Breed Information

Here I will speak a bit on the different breeds that I've raised and what I remember about them. Again, this is me just generalizing what I experienced with each of these breeds. On this page you will find information on: Lifespans/longevity, behavior/personality (despite how subjective this is), eggs, bird characteristics (like feathering, face shape, eye color, weight, muscling, ect), and maladies that may be linked with certain breeds.

Barred Rock

I will start off by noting that I currently do not have any Barred Rocks in my flock at this time (1/14/17). They were one of the first chickens that I raised and were a very diverse set of creatures.

Behaviors/Personality: I recommend this breed (and basically all Rock breeds) to any and all who are starting out on chickens for the first time. They are easy to tame and imprint on. They are less aggressive in bearing and have a sensibility about them that make them easy to handle, show, and tend to. However, dominance comes easily to them and they will hold the head of the flock with ease. I had several individuals who, over the years, replaced each other, one after the next without bloodshed. Their 'reign' is kindly and they do not fight or pick on lower hens as much as other breeds do.

Eggs: In egg production I would say they are medium layers. They lay about once every day up until the six or seven year, then about every other day until the tenth. Interestingly enough, they sometimes tend to lay off and on into eleventh and even up until they die. This seems to be a common trait across the Rock lineage as I have Partridge Rocks that lay occasionally and they are in their thirteenth year. Eggs are a creamy brown color, often with darker, chocolate brown speckles on them. The eggs of the Barred Rock are medium in size (rarely the 'jumbo' size).

Common Maladies: The number one cause of death in this breed of chickens was ovarian cancer. This was determined not by autopsy but by observing first a sudden severance of egg production followed by weight loss and a large, internal bulbous tumor at the hen's rear. I suspect this has something to do with how long they continued laying.