Rhode Island WHITE?

[GregClark38]

The white single combed chickens sold by hatcheries such as Cackle as SC Rhode Island Whites are NOT White Plymouth Rocks in most cases, but are commercialized Rhode Island Whites(For want of a better description). The simple explanation for this confusion and misinformation is that major egg production breeders needed brown egg laying females to cross with Rhode Island Red males to produce Sex Linked offspring. White Plymouth Rocks were readily available but poor layers in most cases and, also, not always carriers of the silver factor. Major breeders developed the Single Comb RIW strains solely to use as female parent stock to produce Red Sex Links. A secondary consideration was the unacceptability of a rose combed bird as a part of a mass production flock, again for obvious reasons. As anyone would expect, eventually some of these production breeding birds became available to the general public as regular egg and meat chickens. Heritage breeders are absolutely right to protest the mislabeling/naming of questionable breeds and varieties. There is so much incorrect information on the internet and so many people trying to take advantage of the unwary that I often wonder how you good people who devote so much time and energy to doing the right thing are able to keep going and keep your sanity. I am just trying to help here; not take the side of the jerks . However, I don't believe that the Smith family at Cackle and other reputable hatcheries are trying to mislead or cheat anyone. But could do a better job describing their stock. Maybe.

Thanks so much for your input on this. I have been trying to figure this out for a while now. Looking to get some Rose Comb RIW.

 

[Chris09]

Thanks so much for your input on this. I have been trying to figure this out for a while now. Looking to get some Rose Comb RIW.

Keep in mind that the Rhode Island Red and the Rhode Island White are two completely different breeds.

They are just two breeds that have the same place of origin the state of Rhode Island and the same APA standard but that is it.

 

[GregClark38]

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/riwhite




Though some single combed offspring do occasionally occur

 

[hammytammy]

Rhode Island Whites are a Rose Comb Breed there are no Single Comb Rhode Island Whites.

Chris

ty
tammy

 

[Bill Matthews]

ty
tammy

In SOP birds, yes.... However, Rose Combed individuals do occur in all Rose Combed Breeds from time to time.....Silver Laced Wyandottes are famous for this happening.....Whether or not the hatchery type Rhode Island Whites are from the same stock as the SOP Whites is another story....Maybe it could be settled by genetic testing.....Even though the RIR and RIW are presumably not related, the existence of two different comb types in a parallel situation is instructive...Regardless, beautiful chickens and wonderful creatures that grace and enrich our lives.....

 

[Chris09]

In SOP birds, yes.... However, Rose Combed individuals do occur in all Rose Combed Breeds from time to time.....Silver Laced Wyandottes are famous for this happening.....Whether or not the hatchery type Rhode Island Whites are from the same stock as the SOP Whites is another story....Maybe it could be settled by genetic testing.....Even though the RIR and RIW are presumably not related, the existence of two different comb types in a parallel situation is instructive...Regardless, beautiful chickens and wonderful creatures that grace and enrich our lives.....

The thing is if bred correctly, and no other single comb breed is added you should never see a odd single comb come out of a true Rhode Island White (R.I. White) breeding.

The same hold true for most rose comb breed, I myself have raised rose comb Rhode Island Reds for over 10 years and never had a single comb crop up and I have a closed flock of 3 lines.
I have talked to breeders and read a lot of information that breeders have wrote and all agree that if both parent stock are pure for the rose comb gene (R/R) then you should not get offspring that is single comb. (Even breeders of Wyandottes had the same thing to say)

Now the single comb white bird that hatcheries are trying to call a Rhode Island White is nothing more than a white chicken that my carry some Rhode Island White in its background but is in no way a Rhode Island White.

 

[Rancher3535]

In case you are interested we now have a face book page called Rose Comb Rhode Island Whites.

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

Now to single comb in a rose comb bird. I have had my Columbian Wyandottes for well over 30 years. I have never added anything into my line that was single comb. To this day I will get a few every year. Now if someone has added it to their line of Columbian Wyandottes and I picked up a breeder from them that could be a possibility. So the females go to the laying pen and males into the stew pot pen.

I know that several of the old time breeders use to say that every 5 years you need to use a SC Male. They thought it kept the vitality up in the Rose Comb Reds. Never done it but I do get some SC Reds. I had 5 females this year out of 100 plus hatched.

Rob

 

[GregClark38]

These people say that a single comb does occasionally does occur.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/riwhite

 

[Fred's Hens]

When a breed is made or "re-made" or it is necessary to out cross to try to save or improve a line, the combination of rose comb and single combed birds are often used, of course.

Through pushing on the comb type desired, culling the offspring with comb type not desired, the flock will eventually breed "true" for the preferred comb type.

But does the underlying genetics still lay deep down within? Yes, and sports and long recessed traits can occasionally surface.

 

[Chris09]

These people say that a single comb does occasionally does occur.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/riwhite

They post a lot of "not so true" stuff also.
Read up on comb genetic and I think you will find that the genetics back what I posted.