What Color Eggs Do Barred Rocks Lay
Are you interested in adding Barred Rock chicken to your flock? Then you are on the right platform. It is the most popular variety of Plymouth Rock Chicken.
In this article, you'll avail the complete information about Barred Rock. It is an excellent chicken which is famous for its egg-laying capability. Here is the list of the best egg-laying chicken breeds.
Here you will know the complete breed guide about the Barred Rock chicken, such as its facts, history, color, temperament, size, appearance, benefits of raising it, pictures, and the problems you may see during raising them.
Before you decide to buy a few Barred Rock chicks, go through this complete breed guide to know the full details.
What is Barred Rock Chicken?
Contents
- 1 What is Barred Rock Chicken?
- 2 What is the Difference Between Barred Rock and Plymouth Rock Chickens?
- 3 Common Names of Barred Rock chicken
- 4 History of Barred Rock chicken
- 5 Egg Production
- 6 Temperament of Barred Rock Chicken
- 7 Lifespan
- 8 Color, Size, Appearance, Characteristics of Barred Rock Chicken
- 8.1 Color and Appearance
- 8.2 Size
- 8.3 Characteristics
- 9 Benefits of Raising Barred Rock Chickens
- 10 Problems in Raising Barred Rock chickens
- 11 Care Guide Barred Rock Chickens
- 12 Summary
Barred Rock chicken is one of the most hardworking breeds in poultry. This breed is very beautiful with calm nature and is one of the flock's most productive members.
The hen of this breed is popular for its egg-laying capability and gorgeous plumage.
Barred rock is a beautiful chicken breed for its striking colors. This chicken breed always seems to be an American classic with white and black stripes.
What is the Difference Between Barred Rock and Plymouth Rock Chickens?
Barred Rock chicken is a variety of Plymouth Rock Chicken. Other recognized varieties of Plymouth rock are Black, Black Frizzle, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Silver Penciled, and White.
The Barred Rock roosters and hens are more popular on the list. This is the most confusing fact that people get confused about Barred Rock and Plymouth Rock chicken.
Common Names of Barred Rock chicken
Below are some of the common names of Barred Rock-
- Plymouth Rock
- Rock
- Barred Plymouth Rock
Lots of people use different names to call this breed. So, after hearing any of the terms, you must be clear that the above words describe the same Barred Rock chicken.
History of Barred Rock chicken
Barred Rock chicken is one of America's oldest breed chickens, which 1st appeared in the 1800s. The first specimen of Barred Rock was shown at the Boston, Massachusetts show in 1849, and after that, it seems to disappear from the landscape.
It reappears in 1869 when the barred roosters are bred with Java hens to form a Barred Rock prototype, and Mr. Upham of Massachusetts did it.
Egg Production
Generally, Barred Rock chicken roughly lays four eggs per week, and they lay large brown eggs. On average, we can say a single hen of this breed will lay 200-220 eggs per year.
They even lay brownish pink eggs. Here is the list of chickens that lay colored eggs.
This Barred Rock is productive in the initial stages or first few years, and their productivity decreases after around three years of age. They will continue to lay eggs for about eight years, but their production will not be prolific.
Temperament of Barred Rock Chicken
Barred Rock chickens are mellow birds and are known for good attitude or picking at floormates, & everything works out good for them to get along with everyone.
The Barred Rock roosters are calm, sweet, and docile. They are inquisitive and love to check about the environment and follow you to see what you are commanding them.
Barred Rock's prefer free-range and tasty morsels in the yard, but they tolerate confinement well if given enough space. Barred Rock hens are caring for their family and children.
Lifespan
Barred Rock Chicken is a strong breed. It has a lifespan of about 5-8 years. Lifespan may vary because of various factors like country, weather, feeding, and caring.
Color, Size, Appearance, Characteristics of Barred Rock Chicken
Color and Appearance
There are no breed standards and color of chicken due to sex-linked breeds, which APA later set. These varieties first appeared in 1884. R. C. Buffington exhibited buffs for the first time in 1890.
In 1910 a partridge variety made its appearance in Madison square garden and was accepted to the APA in 1914. The Columbian rock came into effect in exhibitions & was accepted by the APA in 1920.
After that, in 1992, the silver penciled that emerged was duly accepted into the APA. APA took the last variety of blue. Barred rock chicken is a large, vaguely triangular with sharply defined barred black with white feathers.
They are friendly creatures and are great with children, as many of them enjoy being cuddled and picked up. They often tap you for affection.
It is a hearty-looking bird with a single red comb and face. Its eyes are bright, and they are very alert. This bird gives much meat with a full-breasted long back, which can raise table fare.
Size
Barred Rock chickens are pretty big and are large, heavy birds, weighing about 7 to 8 pounds. Here is the of the few largest chicken breeds.
They come in both regular and bantam sizes. Rooster is nearly 9.5 lbs, and hen is about 7.5 lbs.
Characteristics
Here are few major characteristics of Barred Rock Chickens-
- The barred rock chicken has no feathers, and they have four toes, and their skin color is yellow.
- This bird has a unique feature with a single five-pointed comb, and the color of the face and the comb is red.
- The Barred rock are giant and have a slightly triangular shape, and their feathers are sharply defined with white and black barred feathers.
- The eyes of this Barred Rock chicken are always bright and alert, and it has a long back.
- The whole breast has plenty of meat and is favorable for raising them for the table.
Benefits of Raising Barred Rock Chickens
Here are the pros of raising Barred rock birds in backyard coop-
- They are not noisy and make a good addition for the urban flock, and they provide an adequate amount of egg, and their size will reach about 7.5 lb.
- Barred Rock chickens are healthy, strong birds and have a great genetic background and so we can say she has no health issues.
- They are not pushy and overly assertive and will walk away from the confrontation, but they will stand on the ground if pushed.
- Barred Rock Chicken pairs very well with other varieties of chicken in the flock, such as Dominiques, Faverolles, and Barnevelders.
- They even tolerate confinement.
Problems in Raising Barred Rock chickens
They are susceptible to chicken mites, worms, lice, and various other parasites. Bumblefoot is also an additional health issue that Barred Rock chicken gets. Here is the list of best chicken wormers.
Barred Rock requires plenty of space in the coop as they are bulky and require a large area for freely foraging.
They have a high ego, and that's the reason they bully other chickens.
This breed of chicken enraged newcomers or new members in the flocks, and most notably, they angered younger chickens in the community.
Care Guide Barred Rock Chickens
This Barred Rock fowl is fairly standard when it comes to grooming, diet, and maintenance. As a result, this breed of chicken acts as a great breed for all the chicken keepers, from the backward enthusiast to the happy homesteader.
Some of the helpful tips for raising Barred Rock are:
Grooming: This breed doesn't require special groom needs; only checking for parasites becomes crucial.
Diet: As these are egg-laying breeds, calcium is essential in their diet. You can give extra calcium in their feed. Read the guide on the best vitamins and minerals for chickens.
If possible, you can provide them with oyster shells separate from their egg-laying feed. Crush eggshells and add them to their food which will serve as an extra source of calcium.
Summary
The Barred Rock chicken is suitable for various locations such from small backyards to large farm operations. This bird's quietness makes it more ideal for an urban setting where neighbors are not disturbed.
Rooster acts as an early warning system, and it alerts the possible danger. The Barred rock chicken enjoys human interaction.
All in all, we can say Barred Rock chicken is ideal for keeping in the backyard and flocks with low maintenance and high productivity. So, it must be preferred to be held in flocks.
What Color Eggs Do Barred Rocks Lay
Source: https://chickenjournal.com/barred-rock-chicken/