"Heritage" RIR vs. Java?

Date sort Score sort
la dee da

la dee da

Crowing
16 Years
Dec 18, 2008
669
176
341
Missouri
I've done a lot of research on Rhode Islands and Javas, but the information I receive is getting really confusing. My biggest problem, I think, is that I don't know what information is for the production kind of each, or the "heritage" kind. Here's what I have so far:

Java:
hardy
great forager, better than many other breeds
slow growth/matures slowley, could take up to a year before they start laying
calm and docile, but doesn't care as much for human attention as other breeds
lays ok, not great but not terrible
goes broody, good mothers
feed efficient (???)
eggs are medium to large

Rhode Island Red:
hardy
good forager
medium growth, can start laying at 6 months
some calm some spazzy, some docile, some quite aggressive, depends on strain
lays excellent, better than many other duel purpose and lays well in winter
not likely to go broody
eggs are large to jumbo

I'm having a hard time deciding what breed would be best for our family, I've tried a couple of "breed selectors" but I never find those very useful. Anyone have experience with these?
Please mention if your experience is with the production or old type.

ETA: Please tell me about how many eggs/week each of your hens lay


ETA:
Questions for those who have both
1. Are RIR or Javas better for meat, or are they about even?
2. Have you noticed one of them eating less or more per egg than the other?
3. Does one seem more vigorus than the other?
4. In your experience, do preditors notice one over the other? For example they notice the Javas before they noticed the RIR.
 
Last edited:
la dee da :

Rhode Island Red:
hardy Yes they tend to be very hardy
good forager Yes, they tend to forage well
medium growth, can start laying at 6 months I would say they more on the large size. Roosters are 9 lbs and Hens 7 lbs
some calm some spazzy, some docile, some quite aggressive, depends on strain my Reds tend to be calm but will stand there ground with other roosters
lays excellent, better than many other duel purpose and lays well in winter I would have to say there good layers
not likely to go broody Mine tend to try to go broody ( I don't let them)
eggs are large to jumbo True

My answers are in Bold
The information I gave you was more for R.I. Reds that are from Breeders and NOT hatcheries.
To me hatcheries don't have true "heritage" breeds. Hatcheries don't breed to a standard, they just breed for quantity and not quality.
So is you want "heritage" breeds you will have to get them from a good breeder..

Chris​
 
Last edited:
Quote:
My answers are in Bold
The information I gave you was more for R.I. Reds that are from Breeders and NOT hatcheries.
To me hatcheries don't have true "heritage" breeds. Hatcheries don't breed to a standard, they just breed for quantity and not quality.
So is you want "heritage" breeds you will have to get them from a good breeder..

Chris

evertyhing above, and mine where hatched in late Aug. (my brothers idea, the eggs came from his flock, non-hatchery) they have been laying with out added-light since feb. they where in a round calf hutch (poly-dome) and still are I have 5 hens and get 4 eggs for 2 day and 5 the third and has not changed since all the hens have started to lay, my roo is friedly, keeps his hens safe, they are not flighty or nuts. hatch rates are great.

forgot the extra rooster are great eating birds
 
Last edited:
Thanks Buck Creek Chickens, it's handy having two votes of the same kind
wink.png
. Anyone else have experience with heritage RIR or Javas?
 
Quote:
First of all both are good breeds to keep. As far as the breed selectors go I don't agree with many of the charts that I have seen. I have found many to have too much misinformation in them. We have been keeping heritage breeds of poultry at my farm for quite a few years and I have worked with several different varieties including Javas, Deleware, RIR, Jersey Giants and Plymouth Rock. Javas are my specialty and I may have quite possibly one of the larger flocks of them going with upwards of 140 birds so overall I have more experience with them then I do with RIR but I keeep a few of them as well. My Javas lay appx 5-6 eggs per week per hen and without artificial light lay almost all year with maybe a 6 week or so stoppage in the middle of winter, my RIR would be close to that but they may have a very,very slight edge in egg production and also in egg size but I have never seen an adult Java only lay a medium egg, always large or better. IDK, maybe it's a hatchery thing with some people getting smaller egg size.

Both are great at ranging but I would give the edge to the Javas. I have had both Javas and RIR go broody but it doesn't seem to happen all to often for me. The Javas develop quicker as chicks when they first hatch but slow down and overall do develop somewhat slower. Again, I have never heard of taking up to a year to lay. All of my Javas have started to lay around 5 months or so, maybe a few that went to 6 but that would be about the longest. The hardest part with both breeds is getting good stock. Most of your hatchery Javas as with most hatchery birds in general are messed up imo and the hatchery RIR are more so production reds instead.
 
Wow! Great info Faverolle thank you! I suspected some of that information was wrong, especially about the Java.

I still have a few questions if you don't mind answering.
1. Are RIR or Javas better for meat, or are they about even?
2. by "Both are great at ranging but I would give the edge to the Javas." How do the Javas have "the edge"?
3. Have you noticed one of them eating less or more per egg than the other?
4. Does one seem more vigorus than the other?
5. In your experience, do preditors notice one over the other? For example they notice the Javas before they noticed the RIR.

Sorry for all the questions!
I don't know if I'm relieved or discouraged to find that both breeds are better than I expected, because it makes it oh so much harder to choose between them
lol.png
.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

alwaystj9
    • Like
White vs. Brown leghorns
Replies
6
Views
333
BigBlueHen53
BigBlueHen53
A
    • Love
Ameracauna Rooster x non-Ameracauna hens
Replies
8
Views
950
Amer
Amer
CraziChknLady
Starting over- Buckeyes, Swedish Flower, Speckled Sussex, Chocolate Orp,
Replies
5
Views
362
CraziChknLady
CraziChknLady
E
Breeds with long careers
2
Replies
12
Views
2K
LaurenRitz
LaurenRitz
E
    • Like
trying to rebuild Great Grandmothers flock
2
Replies
11
Views
1K
EOD Daddy
E

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom