The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[waddles99]

Wowzers!!! That's a dramatic change! Can definitely see the brick in this one now. Awesome!!!

Thanks Joey, all in the feed. Gotta find the balance between getting them to a nice brick shape and getting them too fat, lol!! For me a good bird is 48% genetics, 47% feed, and 5% luck!

 

[cmom]

What a difference a couple months can make!

 

[waddles99]

Lol, thanks cmom!

 

[cmom]

This is my champion.

 

[waddles99]

This is my champion.

Very nice! Yours definitely has better color in her shanks, I think mine has a nice horn color on her shanks but the base color is washed out a bit...but she looks very similar to mine in other aspects. Mine just molted so her tail isn't as nice now as it was in the first pic. It still needs to grow out. If you have eggs from her next spring I would be interested....I'll have to borrow someones incubator.

 

[cmom]

Quote: It's in the feed. I got a note on a coop tag from a judge at a previous show that the legs weren't yellow enough so I worked on that.

 

[waddles99]

It's in the feed. I got a note on a coop tag from a judge at a previous show that the legs weren't yellow enough so I worked on that.

My feed says it has marigold extract, but we both know thats not true...wonder how much they have to put in the feed to claim they have it?

 

[Matt1616]

My feed says it has marigold extract, but we both know thats not true...wonder how much they have to put in the feed to claim they have it? 

What makes you think it isn't true?

Matt

 

[waddles99]

What makes you think it isn't true?

Matt

The feed I use promises both marigold extract and added calcium for shell strength. I have used the feed for several months before deciding to offer my own supplements mixed into it. I saw no real results in shank color or yolk color until using the supplement. The one girl I got from Marcia had very pale shanks when I got her, but she was already a year old so not much I could do with it. I did see a but of improvement on the leg color while using the supplement, but what was done was done. When they get to a certain age they're already developed and not much can be done...

Theres probably a bit of marigold extract in their, but to be honest, nothing to do any difference. Its Purina, not one of my favorite brands but the only thing we have here.

 

[Fred's Hens]

For all the lurkers who just hang in the background, perhaps.

Late last winter, my wife and I were in Elberta, Alabama and I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Joe Ulrich and Matt Ultrich at the farm. We went over to a Poultry Club dinner meeting and spent a lot of time at the farm the next day. Matt and Joe were kind enough to help me get a start with some quality bantam Reds. These were not Matt's breeders, per se, but mostly sale birds, i.e. culls from their own breeding program. But, and this is important to say, they had good DNA. From a quad you see in my avatar, I pulled about 55 chicks from the brooder. I had intended that number to be 70-75 but I simply ran out of spring time.

From that starter group, I can see at least 7 cockerels and 6 pullets that are top drawer, solid quality. Very pleased. I'll need to reduce that cockerel number very, very soon.

I share this story to encourage those lurkers, or those just starting, to use this upcoming show season to procure some juvenile sale birds from top breeders. Be fussy, but ask for help from the bird's breeder. You'll usually get some pretty straight guidance. Don't wait for "shipped eggs" next spring. A breeding trio or quad will make you dozens and dozens of clean, fresh, fertile eggs at your own place. Those eggs will be unshaken and fertility and hatchability will be excellent. You also know who the dams and sires were and you can start your breeder book on them. Go buy some breeder birds NOW. We gotta keep saying this. Forget the shipped eggs route.

Need to add to your existing group? Would you appreciate a bit of injection or improvement in what you have? Breeders will soon be doing major flock reductions. This is THE time of year, from now on right up to Christmas.