Plymouth Rock and Barred Rock Chickens: Breed Guide

An American original

The Livestock Conservancy records that the Plymouth Rock was developed in New England in the mid-1800s from crosses that likely included Dominique, Cochin, Java and Brahma birds. It was first exhibited in Boston in 1849, seemed to vanish for about twenty years, then reappeared at a Worcester, Massachusetts, show in 1869. Those birds are the ancestors of today's Rocks.

The American Poultry Association admitted the breed in 1874, and until World War II no breed was kept more widely in the US. Plymouth Rocks were also one of the foundation breeds of the 1920s broiler industry. Like many heritage breeds they declined as commercial strains took over, and The Livestock Conservancy removed them from its priority conservation list in 2023 after numbers recovered. If you are setting up for Plymouth Rock hens, start with our backyard chicken supplies, then check the chicken coop guide for space per bird.

Barred Rock and the other varieties

The original variety, and still the most popular, is the Barred Rock, with crisp black-and-white stripes across every feather. The barring comes from a sex-linked gene, and roosters usually look lighter than hens because their bars are narrower. The extension service notes that Barred Rock chicks can be sexed with about 80% accuracy by the size of the white spot on the head: larger and more diffuse in males, smaller and narrower in females.

Other recognized varieties include White, Buff, Silver Penciled, Partridge, Columbian and Blue. All share the same build: a broad, deep body, a bright red single comb, wattles and earlobes, yellow skin and legs, and four toes. The Livestock Conservancy lists typical weights of about 9.5 pounds for roosters and 7.5 pounds for hens.

Temperament

Plymouth Rocks are calm, docile and friendly with people and children, and they settle easily into mixed flocks. The Livestock Conservancy describes them as chatty but quiet and notes that they do not fly, so a standard fence keeps them in. Many follow their keepers around the yard and come running at the sound of a feed scoop.

They enjoy foraging and do best with room to roam or supervised free-range time, though they tolerate confinement if their run is roomy. Roosters are usually manageable but, as with any breed, can become protective of their hens, so supervise young children around a cockerel.

Eggs and broodiness

Expect about 200 large brown eggs a year from a good hen, according to The Livestock Conservancy, with strong laying for the first few years and a slow decline afterward. Some hens keep laying lightly into their tenth year. Like other brown-egg layers, Rocks have red earlobes, which the extension service notes are generally a sign of brown eggs.

Plymouth Rock hens are usually good sitters and attentive mothers, so you can let a broody hen hatch a clutch. If you only want eggs, collect daily and gently discourage a hen that sets on an empty nest. Expect a pause in laying during the annual molt in late summer or fall and lighter laying in the short days of winter.

Housing, climate and care

Rocks feather quickly as chicks and are cold-hardy as adults, which makes them a favorite in northern states. Their single combs can get frostbite in severe cold, so a dry, well-ventilated, draft-free coop matters more than adding heat. In hot regions, give them shade, airflow and plenty of fresh water. Plan at least 4 square feet per bird in the coop, 10 square feet in the run and a nest box for every four or five hens.

Feed a complete layer ration once hens start laying, with oyster shell on the side for strong shells. Check regularly for mites and lice under the feathers and around the vent. Call a vet who treats poultry if a hen stops eating, sits hunched and fluffed for long periods, limps, or has trouble breathing.

Is a Plymouth Rock right for you?

Choose Rocks if you want friendly, sturdy, easy-care hens that lay well for years, birds that handle cold winters, or a true dual-purpose breed for eggs and meat. The extension service groups them among the American dual-purpose breeds that lay reasonably well and produce males large enough for the table, a good fit for small family homesteads.

They are a less obvious choice if you want the most eggs possible from each hen, which is the Leghorn's or a sex-link's job, or if you want white eggs. Many backyard chicken flocks mix a few Barred Rocks with other colors of hen so the eggs and the birds are easy to tell apart.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace advice from a veterinarian who treats poultry.