The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

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.

Genetics also plays a big role in leg color, along with a healthy diet. I used to feed my birds Purina, but switched to a "lesser quality" feed a few months ago... DuMOR. I supplement this with Purina Scratch Grains. The picture below is of my 14 week old RC red, and it's been eating DuMOR 24% and Scratch Grains since day 1, with occasional vegetable supplements. I haven't found any mention of Marigold in DuMOR chick feed, but as you can see, this chick has some bright yellow legs...




My cockerels are slowly starting to fill out but I wanted to help speed up the process a little, so today I made a run to TSC. I bought 50lbs of DuMOR 24%, 50lbs of Purina Scratch Grains, 40lbs of BOSS, 10lbs of Manna Pro Poultry Conditioner, and 30oz of freeze dried mealworms. I mixed the Poultry Conditioner with 20lbs of Scratch Grains (can go up to 50/50). I found out they love the conditioner pellets, and are absolutely crazy over mealworms. Mealworms aren't cheap, but with 50% protein, it doesn't take much...

 

[waddles99]

Genetics also plays a big role in leg color, along with a healthy diet. I used to feed my birds Purina, but switched to a "lesser quality" feed a few months ago... DuMOR. I supplement this with Purina Scratch Grains. The picture below is of my 14 week old RC red, and it's been eating DuMOR 24% and Scratch Grains since day 1, with occasional vegetable supplements. I haven't found any mention of Marigold in DuMOR chick feed, but as you can see, this chick has some bright yellow legs... My cockerels are slowly starting to fill out but I wanted to help speed up the process a little, so today I made a run to TSC. I bought 50lbs of DuMOR 24%, 50lbs of Purina Scratch Grains, 40lbs of BOSS, 10lbs of Manna Pro Poultry Conditioner, and 30oz of freeze dried mealworms. I mixed the Poultry Conditioner with 20lbs of Scratch Grains (can go up to 50/50). I found out they love the conditioner pellets, and are absolutely crazy over mealworms. Mealworms aren't cheap, but with 50% protein, it doesn't take much...

Hm, that's odd. I know genetics would play a large role, sure, but in my experience good genetics provides an OPPORTUNITY to look good, and good feed takes that opportunity and makes it a reality. If that was confusing, I.E. genetics lays the foundation for possibility, and good feed(and a little luck) makes it happen. Basically what you've shown me is that even with mediocre feed(no offense, I use purina too sometimes lol) you can still produce birds with some pretty good colored shanks! That was not my experience with purina at all. I did notice some difference with the supplement, but not much. It was to my understanding that Purina only puts in a teeny tiny percentage of marigold extract in there, so they can say they do, but not actually produce results. That's why I put in a supplement. Oh well, your birds with Dumor still have way better leg color than mine on an expensive supplement!

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Hm, that's odd. I know genetics would play a large role, sure, but in my experience good genetics provides an OPPORTUNITY to look good, and good feed takes that opportunity and makes it a reality. If that was confusing, I.E. genetics lays the foundation for possibility, and good feed(and a little luck) makes it happen. Basically what you've shown me is that even with mediocre feed(no offense, I use purina too sometimes lol) you can still produce birds with some pretty good colored shanks! That was not my experience with purina at all. I did notice some difference with the supplement, but not much. It was to my understanding that Purina only puts in a teeny tiny percentage of marigold extract in there, so they can say they do, but not actually produce results. That's why I put in a supplement. Oh well, your birds with Dumor still have way better leg color than mine on an expensive supplement!

It is odd, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Even with good genes, a poor diet that doesn't support those genes will result in pale legs. Another factor is age. My older birds (18 weeks) have lost a little bit of the intense yellow. Those with darker horn color on their sharks and toes have duller yellow in their legs. Once a pullet starts to lay, she loses a lot of the pigment. There are a lot of variables that contribute to color loss...

 

[waddles99]

It is odd, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Even with good genes, a poor diet that doesn't support those genes will result in pale legs. Another factor is age. My older birds (18 weeks) have lost a little bit of the intense yellow. Those with darker horn color on their sharks and toes have duller yellow in their legs. Once a pullet starts to lay, she loses a lot of the pigment. There are a lot of variables that contribute to color loss...

Thats the thing. The hen in question is 18 months old. She has been laying for almost a year. And funny you should say, she has very dark horn color on her shanks and toes.

 

[chicken farmer2]

I

Large Fowl?   I can bring you one by way of the Ohio National, Columbus, early November.  If that helps, let me know.  Bantam Red cockerels?  I'm hip deep in them and those are reasonably affordable to ship overnight.



.

I was looking for a large fowl one. I was hoping to get one in a week or two if possible

 

[Matt1616]

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. 

Waddles, you are correct in your assumption that the feed you are using probably has very little to no marigold if you have seen no results in the leg color but you are wrong about not being able to change that once a birds leg color has gotten light. If that bird has the genetics to have yellow legs and you feed it feed with the proper amount of marigold her legs will be bright yellow within a month or 2.

Matt

 

[Matt1616]

Genetics also plays a big role in leg color, along with a healthy diet. I used to feed my birds Purina, but switched to a "lesser quality" feed a few months ago... DuMOR. I supplement this with Purina Scratch Grains. The picture below is of my 14 week old RC red, and it's been eating DuMOR 24% and Scratch Grains since day 1, with occasional vegetable supplements. I haven't found any mention of Marigold in DuMOR chick feed, but as you can see, this chick has some bright yellow legs... My cockerels are slowly starting to fill out but I wanted to help speed up the process a little, so today I made a run to TSC. I bought 50lbs of DuMOR 24%, 50lbs of Purina Scratch Grains, 40lbs of BOSS, 10lbs of Manna Pro Poultry Conditioner, and 30oz of freeze dried mealworms. I mixed the Poultry Conditioner with 20lbs of Scratch Grains (can go up to 50/50). I found out they love the conditioner pellets, and are absolutely crazy over mealworms. Mealworms aren't cheap, but with 50% protein, it doesn't take much...

Genetics are only 50% of the equation...the other 50% is what they eat. That includes the soil type and several other factors. If you brought those birds where I live and fed them the same thing that you are feeding them there legs would be almost white in 2 months. Evidentially your birds are getting what they need based on the area that you live...or your feed has something in it to make them yellow because otherwise the would not be yellow. Case in point is that the source of your stock does not exhibit that leg color without having the proper feed. What they eat is just as crucial as them having the genetics. Matt

 

[Fred's Hens]

I
I was looking for a large fowl one. I was hoping to get one in a week or two if possible

OK, I'll be bringing a few to the Indiana show, outside of Indy in early October. Feel like a quick, easy trip across I-70?? Shipping is always an option, if expensive one.

 

[waddles99]

Matt,
This is the bird in question I was talking about. As you can see she doesn't have strong color in her shanks. She has pretty strong horn color on the front though. I think you're probably right about being able to change the leg color. I had heard you couldn't, but I have see a small difference in her color since I got her. When j got her she was pale white on her legs. Now, she has some color. I'm going to try and grow some marigolds and feed them to my hens. Hopefully that will help. I can't find any feed around here with marigold extract.

 

[dbmcalva]

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.  

I am interested in a trio or quad of large fowl straight comb. I like the Nelson line but I'm not opposed to others.
I live in Eastern Oklahoma and could travel to Western Arkansas, Fayetteville or Fort Smith, or in Oklahoma I could meet at shows in Tulsa, Shawnee, or Oklahoma City. Looking forward to hearing from someone going to a show in one of these cities with some extra birds. Bret