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Plymouth RocksThe Plymouth Rock is the most popular of all varieties of poultry as is considered a general-purpose fowl. Its medium size, hardy growth, and good laying qualities make it a practical fowl for the farm. AncestryThe Barred variety is the most generally known of the Plymouth Rocks, and its history dates back a little over a century. Various bloods were used in its making. Most believe that it originally was a cross between the American Dominique and the Black Java. It has also been shown that Light Brahma, Dark Brahma, and Pit Game have been used in its development. Description The Barred Plymouth Rock (fig. 1) is of a grayish-white color, regularly crossed with parallel bars of blue-black running in straight distinct lines throughout the entire length of the feather, and showing on the down or undercolor of the feathers. The Barring is somewhat smaller on the hackle and saddle feathers than on other portions of the body. The bird is:
The difference between the Barred and the Pea-comb Barred is that the latter has small, firm, and even pea-comb, instead of single comb. Functionality - Marketability
For the farmer or market poultry-man they are favorites, being of medium size, well proportioned, with a deep, full breast, making a most admirable bird for market purposes. They are hardy, mature early, and make excellent broilers from eight to twelve weeks old. They are good layers the year round, and in winter they lay exceptionally well. Their eggs are brown in color and average 8 to a pound. They are good sitters and excellent mothers. Functionality - FanciersThe barred Plymouth Rock, besides being a practical fowl, is also one of the most sought after by fanciers. No class is better filled at the average poultry show of the country than is this. The graceful figure, upright carriage, and active nature endear it to all as a fancier's fowl.  There is a fascination in breeding it for plumage, the more regular and even the barring the better (fig. 2). It requires much skill to breed for color, and two matings are generally used. An established rule for mating cockerels is to use a standard-color male with medium-dark females, and for pullets, use light males and dark females. Double mating is resorted to by many, although rare specimens have been produced from single matings. CharacteristicsThe characteristics of the Barred Plymouth Rock are noticeable in the other varieties of Plymouth Rocks, excepting that of color. The size, shape, general outlines, and qualities are the same in the other varieties as in the Barred. The White Plymouth Rock is pure white in plumage throughout, and the buff variety is a clear buff, uniform in shade, except the tail, which is deep buff or copperish-yellow brown. The buff should extend to the under-color as much as possible; the deeper the better. The standard weight of the Plymouth Rock is:
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