The Plymouth Rock chicken breed originated in which country?

Chickens are one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 23.7 billion as of 2018. There are more chickens in the world than any other bird or domesticated fowl.

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.

The Plymouth Rock was first shown in Boston in 1849 and was added to the Standard of Excellence of the American Poultry Association in 1874. The barred plumage pattern was the original one; other colors were later added.

In 1888, the White Plymouth Rock was created through selective breeding in the hopes that it would be a superior meat producing bird. It quickly eclipsed the Barred Rock in popularity and became the leading broiler chicken in countries like the USA and Australia. Industries still use the White Plymouth Rock as one of their main producers of meat.

The Plymouth Rock is a dual-purpose breed, and is kept both for its meat and for its large brown eggs, of which it lays about 200 per year. Statistically the White Plymouth Rock yield more eggs and meat compared to other variations of the Plymouth Rock. In addition, their docile nature and hardiness make them an easily mass-produced and raised species.