Most people have had at least one or two of these in their flock.
They are vigorous foragers and are dominant over meeker breeds. They’re best kept in a situation with a lot of room to roam. You’ll have pecking order problems if kept in typical small backyard confinement.
But, they are sturdy, hardy chickens that lay big brown eggs consistently throughout the season. Mine have never gone broody. Yours?
Q is for Quills. Which reminds us that not that long ago chickens were multi-purpose animals. Feathers were useful. I have diaries from the early 1900s that recount restuffing mattress ticking each year with feathers (if the farm had been prosperous) or with straw (if they were not). One year, the wife lost her wedding band in the process, and never did find it.
When I was a tween, ink pens with nibs were all the rage. But I’ve never written with a real quill pen. Have you?
At one time these were the most popular birds in America. Like many breeds, it had its start in the 1800s when a poultry fancier had a type in mind, crossed two existing breeds, and continued to select for certain traits. In this case, the desired bird was calm, meaty, laid plenty of eggs, and would go broody (useful in the days before electric incubators.) You might know this chicken as a Barred Rock, and recognize it by its black and white patterning, but not all Plymouth Rocks have barred feathering. Some are white, others are penciled (imagine a chicken in a brown tweed coat) or Columbian (white with a black necklace.)
By the way, the Plymouth in its name comes from a town in Massachusetts on Cape Cod.
Edwina and Eleanor were two Plymouth Barred Rocks that lived here for many years. They were ornery and stately. They were not hens that blended meekly in with the flock!
I keep a mixed flock of breeds of mixed ages, so it’s obvious that egg production isn’t my number one priority. If it was, I’d have all leghorns, and then only until they reach their second molt. Then I’d start fresh with another batch of chicks. But, like many backyard chicken keepers, I have a varied lot. Partly this is due to the fact that I become attached to the birds, and let them live into old age. (Curious about how long hens live? Read this FAQ.) Partly, it’s because I value eggs of different shell colors – it doesn’t make a whit of difference in taste, but they’re so pretty! Same goes for fancy feathers. Simply put, they’re fun to look at. Partly, I keep mixed flocks because I like the unique personalities of the different breeds.
Still, I like eggs. A lot. So, I try to select for breeds that don’t go broody. That’s why there’s only one cochin in the lot. (Pearl rarely lays, but she is quite the sight.)
Yesterday I tallied up the year end egg count. (A printable version of this vintage egg chart is here.)
The Gems are the hens in the Big Barn (seen on the BarnCam.) They hatched in the spring of 2011, so they are now finishing up their third year. From now on, egg production will go down, and I also expect to see losses as they succumb to illnesses so prevalent in older birds. Also in the Big Barn is Misty, a younger hen that had bullying issues with her own chickmates. but who was put in her place by the older hens. She fits in very well now. I started the year with 11 in that barn, but lost Etheldred to disease. I collected 1209 eggs, which comes out to about 120 eggs per bird. That’s not a lot. There was a bout of thin-shelled eggs due to a virus. There was a stretch of broodiness. There was the normal molt. Several of the hens are breeds not known for high production, like Agatha, the Speckled Sussex.
The previous year saw 251 more eggs from that lot. This is why real farmers have to keep only young chickens.
The Ladies, the hens seen on the main HenCam, are younger. This fall was their first molt. None of these chickens went broody. Some are breeds touted for high production, like the Black Stars, and Twiggy, the Leghorn.
However, Beatrix and Owly are kept for their pretty bluish eggs, and Veronica for her speckled ones. They lay, but not everyday.
The Ladies laid 1215 eggs in 2014. That’s an average of 202 eggs per hen, quite a marked improvement over the neighboring Gems. Good going, Ladies!
How was the egg count for your flock?
This is a beloved breed.
No one gets Orpingtons for their egg laying prowess. They provide a few eggs a week, unless they’re broody, or too hot, or too cold. Then they don’t lay any. But, their looks and personality make them one of the most popular backyard breeds. I like to say that the Orpington is the Golden Retriever of the chicken world. Pretty. Friendly. Easy going. But, I guess that back in the day, they were known as a meat bird.
I’ve lucked out because my Buff Orpington, Amber, is the rare one that doesn’t go broody and who lays steadily during the season. She’s a tolerant hen that I take on school visits. Tell me about your Orpington!
