Chicken Breed Focus - Rhodebar

The Rhodebar is a rare British breed developed around 1950. There were apparently several strains developed at that time by a number of breeders, all of whom had the objective of creating an auto-sexing breed that was also an excellent egg layer. Breeds used in the creation of the Rhodebar included primarily Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rocks and Golden Brussbars, Brussbars themselves being an auto-sexing breed developed from Barred Plymouth Rocks and Brown Sussex. Rhode Island Reds have been used again more recently to improve egg laying ability and type in the breed.

Because the Rhodebar was developed at the beginning of the commercial hybrid era, it only had a brief period of popularity before fading into obscurity. They are a very rare breed today in both the UK and in the US, to where they were imported around 2011.

Rhodebars are sturdy single combed, yellow skinned birds. Adult hens are primarily reddish barred in color and the males are very attractive multi-colored barred birds. The chicks should be easily sexable at hatch, with the males having lighter blond colored spotted down and females brown chipmunk striped down.

Rhodebar hens are excellent layers, producing 250 or so large brown eggs a year. They have calm temperaments and are generally not aggressive. They are considered a good choice for the small homesteader or for free ranging flocks, and especially anyone who wishes to be able to identify cockerels early on. The cockerels do make a fine, slow growing table bird.

Details:

Breed purpose: Dual Purpose Egg Layer
Comb Type: Single
Broodiness: Occasional
Climate Tolerance: Good, cold hardy
Weight: Roosters 8 lbs, Hens 6 lbs.
Egg Productivity: Very Good
Egg Size: Large
Egg Color: Brown

BYC Breed reviews:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/rhodebar

Link to the General breed discussions & FAQ thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/582327/the-rhodebar-thread/0_20



Rhodebar Rooster @stoneunhenged


Rhodebar flock @clucktail


Rhodebar Hen @maindobe


Rhodebar Hen @nicalandia


Rhodebar Chicks @stoneunhenged


Do you own Rhodebars? Are you a Rhodebar breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

We have a bunch of other awesome breed-focus threads for you to enjoy. You can see all of them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-project.975504/

This is Roosti my rhodebar rooster he is sooooo loveable! All time favorite rooster!

I like my Rhodebars...they are overall calm, intelligent, good foragers, and good layers of large, light tan eggs.

I got 1 rooster to 3 hens with my hatch, and sadly the rooster was wheaten, so my breeding plans ended there.

They make a good dual purpose bird as the hens, as stated, have been good layers while the rooster came to a nice table size by 18 to 20 weeks. The rooster was very sweet tempered, but not good for the purpose of sexable chicks, so we culled him. Two of the hens have been broody, both surprisingly persistently broody, although I have not used either to hatch chicks to date.

I still have the hens, but have not pursued the Rhodebar project as I've turned my attention to a long desired olive egger project...but if I can pick up a nice, autosexing RB rooster, or a top quality RIR rooster, I may turn my attention back to them after my olive egger project.

I don't have recent pics, but you can see the chick hatching project in my byline.

I do recommend this breed for those who enjoy very pretty hard working and solid laying birds and the opportunity for autosexing, if you are willing to cull and work should you get wheaten throw backs.

LofMc

Is there anyone still working with Rhodebar chicken <projects> or breed? Seems like all the threads I'm finding are pretty much "dead". I have acquired some Rhodebar chicks here in NC and I'm liking the birds, so have been reading like crazy on any website and thread I can find. I'm not yet all the way thru "The Rhodebar thread!" (page 101; post #1002), but had jumped ahead and was surprised how it seemed to fizzle out between 2015 & 2017 w/ no posts yet for 2018.

These are my first "breeder" type birds (not hatchery stock or hybrids). I'll admit I have a lot to learn, but liking the auto sexing traits and the way these birds can/will look at maturity, so willing to learn more. Have never had Heritage type RIRs either, so will need to find some of as well...

Are they friendly? Seek human interaction? Good for kids?

I read that to increase egg production in Rhodebars, you can mix in a production red, and get 1/2 Rhodebars.

Then when you breed it to a Rhodebar, you get autosexing Rhodebars, that lay more eggs...

But I can't find the article I read that in...

Does anyone here know about it?

ThatCityChick said:

Are they friendly? Seek human interaction? Good for kids?

Click to expand...

My Rhodebars are only 7 weeks old but I am IN LOVE! First time having this breed and they are incredibly friendly, confident and sweet. They love being held. They fly up to my shoulder when I go into the coop!

Thought I'd share some pics of our 4.5 month old Rhodebar roosters. They haven't yet got their big fluffy, stripey tail feathers yet. I'm sure they'll look stunning when they do. They've just been sold to their new owners today as mice catchers at a local Sikh temple. Their father is a RIR and mother is a Legbar.