Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock Hens Poster

"Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock Hens" by Catherine Sherman Two chickens stand on a pile of lumber in a Midwestern barn yard. They look as if they both claim this wooden throne. On the left is a Rhode Island Red hen. A Plymouth Rock hen with black and white barred plumage stands on the right. I love the determined looks on their faces. The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It is the state bird of Rhode Island. It was developed there and in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century, by cross-breeding birds of Oriental origin such as the Malay with brown Leghorn birds from Italy. It was a dual-purpose breed, raised both for meat and for eggs; modern strains have been bred for their egg-laying abilities. The Plymouth Rock is an American breed of domestic chicken. It was first seen in Massachusetts in the nineteenth century, and for much of the early twentieth century was the most popular chicken breed in the United States. It is a dual-purpose breed, raised both for its meat and for its brown eggs. It is resistant to cold, easy to manage, and a good sitter. In the United States, seven colour varieties of the Plymouth Rock are recognized: Barred, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Silver-penciled and White.