Chicken Breed Focus Rhode Island Red

[worms7]

Are Rhode island mean to each other like pecking and is there a breed similar to the Rhode island
Cheers

 

[pfields]

Are you sure it's a pullet and not a cockerel?
These are older pictures of my Production Reds. If one girl was in a nest box then of course another would want to use the same nest box.

I've had Production Reds before and loved them. I ordered RIR specifically from Ideal. They have the hump before their tail feathers. I've had no reason to believe different but anythings possible.
Beautiful chicken, btw.

 

[pfields]

Are Rhode island mean to each other like pecking and is there a breed similar to the Rhode island
Cheers

I have noticed they do have very different personalities from my EE and GSL. Years ago when I had Production Red's they would follow me around the yard, jump up into my lap if I sat on the deck. The Production Red would make the softest sounds when they followed me and loved for me to pet them, not these RIR. I have 1 RIR that lets me touch her and she's done that since a small chick.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I have gotten chicks from Ideal several years ago and I did get a cockerel that was supposed to be a pullet. They only guarantee 90%. Sometimes especially in the cooler months if they ship extra chicks the extra chicks will more than likely be cockerels. Under my avatar is My Coop. Most of the pictures are pretty old and there has been a lot of changes since the pictures were taken. I do have a picture of "Chester" who was supposed to be a pullet. I did eventually give him away to a friend who wanted a RIR/PR cockerel for a breeding project.

 

[sumi]

I had one production red that was VERY personable. She was allowed to come into our house and when she found me lying on the bed, reading or busy on my laptop, she'd jump up and scratch my leg so I'd put it down for her to nap on:



(Those otherwise wing feathers grew out o.k. as she matured)

 

[cmom]

Are Rhode island mean to each other like pecking and is there a breed similar to the Rhode island
Cheers

There can be mean or aggressive birds in any breed. I had a couple of RIR hens that weren't aggressive towards people but were against some pullets I added to my flock. I gave them some time outs. One when I put them back in the pen after a week of being on a time out one was ok when I reintroduced her but another went back to her old habits of beating on the pullets. She was on them so roughly I thought she was going to kill them. She got another week of time out. I cut a second pop door into the coop because I only had one coop at that time and she would not let the pullets into the coop to get to the feeder. I also hung another feeder and waterer in their run. It did help but when she got the chance she would still beat on the pullets. Several times when I caught her I had a hose handy and would hit her with the water which really surprised her and she would get off of the pullet and run into the coop. I never completely cured her so eventually I had some birds I was taking to an auction and she went too. Maybe if she was in another environment she would act different as she would be the new one on the block. That was my only experience. In many years I have not had another aggressive bird. This is just my experience.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I also put golf balls in my nest boxes. I have a broody girl right now and she is sitting on a golf ball.

 

[N F C]

There can be mean or aggressive birds in any breed. I had a couple of RIR hens that weren't aggressive towards people but were against some pullets I added to my flock. I gave them some time outs. One when I put them back in the pen after a week of being on a time out one was ok when I reintroduced her but another went back to her old habits of beating on the pullets. She was on them so roughly I thought she was going to kill them. She got another week of time out. I cut a second pop door into the coop because I only had one coop at that time and she would not let the pullets into the coop to get to the feeder. I also hung another feeder and waterer in their run. It did help but when she got the chance she would still beat on the pullets. Several times when I caught her I had a hose handy and would hit her with the water which really surprised her and she would get off of the pullet and run into the coop. I never completely cured her so eventually I had some birds I was taking to an auction and she went too. Maybe if she was in another environment she would act different as she would be the new one on the block. That was my only experience. In many years I have not had another aggressive bird. This is just my experience.

You hit the nail on the head with that statement cmom! My RIR's have been good tempered girls but a Black Australorp in our flock was a terror! Most everyone says BA's are docile sweethearts but I guess mine was the exception. We finally re-homed her as a last ditch effort and I hear she is doing well. My flock is so much calmer now.

So yes, I totally agree with you, there can be behavior challenges in every breed. I think breed personality descriptions are more or less generalizations, not necessarily rules.

 

[pfields]

I have gotten chicks from Ideal several years ago and I did get a cockerel that was supposed to be a pullet. They only guarantee 90%. Sometimes especially in the cooler months if they ship extra chicks the extra chicks will more than likely be cockerels. Under my avatar is My Coop. Most of the pictures are pretty old and there has been a lot of changes since the pictures were taken. I do have a picture of "Chester" who was supposed to be a pullet. I did eventually give him away to a friend who wanted a RIR/PR cockerel for a breeding project.

Yes, I knew I would get some peanuts and that they would be roosters. I ordered 24 RIR pullets and 1 BO rooster. With that order I only got 2 peanuts and both were RIR roosters.

I already had 2 roosters so that's why I gave them (RIR roos) away. Once my BO was older, I sold my BA rooster and we had to kill our GSL rooster after he spurred me to the bone on my legs.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
Did your GSL Rooster go to freezer camp? I was breeding for some Red Sex-Links with a SC RIR male and some SC RIW females. The male chicks when they got old enough went to freezer camp along with some of my RC RIW cockerels. I sold all of my SC RIR males. I have some RC RIR males too. I am going to try to sell the RIR males I don't keep for showing and breeding and some of the RC RIW males. I already sold all of my SC RIW males (12). Right now I probably have around 50 to 60 males, maybe more, from all of my breeds. I'm not sure I have to count them. We have a couple of swap meets monthly and a show coming up so I may take some birds to the swap meets but will definitely take some to sell at the show. I hatch all of my own chicks so I get a lot of males. What I don't sell the feed store up the road from me will barter for feed.