Plymouth Rock

Barred Female

Barred Male

Buff Female

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History

The Plymouth Rock is considered to be a heavy breed and originated in the United States taking their name from the town of Plymouth. The breed was recognised as early as 1874 under the name Barred Plymouth Rock which describes the markings they had. They are large, long lived chickens and the hens have a deep, full abdomen which is a sign of a good layer. They have a broad, deep and well-rounded breast and bright yellow legs. The face is red with red ear lobes, a bright yellow beak, bay coloured eyes and a single medium sized comb.

Behaviour

They are friendly birds which are easy to tame and are vigorous and hardy birds which don\'t need a lot of space but do appreciate the chance to run free, They are not good fliers so do not require high fencing. They lay a good number of cream coloured eggs averaging around 200 per year. Plymouth Rocks do tend towards broodiness though so regular egg collecting is important to avoid too much of this. Chicks feather up quickly and make wonderful pets for children due to their docile nature.

Varieties

There are several varieties of Plymouth Rock, the barred, white and buff being the classic ones. Other colours include multiple pencilled or triple laced, pencilled partridge, multiple pencilled silver partridge, Columbian, buff Columbian and blue laced.