This is from 2011 from chris09:
The "heritage/non-hatchery" Rhode Island Reds origin can be dated back to the middle 1840s and one of the oldest breed of chicken to be developed in America. The early Rhode Island Red sported three types of combs, the first was the Pea comb which received its comb type from the Chittagong (Brahma) second is the Single comb which received its comb type from the Chinese Shanghai (Royal Cochin China) and the Rose comb which received its comb type from the Red Java. Today the Rhode Island Red only sports two of the three types of combs the Rose and the Single comb. The R.I. Red should be a dark Red Mahogany color, brick shape and weighing around 8½ lbs for cocks and 6½ lbs for hens.
Spin Off breeds of the Rhode Island Red are the New Hampshire and the Production Red.
The Production Red (hatchery Rhode Island Red) can come in two different lines, the first of the two was bred solely from the R.I. Red as with the New Hampshire but was bred more for the egg production.
The second type of Production Red is a R.I. Red with some Leghorn blood added to add to the egg production and may have added to the brown-ish color of some of the Production Red the some hatcheries call there, "Dark Rhode Island Reds".
Neither of the two Production Reds line look look, or perform like a true Rhode Island Red.
Chris
The "heritage/non-hatchery" Rhode Island Reds origin can be dated back to the middle 1840s and one of the oldest breed of chicken to be developed in America. The early Rhode Island Red sported three types of combs, the first was the Pea comb which received its comb type from the Chittagong (Brahma) second is the Single comb which received its comb type from the Chinese Shanghai (Royal Cochin China) and the Rose comb which received its comb type from the Red Java. Today the Rhode Island Red only sports two of the three types of combs the Rose and the Single comb. The R.I. Red should be a dark Red Mahogany color, brick shape and weighing around 8½ lbs for cocks and 6½ lbs for hens.
Spin Off breeds of the Rhode Island Red are the New Hampshire and the Production Red.
The Production Red (hatchery Rhode Island Red) can come in two different lines, the first of the two was bred solely from the R.I. Red as with the New Hampshire but was bred more for the egg production.
The second type of Production Red is a R.I. Red with some Leghorn blood added to add to the egg production and may have added to the brown-ish color of some of the Production Red the some hatcheries call there, "Dark Rhode Island Reds".
Neither of the two Production Reds line look look, or perform like a true Rhode Island Red.
Chris
