Production Reds

[cackler]

I don't think that this is a 'breed' particularly, however, I am curious about others experiences with Production Red pullets. I bought 10 of them this past Spring. They started out to be the friendliest chickens that I have ever had. They followed me like a dog, did not seem to be afraid of anything whatsoever, and were also the earliest layers that I have ever had. The differences became apparent a couple of months ago when a couple of them went broody at 4 months of age - which is younger than I have experienced with other breeds. This didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time however, now there are a couple of them setting on eggs somewhere on the farm. We will occasionally catch glimpses of them. We have found a couple of other PR chickens' nests here and there - in ridiculous places such as in between hay bales {where I can't figure out why they would've even ventured in such a tight place in the first place!} and in the walls of an older building, underneath metal in a metal fire ring, etc. ANYplace but the nest boxes in the coop! They are definitely 'productive' but not for human purposes.

Is it just me or is this a "lesson learned"?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I''m glad you like your pro reds. There is no "formula" for making these mixed, red birds, so it is quite difficult to make sweeping statements about the various mixes that are called production reds.


As for laying all over the place, the reality is that starting pullets have no idea that you, the keeper, wish them lay in a certain place. None. They'll lay wherever they wish, if allowed to. Thus, I "train" all my starting pullets. I am too old to be doing egg hunts all over the place. LOL

When the pullets come into lay, I keep them cooped up for weeks until I see they've adopted the nests I provide as their own. They need to adopt those nests, and it cannot be forced, but if I make them attractive and natural? The quickly adopt their use. Once I sense they've all gotten into the pattern, I release them to free range, but only after 3 pm. Normally, they've all laid by 1 or 2 pm. Eventually, even free rangers return to the barn and lay in their boxes. Anyhow, enjoy your birds. I sure enjoy our pro red.

 

[fishnet1971]

My reds are great! friendly, affectionate, not a mean bone in her body. Guess I just got lucky.

 

[ellandeeranch]

I hate my Production Red. She's mean, and she acts like a very mean rooster, so now I have to carry a stick outside with me. She lays nice eggs though.

I find that mean chickens taste better.

 

[bruceh]

dang fred i can't get away from ya.

i have the hatchery rhode island red. which is nothing more than a production red. who knows what they are mixed with. mine are very sweet birds. if they are in the nest boxes you can go right under them. they peck a little but nothing more. hatchery birds are bred for egg production. so that should never be an issue.

birds by nature will lay anywhere they feel is a good spot. pullets must be shown and trained to a secure place, like the nesting box. if you make the box comfortable and darker the bird will go there. you can train the bird by penning them up and placing a golf ball or ceramic egg in the box. the bird sees it as if someone laid here it must be a good spot.

now for mean hens. i have no room in my flock for a nasty bird. however with that said, if you do not have a rooster, sometimes the dominant hen will assume the role of the rooster. this could be what is going on with these hens. they may or may not lay an egg. .sometimes the dominant hen when no rooster is present will grow a bigger comb , wattles , crow and mate the other hens.


while i am discussing roosters. the sweetest rooster i have ever had is a hatchery rhode island red. he is in my breeding program. , i want those disposition genes.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: I get asked questions about once every two months and it goes like this. I have a rooster a Rhode Island Red and he tries to spur me or my children or my grand children. You cant go into the pen with out worrying about him trying to hit me in the leg or hurt me or my kids. Why are Rhode Island Reds so MEAN.

After I ask them where they got their chickens and I normally know this in my head its the feed store most of the time. They are Rhode Island Reds on the brooder box and you buy them thinking they are Rhode Island Reds, but they are spin offs of the Rhode Island Reds from the 1930s and 40s.
Back in those days they had contest for egg production. It would help if you could do well at these contest and it would really help your sales for eggs or chicks as people made a living doing this. One guy named Perimeter thought I could get a edge on these Rhode Island Red guys if I cross in some heavy egg laying chickens and then latter enter these birds as Rhode Island Reds . He succeeded and his birds lay ed well and won a few contest, finally the good breeders who would send ten females that scored over 90 points in a judging contest said the heck with it. Then the chimerical egg laying houses started coming out and the leghorns and these kind of reds started to prosper. Be for you know it thousands and thousands where sold and today they are one of the dominate breeds that produce brown eggs for the stores for people to buy.

I don't know who came up with the term Production Reds kind of a mystery of the term New Hampshire Reds as there is no such breed. Just New Hampshire's.

If you type in to go ogle Rhode Island Reds and go to Bing.com look at the pictures in there. 95 percent of the pictures are production Reds getting the glory of Rhode Island Reds. Even some web sites and books show pictures of the organ washed out chicken and get all the glory of Rhode Island Reds. Rhode Island Reds have the color of a dark plum or a Bing cherry.

They have beaks that have very dark horn color and rich dark beetle green color in the tail area. The males have flat long backs with a body that is called brick shaped. Females lay about 180 eggs per pullet year some strain use to lay up to 200 which is about maxi um. Production reds are not breed for color or shape. They are breed to pump out eggs up to 275 eggs per year. Most farms get rid of the females after they go into a molt and start out with fresh pullets. Many of the hens when they go into their 2nd or 3rd year blow out from high egg production and that is normal and ok as they are breed to leap out and lay lots of eggs fast. Rhode Island Reds will loose about 20% of their egg production each year and can live up to 8 years of age and still produce chicks.

Hope this helps you on the difference in production reds and Rhode Island Reds. About 99 and 1/2 % of the people on this web site have what you are talking about. Only a hand full have the old fashion kind and trying to pres eve these birds from going extinct. I was Past President of the RHode Island Red Club of America a club to promote Rhode Island Reds. There is no club for producing reds.

You can go to this web site to see articles on Rhode Island Reds and how to breed them. Also, you can go to my picture trial site and see what Rhode Island Reds look like. I have raised production reds to com pair their feather growth to my large fowl 30 years ago. They are a great chicken for eggs. The new New Hampshire's from Germany in my view are the top new breed for the hobby farmer and back yard poultry hobbyist. They lay well, have lots of meat on their bones and are not mean. The strain was brought in from Germany about five years ago. Great birds in my view over production reds.

http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id67.html

Here is a brand new site on R I Reds on Face Book. Look at the male that Ryan from Calif just posted. One of the top males of the year.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/393983650675714/

http://www.rhodeislandredclub.eu/index.html

 

[Haveandtohold]

I have a red sex-link hen and she's wonderfully sweet and an excellent layer but has had terrible health problems. I don't think she'd even still be around today if I wasn't the type to take her to the vet! Check out this article from Animal Welfare Approved to learn more about the health problems: http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/TAFS-13-The-Prolific-Hen.pdf

 

[draye]

Here's one:



This is the best one that I have right now. He's even prettier now. I'll have to get more pictures.
His beard is blue, his tail is blue and he has a few blue feathers in his wings on the bottom feathers. Picture a RIR where it has black in tails and other places and replace the coloring with blue.

 

[draye]

will be interesting to see what color her egg will be

Both hens if this breeding lay green eggs one is a little more olive than the other.

I have offspring from them from my Naked Neck rooster not sure that they are going to Kay a green egg though they the most if them came out with single combs. It will be a wait and see game.

 

[LoveThemBirds]

I just wanted to clear this up.

Production reds are a simple hybrid.Red sex links are not,and will never be part production hen,unless genes etc change somehow (starting that this season,not gonna happen).
Red sex links are more recognized as "a Hybrid".Some.people think Rhode Island Reds are Production reds,when it's actually two different breeds.The production red is not a true breed,but it has its true colors,and egg color.The production red has up to 3 breeds or extra.

Since the New Hampshire is made with Rhorislands blood stream,only,I can't explain that exactly....