The Plymouth Rock is an American breed of domestic chicken. They are the result of a cross between a multitude of species mainly including the Dominique, Black Cochin, and Black Java. [1] It is a dual-purpose breed, popular for both its ample meat and egg production. [2] It is famous for being resistant to cold, year-round laying, and a good sitter. [3] [4]
It was first seen in Massachusetts in the nineteenth century, and for much of the early twentieth century was the most popular chicken breed in countries like the United States. [1] [4] [5] It is still one of the main breeds used today by mass meat and egg producers. It is seen as one of the leading "broiler birds" meaning it was heavily selected for industrial production. [1] [6] [5] [7]
It is also a very popular pet as nonindustrial birds are known as being very docile, tame, and active birds who are known for being flamboyant and stylish. Their resilience to extreme weather conditions and broodiness have to lead to them as being described as good general farm birds. [1] [3] [4]
Description
editPlymouth Rock Chickens have long, broad backs with moderately deep, full breasts. They have a single red, moderately sized comb, a yellow beak along with yellow skin. Their feathers are loose compared to other chickens and they lay brown eggs. They are winter-hardy, broody birds that are usually tame and docile but can become aggressive under stressful circumstances. They were created through the cross of multiple different species and as a result there are 7 different variations in the color of their feathers. [1] [3] [4] These include barred, white, buff, silver-penciled, blue, and columbian:
- Barred - zebra-like design consisting of alternating black and white
- White - solid white color
- Buff - solid orange/yellow color
- Silver-penciled - feathers are black along the shaft and base of the barbs while the tips of the barbs are white
- Blue - dark gray around the neck, light gray/blue in the breast, back, and tail
- Columbian - all white with streaks of black on the neck and tip of the tail
History
editThe origins of the Plymouth Rock Chicken comes from mid-nineteenth century Massachusetts where extensive cross-breeding of multiple species lead to the creation of the barred variation. It is thought to be mainly derived from the Dominique chicken along with another species, possibly Black Cochin or Black Java. [1] [3] Before 1870, there was no official distriction between the Dominique and the Barred Plymouth Rock. At this point, the Barred Plymouth Rock had been around for about 20 years and was even displayed seen in 1849, in a poultry show in Boston. It wasn't until 1870, in the New York State Poultry Show, that the distinction was made between the two species, defining the Barred Plymouth Rock as a single combed, medium/large, barred bird. This distinction was made official when it was entered into the Standard of Excellence of the American Poultry Association in 1874. [3]
Since the late 19th century, the Plymouth Rock rapidly gained popularity until it became the most common chicken in the United States around the time of WWII. As its popularity increased, breeders continued to cross it with other species creating different variations for the purpose of egg and meat production. [3] [4]
In 1888, the White Plymouth Rock was created through selective breeding in the hopes that it would be a superior meat producing bird. It quickly eclipsed the Barred Rock in popularity and became the leading broiler chicken in countries like the United States and Australia [5]. As of today, industries still use the White Plymouth Rock as one of their main producers of meat. [3] [4]
Today, Plymouth Rock Chickens have three distinct strains that have developed throughout its history: exhibition, industrial, and farm-bird. Exhibition birds have been selectively bred by fanciers for their distinct color and used to compete in poultry shows. The industrial strain has been selectively bred for meat and egg production while the farm-bird has been favored for hardiness and dual-purpose production. [3] [4] [5]
Use
editIndustrial
editPlymouth Rock Chickens are commonly used for mass egg and meat production. Specifically, the White Plymouth Rock because it has been selectively bred for industrial production and studies suggest they statistically yield more eggs and meat compared to other variations of the Plymouth Rock. [2] In addition, their docile nature and hardiness make them an easily mass produced and raised species. Barred Plymouth Rocks are seeing negative population trend in industries while White Plymouth Rocks are seeing a sharp positive trend. [1] [3] [4]
Pets
editPlymouth Rock Chickens, in general, are popular as farm birds or pets as they can withstand cold temperatures and lay year-round. [4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "Poultry Breeds - Plymouth Rock Chickens — Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science". afs.okstate.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
- ^ a b Bujko, Jozef; Hrnčár, Cyril; Hric, Peter (2012-05-31). "Diversity in Population Size and Production Parameters of Selected Varieties of Plymouth Rock Chicken Breed". Scientific Papers Animal Science and Biotechnologies. 45 (1): 189–192. ISSN 2344-4576.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dohner, Janet Vorwald. "Barred Plymouth Rock Chickens: Heritage Poultry Breeds". Mother Earth News. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Vorwald Dohner, Janet (March 2011). "Barred Rock Chickens the Classic American Farm Fowl". Mother Earth News. 244: 70–71 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c d Hubrecht, Robert; Kirkwood, James (2010). The Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals. Ames, Iowa, Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 638–639. ISBN 978-1444318784.
- ^ Ullrey, Duane; Baer, Charlotte; Pond, Wilson (2011). Encyclopedia of Animal Science. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. pp. 201–203. ISBN 9781439809327.
- ^ Fuller, M.F. (2004). Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Nutrition. Cambridge MA: CABI Pub. pp. 65–67. ISBN 9780851993690.
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