Barred Rock pullets and they started laying at about 30 weeks but it just depends on your hens. They will lay when they are ready and just suprise you one day.

 

[aart]

If I keep the chicks inside, how long do I have to have the heat lamp on them. Do I have to keep the heat lamp on them 24/7?
Also what should I use for bedding. How long do BRs take to start laying. Thank you for the replies.

Yes, they need heat 24/7.....they need about 90 degrees under the lamp on one end of the brooder, but a cooler space ~70 degrees at the other end.

Do some reading in the Raising Chicks forum

 

[Cacique500]

If I keep the chicks inside, how long do I have to have the heat lamp on them. Do I have to keep the heat lamp on them 24/7?
Also what should I use for bedding. How long do BRs take to start laying. Thank you for the replies.

Rule of thumb is decrease by 5 degrees per week until they get down to ambient temps or are feathered (starting at 95 to 100 degrees). We used washed river sand in the brooder with a kitty litter scoop and it made it very easy to keep clean.

This is the video of them after their first night in the coop: (They were 7 weeks old) The substrate in the coop is Sweet PDZ...awesome stuff and very easy to keep clean...just keep it out of the rain!