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Chapter XXIV. 
PLYMOUTH ROCKS. 
PossinLY no variety of Poultry (excepting the famous Cochin or the muchly abused Langshan), caused 
greater controversy between fanciers in America and Great Britain than the Barred Plymouth Rock. 
The difference existing between the American and English standards of excellence being most marked, 
no doubt held great weight in the matter, and probably was the main factor in the discussion. 
The Americans, being the originators of the breed, are certainly entitled to great respect, their ideal 
tending towards the lighter coloured birds, whereas in the Old Country a more medium shade 
of steel grey plumage is fostered. There is, however, much to be said in favour of the medium 
coloured birds against the lighter, as the latter shade is more inclined to lose density in a few 
seasons, becoming too pale, and again is much more difficult to produce in the progeny each successive 
generation. Great change has of late years taken place in the depth of markings and ground colour, 
but a few years back solid markings were the rage, with the ground colour so pale as to appear almost 
white. This was very conspicuous in the hens. It will be granted that a breed of fowls with such a 
" complexity of blood " must necessarily vary in some particulars, and when it is remembered that the Black 
Java, Dominique, Cochin, Malay, Chittagong, and Dorking have had a hand in their production, leaves little 
to be wondered at, beyond the fact that they should breed so generally true to feather and type. In breeding 
the Plymouth Rock there is a wide field open to the fancier to produce birds of high merit, but this cannot be 
done without a great deal of care, selection, and study. In cocks rarely does a high-class specimen appear 
even at our best Shows, the majority of the birds exhibited being more or less washy in colour. They are, 
no doubt, extremely hard to breed right up to standard requirements, and the stock birds should always be 
most carefully selected, especially noting that faults on one side are quite counter-balanced on the other. A 
stock cock should be as large as possible, providing he is active and vigorous. The breast must be hard, 
deep, and full ; the marking of the plumage should be as even as possible ; the barring of the feathers should 
run right across, and barred right down to the skin, and on no account show brassiness in the hackles or 
back, a bird faulty in this respect should be discarded ; the body large, fairly square and compact ; legs rather 
short ; shanks and feet a bright yellow ; the beak clear yellow, although a streak of horn colour is admissible ; 
comb medium size, thick at base, and evenly serrated, fitting well on to the head, following closely the contour 
of the neck ; comb, face, ear lobes and wattles rich bright red ; the lobes quite free from white or yellow, {a 
cock with this hitter defect will beget pallets far xvorse in this failing) ; tail medium in size, carried 
moderately high and fairly close together, the main sickle feathers well curved and a few inches longer than 
the true tail feathers, these sickle feathers should be evenly barred right to the extremities, but this is seldom 
seen, as 90 per cent, of cocks show white, though as cockerels they might have been sound in tail; white in 
nights is also a grievous fault, strongly hereditary, and if a cock is used who has a lot of white in flights the 
pullets bred from him would be almost worthless ; the plumage of the cock should be evenly barred with 
very dark blue, approaching black ; the ground colour of the feathers being a light grey ground colour, but 
not white ; the hackle feathers and saddle feathers should be one uniform shade right through, the barring 
on the hackles and tail being much finer than that of the body ; the barring on the head, back, wing-butts and 
tail is much deeper than the rest of the plumage ; the hackles full, and flowing, quite free from white, black, 
