Rock Chicken are big chickens that live a long time. Some breeds are good at laying eggs, while others are mostly raised for meat. Their backs are long and wide, and their breasts are big and not too deep. Their skin and legs are yellow. The hens have a big, full stomach, which means they really lay eggs.
Their face is red, and the tips of their ears are also red. They have a bright yellow beak, bay-colored eyes, and one medium-sized comb on their head. Their feathers are held freely, but not so long that they are easy to tangle.
Rock Chicken are usually not mean and are very easy to train. They are calm and may show signs of sadness. Most of the time, the hens are good moms. Some males and females, on the other hand, are big and busy enough to be a real problem if they get mean.
People who breed birds should know the normal weights and not choose birds that are too small or too narrow for the breeding pen. A short breast, high tails, narrow bodies, and small size are all common flaws. Nice and interesting.
History of Rock Chicken
The Rock Chicken came into being in New England in the middle of the 1800s. The breed was first shown in 1869. At this point in time, the Dominique hen (also called a barred hen) was the most popular and successful breed of chicken.
At this point, Dominique’s and later Barred Rocks didn’t have to follow as many rules. Because the comb could be rose or single, breeders could show Dominique’s or Barred Rocks in both breed categories and win both.
Many breeders thought this was wrong, and in the end, the New York Poultry Society changed the rules so that Dominique’s should have a rose comb and Barred Rocks should have a single comb.
As you might expect, this made some people mad, and it made the owners of both birds puzzled. Things calmed down in the end, and the two breeds started competing as different groups.
Before World War II, the main breed for grill business was the the Barred (Plymouth) Rock hen. After the war, breeders developed more productive hens.
During the time of rationing, they were almost entirely responsible for making sure that Americans could still eat meat, nutrition, and eggs. They were hardy, obedient, and productive that were also popular as garden hens.
The Barred Rock was first used as a “production bird” by breeders and farmers in the 1930s. The working breed did very well at producing eggs and meat, and it almost wiped out the purebred heritage hen.
Red Rock Chicken Breed Information
Based on the producer, hatchery, and chickens used, red star chickens are popular with different names, such as golden comet and sex-link. In the 1950s, these birds first came into being for production uses. Because of this, they are often found in large-scale business operations with the famous Leghorn chicken.
But people didn’t like mixed chickens before there were big companies that sold eggs. However, the red star broke this stereotype and made way for novelty chickens that could lay amazing eggs and have other unique traits that farms wanted.
Characteristics of Red Rock Hens
If you only have a few chickens, Rhode Island Reds are a good pick. They are pretty hardy and are likely the best egg makers of the breeds that can do both jobs. Reds are better than other breeds at laying eggs even when they are fed bad food or live in bad surroundings. It is possible for a single strain of this breed to have both good show qualities and good producing qualities.
There are some “Red” guys that can be very mean. Their bodies are long and rectangular, and they are usually a dark red color. When breeding, don’t use middle or brick red females; instead, use females of the correct breed color. There should be black on the main tail feathers and wing feathers.
Though most Reds are broody, some of the best egg-producing strains have partly gotten rid of this trait. If you compare the Rose Comb variety to the Single Combed variety, the Rose Comb variety should be the same size. After being in the sun for a long time, the red color fades. Their shanks are yellow.
White Rock Chicken Breed Information
There are many colors of Plymouth rocks, and because they’ve been bred separately for so long, those colors have become sub-breeds with their own traits. So, I’m going to talk about white Plymouth rocks, which are the bright classic of the country chicken.
Many things about white Plymouth rock chickens are the same as other Plymouth rocks. They’re easy to take care of, can handle cold weather, and can be used in many situations. They can live in a range of climates and temperatures.
There are a lot of these big, calm birds. Even in the winter, they lay a lot of eggs, and they make great farm birds because they can be used in both the laying house and the grill.
Egg Production of White Rock Hens
The white Plymouth rock chicken is a breed of chicken that can lay a lot of eggs. Every year, these birds may lay up to 300 eggs, but most of the time, they only do that 230 to 250 times.
These layers are good and will last all winter. The Plymouth rock will often keep going even if the other breeds in your flock give up because of stress or pain.
White Plymouth eggs are big and a medium brown color. There are times when the hens get moody. They are great moms when they do that.
A Plymouth that is pregnant is one of the best people to take care of young chicks. She doesn’t have to gather all the eggs under herself; you can do it for her.
Black Rock Hens Breed Information
The Rhode Island Red (cockerels) and Barred Plymouth Rock (hens) were crossed to make the Black Rock Chicken. This parent stock came from??? in 1973 and was owned by Peter and Margaret Siddons of Muirfield Hatchery in Scotland for 37 years. In 2010, Eddie Lovett of Crossley Poultry Farm got the parent stock.
Over the last 30 years, Black Rock Hens have become very popular among small farms and organic farms because they are good at finding food, have thick feathers that protect them from the weather, and have a strong immune system.
Anyone in the country can buy Black Rock Chicks and Pullets, but make sure you’re getting them from a legitimate source. Crossley Poultry Farm is where all Black Rock chicks are born. The chicks are then sold to dealers as day-old chicks, who raise them until they are ready to be sold at Point of Lay.
In their first year, Black Rocks lay about 280 brown eggs. Unlike some high-production breeds that lay more eggs in their first year, their shells stay good for life.