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Member Reviews: Rhode Island

Positive Reviews

Chicken Happy

Great Girls!

Posted
By Chicken Happy

Pros: Loving, Great Layers, Wonderful Foragers

Have a feeling that my 6 RIR's are not normal. They are mellow and just want to be loved on. They do become pests when the feed scoop comes out, but other than that have not had any issues with them or do they pick on the other breeds.. The girls all give an egg a day - even through winter (no added light and only turned on heat lamp when it was 15 or lower outside). My flock will always have RIR's in it. 
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mandelyn

Good layers

Posted
By mandelyn

Pros: Nice sized bird that lays a L/XL brown egg

Cons: Roosters can be very mean

Good layers, production types don't typically go broody. The meanest roosters I've ever had were this breed, but in some settings a good tough guy is exactly what you need. The hens were great... calm, good foragers, very good layers.   Some flying ability. LOUD crowing. Hens didn't much sing the egg song after 8 months of age, so I wouldn't call the girls loud. The girls were not prone to frequent cackling.   Roosters not recommended around small children unless he's proven to be well behaved.
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Highland Hens

Hens are Wonderful

Posted
By Highland Hens

Pros: very friendly, lays lots of large brown eggs, not one bit aggressive, calm, happy to free range, beautiful color

Cons: no cons for Hens, i have heard that roos can be agro tho..

We have had some wonderful road island red girls. They have been very calm and quiet happy birds. They lay beautiful large brown eggs and are one of our favorites out of the six breeds we have owned. I am surprised that they are not higher on the ratings list.
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Negative Reviews

chickery-do

Good layers, not for children

Posted
By chickery-do

Pros: VERY Good Layers right thru our cold winter.

Cons: To Aggressive, Hates to be second in anything!

I have 2 and they have been laying 2 eggs a day since day one.  Before I had they I had 6 Americana's and I would get 4 to 6 eggs a day.  Their coop and aviary smelled a bit but once I got the reds, that's when we noticed they stunk!  I had them in a very large dog cage so that I could acclimate the two girls to the Americana's.  And their cage would stink to high heaven, you would of never guessed it had been cleaned the day before. I've had to put aprons on the Americana's, I wish they had neck socks also!
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caohorse

really, really mean birds!!!

Posted
By caohorse

Pros: good laying

Cons: aggressive,mean,kills other chickens,territorial, bites,jumps at you

i used to have rhode island reds and the hens killed most of our flock! they will attack you no matter how much you socialize them as chicks. when i socialized them as chicks, i used the same methods as i do with my silkies and other chickens. these will come running to me when they see me, and wait for me to pick them up and they fall asleep in my arms. the rhodes are the opposite. they will jump, bite and puff up when you approach them. they do the same with other chickens too. we lost so many of our hens due to these birds. i am NEVER getting a rhode island red again. i really, really dont suggest getting this breed for your backyard flock.   caohorse
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cutlerfam7

Rhode Island Reds can be mean to other chickens

Posted
By cutlerfam7

Pros: Good Layers, Tough

Cons: Bossy, Aggressive

I have a mix of large brown egg layer breeds and in this mix I have about 7 RIR. My girls are like a gang and pick on basically all of the other chickens. They are always nipping at the others steping on the girls necks and pulling their neck feathers and they have even started pulling the top feathers of my beautiful Polish hen. And the thing is all of my chickens are the same age and have grown up together since I got them in a group of 25.
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More Reviews

epeloquin

Very hardy birds, very good layers, not very social.

Posted
By epeloquin

Pros: Very hardy, very healthy, excellent layers.

Cons: Flighty, can be aggro, not very personable.

I have had three Rhodies for two years now. We raised them from chicks. They do not like being handled at all and generally keep their distance. My alpha hen is one of the Rhodies. She asserts herself but is not a bully. They lay nice brown eggs averaging around 5 per week. They have not gone broody at all. They have moulted and the moult lasted several months. They are pretty birds. Given the choice again, I would reserve Rhodies for more of a farm setting where their independence and hardiness would be very desired. For a backyard flock I would probably go with a more personable breed in the future.
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happyfrenchman

Excellent all around chickens

Posted
By happyfrenchman

Pros: Great foragers, hardy, lay alot of large eggs, rooster is large and very aggressive if he doesn't know you. Some do not consider that a pro. I do.

Cons: Never go broody. This is a plus for some, but I would have liked to hatch some more.

I think these Rhode Island Reds are the best chickens. I have had them for years now. Started with a flock o 10 hens and two roosters, Now down to 5 hens (3 originals) and one original rooster. These birds are great foragers, they go all day hunting bugs and scratching, laying in the sunshine. They lay eggs like clockwork. They are streetwise to predation and when the rooster (who is always vigilant) squawks, they scatter. They have never shown any inclination to go broody which is unfortunate IMO because I would have liked to have raised some for more hens and also to eat the roosters. I got these birds from the IDEAL Hatchery in Texas and they have been great birds. Healthy, smart,...
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SJ

REDS OR WHITES? ALSO THE TWO VERY DIFFERNT RHODE ISLANDS REDS

Posted
By SJ

Pros: Economical brown egg producers and excellent free range foragers.

Cons: The Production Reds is a nasty flock member. Good Heritage Red Lines are hard to find but worth it.

That right, there is more than one type of Rhode Island and they are very distinct breeds. Reds are one of, if not the most common brown egg layer to be found. While the whites are practically unknown by comparision. So lets start with a little history before some compare and contrast of the Reds.   A highly informative history on the White type can be found here: http://albc-usa.org/cpl/rhodewhite.html Please read it as I dont care to plagerize or rehash.   Next lets cover a very real issue with Reds. This issue is the "Modern Industial/Production Red"(PR) vs. the "Heritage Red"(HR). Is there a definite difference? I think so. I...
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Chicken Goddess

Good Egg Layers

Posted
By Chicken Goddess

Pros: Great Layer, Lays an egg everyday / Food Wise / Loves Humans

Cons: Habit of pecking me in the eye / Pecks other chickens when it comes to food / Wouldn't say they are child friendly

They are good chickens for egg laying and for being food wise. But when holding them you'll have to be careful, my chickie pecks me in the eye and the mouth (she even ate food out of my mouth when i was eating a muesily bar ). They are pretty bad when it comes to introducing new chickens and they peck other chickens when it comes to food.
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Idahomestead

An aloof bully, but reliable layer.

Posted
By Idahomestead

Pros: Reliable layer. Lovable despite her quirks.

Cons: Aloof, bullied the new girls.

Of all my hens, she is the only one who will not let me touch her. She also made my new chicks lives hell when they were introduced to the flock. She is lovable nonetheless.    She has layed an egg a day since her point of lay, even during the winter, without supplemental lighting. She loves to eat the live spiders that I catch in the house, as well as dandelion flowers, and she is quite vociferous while awaiting her turn in the nest box.  
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snistersflock

Best Girl I Ever Had

Posted
By snistersflock

Pros: Intelligent, Affectionate, Looked after the other hens,

Cons: None

Where do I begin?  My little Redhenley, nicknamed Mink (it's a long story), was the best girl I've ever had or will ever have.  She died of cancer last year. She was an excellent egg layer, but since I don't eat eggs, I didn't care really.  She was plucky and hardy, but most of all, she was the best companion in the world.  She ruled the roost and kept every other girl in line.  She kept peace within our flock for five years.  Tillie, our Ameraucana (and Mink's best mate), would peck our Buff Orpingtons.  Mink stopped it as soon as she could.  She could chew you out a mile away, but would cuddle in a heartbeat if you openend your arms.  ...
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LillianMae

Awesome chicken!

Posted
By LillianMae

Pros: Pretty, sweet, lovely personality, a great chicken

Cons: None.

I have two RIR's, they are such great chickens, not fully grown yet, but still amazing! I love my girls.
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KM and Ruthie

Nice chicken

Posted
By KM and Ruthie

Pros: Friendly, good egglayer, pretty

Cons: bully

Our RIR is very friendly toward us. She(as all of our chickens) comes when called, and greets us at the door. She is a bit of a bully though toward the other chickens, especially one in particular, who is a buff orpington.
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Gen9

Mine would make a better meat bird

Posted
By Gen9

Pros: dual purpose

Cons: I can't remember the last time mine laid an egg

Pros: Dual purpose, beautiful red bird Cons: maybe it's just my hen but I can't remember the last time she's laid an egg. Her eggs are medium, reddish brown, and beautiful. Not sure why she's not laying, could be the fact that she is at the bottom of the pecking order in my flock.  She's a bum and eats all the food. Not sure if I'm going to keep her around much longer. Hoping she starts laying again this spring.
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chickengirl2013

Good Layers

Posted
By chickengirl2013

Pros: great chickens for laying

Cons: roos can be very territorial

My seven Rhode Island Red pullets have just begin laying and from experience, I know that Rhode Islands are great layers. However, my pullets are extremly scittish and the rooster, George, can come off mean if you don't know him. Overall great chickens, though.
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