barred rocks or dominiques?

[erinszoo]

Can anyone, please, tell me what the differences between barred rocks and dominiques are? All the pictures I see and everything I keep reading doesn't give me any clue as to why one chicken is called a barred rock and the other a dominique. They look exactly alike.

 

[johnwinters]

There are several key differences -

First and foremost, Dominiques are rose-combed and Barred Rocks are single combed. Barred Rocks probably arose at least partially as mutations from Dominiques. They were all referred to at one time as Dominickers or Dominiques or Hawk-colored Fowl or Barred Rocks. But then they were classified again, Dominiques being the true first breed of America.

Dominiques also posses a curved back, from their head to their tail on the roosters should be like a soft "v" idealy, same with hens. Rocks have flat backs. Also, Dominiques are a dual-purpose breed, originally smaller then most modern day strains. Rocks are larger traditionally.

And one thing - It depends on the breeder, but typically Dominiques are bred so that their barring isn't as fine as a Rocks.

Anyway, hop that helped.

JW

 

[Czech's_chicks]

For meat purposes, which is better or are the difference negligible?

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

It all depends on the strain - in other words, wherever you buy them from is probably going to decide that.

Me and one of my chicken buddies are working to breed more historically accurate Dominiques, in which they are smaller and more gamey then a lot of modern strains. But there again, a lot of hatchery strains are heavy.

I've never dealt with Plymouth Rocks, I just don't like them that much. But they are generally larger then the standard Dominque. But again, it all depends on the strain.

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

Rocks are known for fast growth, a meaty carcass and yellow skin (although barred Rocks might be less desirable than white or buff Rocks in terms of the carcass picking with a nice clean finish. I have seen BR's with the thicker barring of Dominiques, but those BR breeders I know that have shown their birds for decades frown on thicker barring for BR's. I have raised Rocks but not Doms & could not tell you if there is a personality difference.