Plymouth Rock Chicken
As a hardy, docile, broody and excellent producer of both meat and eggs, which it lays year-round, the Plymouth Rock Chicken is a quintessential American breed. This bird was developed in the mid-19th century as a dual-purpose chicken. The chicken has yellow skin and lays eggs that are varying shades of brown.
The origins of this chicken are somewhat of a mystery. There are no steadfast rules for naming breeds of fowl in the US, but most breeds are named for their location of origin. The Plymouth Rock was probably developed in Massachusetts, hence its name, but until World War II, the Plymouth Rock chicken was not known in the US.
The ALBC classifies the Plymouth Rock in the recovering category and emphasizes that the bird is still in need of continuing support, promotion and conservation.
