Plymouth Rock chicken
The Plymouth Rock is an American farm chicken kept for both eggs and meat. Hens weigh 7½ lb and roosters 9½ lb, and a hen lays 200 or more large brown eggs a year. The breed is calm, cold-hardy and easy to tame. The black-and-white Barred variety, often called the Barred Rock, is the original of seven colours.
- Temperament
- Calm, Docile, Friendly
- Cold tolerance
- Coop space per bird
- 3 sq ft
Is the Plymouth Rock right for you?
Good fit if
- You want one breed for both eggs and meat
- You're new to chickens
- You have cold winters
- You have children who will handle the birds
Poor fit if
- You want white or coloured eggs. Plymouth Rocks lay brown
- You want a small bird. Hens weigh 7½ lb and roosters 9½ lb
- You can't give them room. The Livestock Conservancy says they tolerate confinement but prefer to free-range
Appearance and varieties
A Plymouth Rock has a long, broad back and a moderately deep, full breast. The comb is single, bright red and of moderate size, with five evenly serrated points. The face, wattles and earlobes are red, the beak is horn-coloured, and the skin and legs are yellow. The feathers are held fairly loosely.
The Barred variety is the one most people picture: each feather is crossed by sharp, regular, parallel bars of light and dark. The barring gene is sex-linked. A male carries two copies and a female one, which is why roosters usually look lighter than hens.
The APA recognises seven colours in large fowl: Barred, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Silver Penciled and White. Bantams come in those seven and Black.126
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| Barred | The original variety, often called the Barred Rock. Black-and-white barred feathers.16 |
| White | The second variety bred. Advertised as early as 1884 and common at shows and on farms by 1910.116 |
| Buff | First shown at Providence, Rhode Island, in 1890.116 |
| Partridge | At least three strains were developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, all using Partridge Cochin blood for colour.116 |
| Columbian | 611 |
| Silver Penciled | 6 |
| Blue | 6 |
| Black | Bantam only.6 |
Temperament and handling
The Livestock Conservancy describes a calm bird, with both males and females generally sweet and docile. It says Rocks get along with other breeds, are friendly with people and good with children, like attention and will follow their keepers around. It also calls them chatty but quiet, and says they do not fly.
Oklahoma State University agrees that they are docile, not extremely aggressive, and tame quite easily. It adds one caution: some males and hens are big and active enough to be a problem if they do turn aggressive.12
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 200–280 large brown eggs a year134 | The Livestock Conservancy says around 200, Utah State University Extension 200–250 and University of New Hampshire Extension 200–280 for the Barred Rock. The Conservancy adds that laying is strong for the first few years and then slowly declines, though hens may lay into their 10th year. |
| Broilers | Mature at 8–12 weeks1 | The Livestock Conservancy says chicks feather quickly, so they make good broilers. |
| Market weight | 6–8 lb1 | |
| Start of lay | About 6 months8 | University of Minnesota Extension's figure for hens in general, not for this breed. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
University of Minnesota Extension gives a minimum of 3 to 5 sq ft of indoor space per bird, one nest box for every 4 to 5 hens, and a place to roost. That is for chickens in general. The Livestock Conservancy says Rocks tolerate confinement if they have enough room, but prefer to free-range.
Cold suits this breed. The same extension service names the Plymouth Rock among the heavier breeds that over-winter well. It still advises supplemental heat when the coop falls below 35 °F, and good airflow, because damp air and cold together cause frostbite on combs, wattles and feet.
We found no heat figure specific to Plymouth Rocks. For poultry in general, birds start to pant and eat less as the air nears 85 °F, and need shade, ventilation and cool water.87131
Feed
Feed a prepared ration balanced for vitamins, minerals and protein. Laying hens also need crushed oyster shell for eggshells and grit for digestion. Feed intake can rise by up to 25 percent in cold weather.
Keep clean, fresh water available all the time. Kitchen scraps and scratch grains are fine as treats in moderation.87
Health
We found no health problems that our sources tie to Plymouth Rocks in particular. University of Minnesota Extension describes a healthy chicken as active and alert with bright eyes, and says the easiest way to spot disease is to know what normal looks like for each bird. Clean the coop and run weekly, and clean feeders and waterers regularly.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a bird stops eating, wheezes or seems unwell, call a vet who treats poultry, or your county extension office.8
Price and where to buy
| Quality | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Day-old pullet | $4.12–$7.15910 |
| Day-old chick, unsexed | $2.92–$4.95910 |
| Day-old cockerel | $2.27–$3.89910 |
Prices are per Barred Plymouth Rock chick, read from two hatchery pages on 9 October 2026. Cackle's page carries customer reviews dated up to 3 November 2025; McMurray's carries a site notice about a change beginning 19 November 2026. Both pages showed the chicks as unavailable (Cackle: temporarily unavailable; McMurray: sold out) on the day we looked. The top of each range is for the smallest orders and the bottom for the largest. Other colours may be priced differently.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Rock Fanciers Club breeders directory | Breed club directory | |
| Cackle Hatchery | Hatchery | Pullets $4.12–5.99, unsexed $3.09–4.49, males $2.50–3.89; ships February to October |
| Murray McMurray Hatchery | Hatchery | Pullets $4.22–7.15, unsexed $2.92–4.95, males $2.27–3.85 |
Similar breeds
| Breed | Hen weight | Eggs per year | Beginner | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Rock (this breed) | 7.5 lb | 200–280 | $2.27–$7.15 | |
| Rhode Island Red | 6–6.5 lb | 150–300 | $2.27–$7.15 | |
| Orpington | 8 lb | $2.27–$7.15 |
History
A chicken called the Plymouth Rock was first shown in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1849, but those birds disappeared for two decades. The breed we know dates from the Worcester, Massachusetts, poultry show of 1869. The Plymouth Rock Fanciers Club credits D.A. Upham of Worcester, who crossed pullets of Black Java ancestry with a single-combed, barred farmyard cock and kept only the barred offspring with clean yellow legs. Other breeders were working on similar birds at the same time, and several people claimed the breed.
The APA accepted the Plymouth Rock in 1874. It caught on fast: until World War II no breed was kept and bred as widely. Farmers valued it for hardiness, docility, broodiness and good production of both eggs and meat. It was one of the foundation breeds of the broiler industry in the 1920s.
The Barred came first and the other colours followed. White Rocks were being advertised by 1884, and Buffs were shown at Providence, Rhode Island, in 1890.
The Plymouth Rock graduated from The Livestock Conservancy's priority list in 2023.1211
Common questions
How big do Plymouth Rock chickens get?
The standard weights are 9½ lb for a cock and 7½ lb for a hen. Young birds are lighter: 8 lb for a cockerel and 6 lb for a pullet.21
What colour eggs do Plymouth Rocks lay?
Brown, and large.1
How many eggs does a Plymouth Rock lay?
Around 200 a year, according to The Livestock Conservancy. Two extension services put it a little higher, at 200–250 and 200–280. Laying is strong for the first few years and then slowly declines.134
Is a Barred Rock the same as a Plymouth Rock?
A Barred Rock is a Plymouth Rock in the Barred colour. It was the original variety, and early on the name Plymouth Rock meant a barred bird. The APA now recognises seven large-fowl colours: Barred, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Silver Penciled and White.126
Are Plymouth Rocks friendly?
Yes. The Livestock Conservancy describes them as calm, sweet and docile, friendly with people and good with children. Oklahoma State University says they tame quite easily.12
Are Plymouth Rocks cold hardy?
Yes. University of Minnesota Extension names the Plymouth Rock among heavier breeds that over-winter well. Combs, wattles and feet can still get frostbite in a damp coop.7
Are Plymouth Rocks good for beginners?
Yes. The Livestock Conservancy calls the breed a good choice for a first-time chicken owner.1
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- The Livestock Conservancy, Plymouth Rock Chicken.
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Plymouth Rock Chickens (archived copy).
- Utah State University Extension, Managing Chickens From Chicks to Peak Egg Production.
- University of New Hampshire Extension, Producing Your Own Eggs.
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- American Poultry Association, Accepted Breeds & Varieties.
- University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for chickens in cold weather.
- University of Minnesota Extension, Raising chickens for eggs.
- Cackle Hatchery, Barred Rock Chickens.
- Murray McMurray Hatchery, Barred Plymouth Rock.
- Plymouth Rock Fanciers Club, About the Breed.
- American Bantam Association, Active Breed and Variety List, March 2021 (PDF).
- University of Minnesota Extension, Preventing heat stress in poultry.
Something wrong? Tell us and we'll check it.