Breed chickens Plymouth Rock has been known since the mid-19th century, its name comes from the American city of Plymouth and English. Rock - rock. The main characteristics were established in the process of crossing Dominican, Javanese, Cochin and Langshan breeds of chickens with roosters from Spain. It was not until 1910 that the Poultry Association of America formalized the characteristics of the breed.
Plymouthrocks spread across Europe and then came to Russia. Russian, American and European lines are distinguished, since selection was carried out with the selection of specified characteristics.
Appearance
Plymouth rocks were once widespread in Russia, but then the population almost disappeared. Now farmers are trying to revive Plymouth Rocks, as they have valuable qualities. Look at the photo to see what the breed looks like.
The description of the breed includes the following characteristics: shiny eyes, legs and beak of a rich yellow color. In laying hens, the comb has a leaf-shaped shape with uniform teeth; in roosters, the comb is larger with 4-5 teeth.
The body and chest should form a rectangle; if they form a triangle, then this is a sign that the chicken is a poor laying hen. The back is wide and strong. Roosters have a short tail, and the tail feathers are shaped like a sickle. In chickens, the tail feathers are almost no different from the integumentary feathers, they barely protrude.
The main color of striped Plymouth Rocks is black, turning into a greenish tint, which alternates with a soft grayish color. Roosters have a 1:1 ratio of black to gray, while hens have a 2:1 ratio. This is why the hens appear to be darker. Ideally, each feather should end with a black section. The stripes on the flight feathers may be wider, although it does not look as organic as on the body, but this width corresponds to the world standard.
Poultry farmers involved in the selection of individuals for breeding should be attentive to the appearance of chickens and roosters. Laying hens and roosters at 12 months of age or a little earlier are selected for the breeding flock.
Productivity
Plymouthrock is a meat and egg breed of chickens. The weight of chickens is up to 3.5 kg, roosters up to 5 kg. They lay 170-190 eggs per year.
Therefore, there is no need to make high fences. Poultry farmers love to breed Plymouth Rocks for their high-quality meat and a considerable amount of eggs.
Striped Plymouth Rock chickens are dark matte in color. And a characteristic white spot on the head, which is used to determine the sex of chicks at the age of one day. In cockerels, the white spot is blurred, indistinct, and pale. In chickens it is bright, with clear edges. The viability of the offspring is more than 90%. A high rate is a characteristic feature of the breed.
Plymouthrocks do not suffer from any specific diseases characteristic only of this breed. They are resistant to diseases, but if this happens, then the diseases are the same as those that affect other breeds. It is worth taking action if you find:
- Changes in behavior. Plymouthrocks sit more and move little;
- Birds eat poorly and lose weight;
- Excessive feather loss;
- Frequent foamy bowel movements;
- Restless behavior.
Be sure to conduct a careful daily visual inspection of the bird. There may also be less obvious symptoms that are harbingers of serious illnesses. All this is a reason to contact a veterinarian. About Plymouth Rocks, watch the video:
Amrox breed
It happens that the Amrox breed is sold under the guise of Plymouth Rocks. In fact, it is very difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish one breed from another. Amrox bred on the basis of the Striped Plymouth Rock breed through targeted selection in order to increase its productive value and survivability. Amroks can be found in private farms, due to their meat-egg orientation, they fully satisfy the requirements of poultry farmers for their products.
Chickens weigh up to 3.5 kg, roosters reach a weight of up to 5 kg. Laying hens produce up to 200 eggs per year. The eggs are light beige in color. The shell is strong. The average weight of eggs is about 60 g. The breed has a calm, balanced character. The bird is difficult to climb and is extremely reluctant to fly. Chickens hatch eggs on their own, which makes it possible for private farms to do without an incubator.
Safety of young animals is up to 97%.This is a very high indicator and is a distinctive feature of the breed.
The striped Plymouth Rocks inherited their unique coloration from the Amroks. Only their stripes are wider and not as clearly defined as those of Plymouth Rocks. The difference between the breed is that even the down feathers have a black and gray stripe. Roosters are not as brightly colored as chickens.
On poultry farms aimed at mass production of products, Amrox is not bred, but is used as a base for creating crosses. Hybrid breeds have specific properties: meat, egg, and less often universal. The breed has no disadvantages, but only positive characteristics:
- High survival rate of young animals;
- Universal focus;
- Non-aggressive character;
- Good adaptation to new conditions;
- Not picky about food;
- High performance indicators for manufactured products.
All this makes it possible for novice poultry farmers to start growing and breeding the Amrox breed without any particular risks.
Cornish breed
In production, the Plymouth Rock breed is used to breed interbreed hybrids. Crossing with other breeds gives excellent results. For example, as a result of crossing Plymouth Rocks with Cornish breed, meat-oriented broilers appeared.
Interestingly, the Cornish were bred due to the interest of the English nobility in cockfighting, by crossing with Malayan chickens. But the newly bred specimens lost their aggressive nature and became unsuitable for cockfighting. But they retained their qualities of successfully gaining meat mass into the breast. The breed did not find use for a long time, since it laid very few eggs.Through targeted selection, the breed was improved and is currently used as genetic material for creating crosses. The focus is exclusively meat, although Cornish cats lay 100 - 120 eggs per year.
Conclusion
Multi-purpose chicken breeds are suitable for keeping on homestead farms. Plymouthrocks are able to provide a family with high-quality meat and eggs, while they have a high degree of unpretentiousness in nutrition and living conditions.
