What Do You Think Of Barred Plymouth Rocks?

[OregonChickenGal]

Love my Barred Rocks. Besides being excellent layers, they are so friendly, and nosey. (LOL) Mine are always following me around. When I clean up their coop, they're right there with me, watching what I'm doing. Mine are very vocal also, and I love that, always talking to me. Have fun, you'll love them!

 

[donrae]

You said you like them for sentimantal reasons. Well, there's a reason why Grandmas the country over kept them, they're a classic!

 

[TN_BIRD]

Of the four hens we have, 3 are barred rocks. I think they are nice looking birds. Ours are a little flighty. It's not a big deal and they are warming up a little (treats help

).

We have one Buff Orpington that we got at age one. The Buff isn't nearly as flighty. Former owner said she let it free range in her fenced yard almost every day (we let ours out, but not quite that frequently).

Friends of friends have a couple BRs and they talk as if theirs are much less flighty than ours.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

I have 3 Barred Rocks, 6 BO, 3 EE, 2 Light Brahma's and a GLW Roo.

My BR have always been the friendliest, love to sit on my lap or shoulder when I sit down in the coop. Baby Girl started laying just before 18 weeks. Fiesta started 3 weeks later, and Queen Bee a week after that. 2 of my girls are consistent layers now for the last two weeks. Since Sept 1st (our first egg), we have had 52 eggs. After the sixth day of laying, they will take a day off. Fiesta is the most vocal with her egg song, and is picky about how her nest is. She sometimes moves 3 times before she is happy with her nest (we have 4 nest boxes).


They are a lot of fun, and they go GA GA over BOSS.

 

[mtnviewfarms]

We originally ordered another breed but hatchery ( Meyer in Ohio ) called to say they didn't hatch out and
gave us choice of several other breeds and we picked Barred Rocks - so glad we did!

We have a flock of 27 birds that we've raised since day olds ( three roosters and 24 pullets ). We keep them
exclusively indoors in a large very well ventilated coop with large windows and we feed them lots of organic
greens, fruit, herbs, wildflowers, vegetables and grasses that we grow here on the farm in addition to their
Purina Premium Layer Pellets, Purina Flock Block and Purina Scratch we also supplement with Oyster Shell
for extra calcium and since they don't have access to the outdoors we also give grit.

We only keep them for eggs but this breed is also known as a good meat bird as well. I am always amazed
when I read on here about other BR owners having such 'touchy feely' relationships with their BRs because,
it has been our experience ( not too vast as these are the first chickens we've ever raised from day old and
the only breed we've had any experience with at all ) that they are intelligent, curious, friendly - but not to
the point of being touched or held - and not aggressive - even the roosters. We've never 'played' with ours
or tried to 'peoplize' them so maybe that's the reason they are not 'cuddly' with us but that's not what we
were going for.

We've never had a problem with them 'biting' as the previous poster has but they do sometimes peck at us
when we change the water or put in the feed but less now that they are older than previously.

We had heard that BRs were good layers but these have far surpassed our expectations. We began getting
our first eggs - small ones at first - right at 20 weeks. Once they started they have been proverbial egg machines
with us getting 20-24 eggs DAILY from the 24 pullets. Our eggs are a very pretty soft brown - almost pinkish tan
color and some even have little darker speckles in them - very pretty and large.

We sell our eggs directly from the farm for $4 dozen and $5 for 18 and sell hatching eggs as well $6 for 18.

I grew up in Louisville so I know how 'brutally' hot and humid Kentucky can be in the summer. North GA is getting
hotter every year and it stayed in the upper 90's for much of the mid to late summer here and we didn't lose
one chicken from the heat. We are not as concerned about winter and cold as BRs are known for doing very
well in cold weather.

I have a terrible time trying to post photos here but if you would like to see what our chickens look like you can
visit our pages on the Real Time Farms website where we are listed as Mountain View Farms in Ellijay GA and I've
posted more photos than anyone would ever be interested in seeing of our BR chickens at various stages of their
life and development since we got them March 15th. www.realtimefarms.com/user/mountain-view-farms

If you did choose BRs I doubt if you will be disappointed in them - they are a wonderful breed and are a 'Heritage'
Breed too which we like and so do our egg customers.

 

[Whispering_Raven]

Quote:
I agree with this post. I have 3 BPRs. 2 GIANT Roosters and 1 VERY LARGE Hen. They live with other hens, but no more Roosters. Bandit is definitely an aggressive Roo. He's about knee high. (I'm 5' 6") He and I had a "come to Jesus" meeting and we now an understanding. It took me a day to break him to the pecking and biting at my feet, legs and fingers. I basically got down to his level, grabbed him at the neck, looked him square in the eyes and told him I have a golf club with his name on it if he EVER does that again, and we will be having a very nice rotisserie rooster with herbed roasted potatoes. Apparently he understood, because now he's just as sweet as sweet can be to me and follows me instead of gets ahead of me like he was doing before. I think it's kinda like a Pecking order for Humans.

Anyway....If I had it to do over again, I would not have gotten them. I do love them, because I'm just a sucker like that! LOL! I got them when they were 1 day old and no way to determine the sex. I ended up with more roosters than hens, and I lost all but one of those hens to an animal massacre. Stella (hen) doesn't lay much at all and if she is, I have NO IDEA where she's laying. My biggest producers of large brown eggs are the RIRs.

The RIRs and Plymouth Rocks were my first chickens. I absolutely love the demeanor and temperament of the RIR's. They are very sweet, love being in the lap and on the shoulder. My BPRs are just kinda there taking up space. BUT! Bandit, (the super huge Rooster) is gorgeous and does his job....When he growls and takes off in a full on sprint, he's going after something that he feels is threatening the flock. So, he's a keeper for sure! I really have no use for the other two.

There are SOOOO many breeds of chickens out there. I learn of a "new" breed everyday. All I can suggest is to take your time, research the breeds, like you're doing, and determine what you WANT in a flock. Mark our words here! LOL....You WILL get attached. I don't know anyone, except a few of my old time farm neighbors that aren't attached.

I love my ladies. TOO MUCH!

Blessings to you! I hope you find what you're looking for!

Tracy

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

I have one BR, Maxine, and she is awesome! She has, since 3 days old, been the boss of the group, and is our first to lay at about 20 weeks. She lays 6 of 7 days so far (she's only 22 weeks or so now). She is VERY loud when she is ready to lay an egg. She is also friendly and lets us pet her--I just love her!

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have two and they are my favorite hens in the flock. The biggest one is definitely the boss hen but she is never aggressive. They are funny, curious things and very, very talkative, they like to hang out with me when I'm out at the barn and chat while I work. Awesome layers too, very nice, big eggs.

 

[Farm_Maven]

Quote:
My BR hen is named Barbie....for the famed Barbara!

 

[Country Heart]

Barreds rock! They are a great breed: friendly, intelligent, sturdy and good layers. You can't go wrong with a rock.