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Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Reds are one of the most popular and oldest known breeds of chicken and was developed mainly in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the mid 1840's.
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General Information

Breed Purpose
Dual Purpose
Comb
Single
Broodiness
Seldom
Climate Tolerance
Cold
Egg Productivity
High
Egg Size
Large
Egg Color
Brown
Breed Temperament
Friendly, Easily handled, Calm,
Breed Colors/Varieties
The Rhode Island Red is only recognised in Red.
Breed Size
Large Fowl
APA/ABA Class
American
Color
Red or white
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Most often when one thinks of Rhode Island Red they are thinking of the Large Fowl Rhode Island Red, as it is one of the oldest known breeds of chicken and was developed mainly in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the mid 1840's. The first birds were bred in Little Compton, RI with the use of a Black Breasted Red Malay cock who was imported from England. This Rooster can actually still be seen on display in the Smithsonian Institution as the father of the breed.

The breed was accepted into the American Poultry Association in 1904.

The breed was developed to withstand the harsh New England winters and be a very hardy bird who produced hens with excellent large egg yields and who also would dress out well and look nice on the table, a true dual purpose bird. While the names and places of origin are the same, the Rhode Island White is actually a distinct breed separate from the Rhode Island Red per the American Poultry Association and will be featured in another Breed Focus thread.

The Rhode Island Red breed comes in both large fowl and bantam size and and single as well as rose comb varieties can be found readily.

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Rhode Island Red eggs

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Rhode Island Red chicks

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Rhode Island Red rooster

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Rhode Island Red juvenile

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Rhode Island Red hen

For more info on Rhode Island Reds and their owners' and breeders' experiences with them, see our breed discussion here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-rhode-island-red.1021447/
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Reactions: Raven1981, Hensintexas, Starburst and 19 others

Latest reviews

ella2025
Friendly
Pros: friendly
gorgeous
even rooster friendly
Cons: none that I can think of
My rir is 4 weeks old today. She/he ( i bought straight run and think it's a he) is very friendly so far.
Purchase Price
5$
Purchase Date
sometime in june
Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies
Pros: Great for eggs and meat
Stereotypical roos
Very pretty
Not very broody
Cons: Males are kind of aggressive
Great birds! The roos are very pretty and the hens are very sweet.
These are the birds you think of when you think of a rooster.
Great review, love it, good job!
Addicted To Chickens
Pros: Friendly
Easy to hold
Good laying production
Cons: Scaredy
RIRs are a very good laying breed and I would highly recommend them for eggs. They can also be mean to the other chickens.
Read more…

Comments

slordaz
Our RiR's have awesome personalities, and will eat out of your hand minding their manners and doing it carefully so they don't peck you, the come when called or when someone shows up to see what is up. Are you free ranging or having them in the coop all of the time?
Will see how ours do when they start laying but they are taking ques from the other hens that are laying already.
All of ours including the leghorns and RiR's free range between the corral, pond and pasture from dawn to dusk, so I think it's how they are raised on how your chickens act.
 
LilBeauPeep
My RIR roo was my sweetest of the flock. I miss my Beauregard so <\3 he was my favorite.
 
LilBeauPeep
My RIR are VERY sweet. They come when called and all except one love to be handled and get along with all the animals they've been exposed to. They even mingle with non bird animals they're used to and permit my children to pet and hug them. They do fly away when you try to pick them up though.
 
orpington13
Same here. Our Billy Sue is so sweet. We called her Billy because we thought she was a rooster because of her gigantic comb and wattles. She picked up the name and eventually we found out that she was a she so we added Sue
 
neveraslave
looking for RIR breeder who have eggs or chicks for sale near me in Myrtle Beach south carolina. please contact me, willing to drive to you. thank you!!
 
Two Chicksahs
Our RIR Rhonda has now begun to lay! We've had five now! She's an awesome pullet that is our guardian of the pen! She's the only one that lets me pick her up and she does this adorable dance or shuffle as she squats. She's incredibly curious and is the Queen of the coop! We weren't sure if she was a pullet or a cockerel so we began to call her Red instead of Rhonda but she doesn't care one way or the other just so long as I continue to spoil them with fish, nuts and berries. Yesterday I gave them some fresh blackberries off the vines in our yard. She's a lot of fun to watch and interact with! We love her!
 
Mr Beaks
I really hope your RIR work out for you. I have not had problems with mine being noisy but I've only had a few. Now, my Leghorn is a NOISY bird! She'll hang around waiting for an occupied nesting box for ages clucking and screeching, making sure everyone is aware she is next!
 
bappl
I think you'll be happy adding this breed to your flock. I'd definitely handle them daily, though. I think that's what made my hens such nice birds! Although the treats may have helped a tad also...ha ha ha! I agree about their eggs, beautiful!
 
cavemanrich
I have 2 hens ,,,,, almost 2 years old.. EXCELLENT ALL AROUND CHICKEN. Nice brown eggs. Only 2 standards in my flock, rest are various banties ALL are pets.
 
puppies9099
So true they are dumb birds i had one that always stole nest boxes and killed a chick.
And they aren't pretty at all.
They lay big eggs but are pretty stupid and dumb I have no idea why people buy these chickens
 
ladyearth
ah that not nice to say... Heck my Barr Rocker steal nest boxes...LOL they scream when others enter the tiny formr coop. now to get them to go into the NEW coop nestboxes be great
 
Janice123456
My RIR are family friendly and smart. The eat out of my grandsons hands they lay eggs in the same spot every day to nice eggs. They run around the yard cleaning of bugs and don't leave too much of a messThey alert to predators and seem to know how to hide from them. They are not mean to each other they have a little pecking lot are but nobody gets hurt.I thought observe them cleaning each other's becks not picking on each other. They happen to be pretty neat feeders and they don't dump over there feediers.
 
0
My rhode island red got attacked by a raccoon and dragged out of the coop through a hole but it got away from it and hopped back inside with the leg that was not torn up. In the morning I found it and treated it. It has recovered and learned to walk and be self sufficiant with one leg. I would say they are pretty smart. And both of my RIR follow me around and are super friendly. I would give them a 5 star.
 
Dorthia
Really, our RIR was super friendly and sweet, but yes , they are very trusting and probably not good in a predator situation. She also Layed big yummy double yoker eggs for us.
 
SNJchickens
My RIR is friendly and people-oriented, She will stay around while the other hens (barnavelder and cochin) go off in the yard. It seems she has to supervise while I clean the coop, fill the feeders and change the water. She will hop/fly up to my arm or shoulder. If I sit on the garden bench she will hop up into my lap. She is a good layer. As the youngest of my hens she tends to be bratty with the older hens but none of the girls ever get hurt or have serious confrontations.
 
chickengeorgeto
Like I have often posted, man fighting roosters are made not hatched. Puppy dogs come up to their human owners and want to be petted, roosters not so much. If a rooster is to familiar with you he will try to dominate you like you were any other chicken.
 
cluck333
Thank you for your offer, but I live in SW Oklahoma and that would be a lot of trouble for just two chickens.
 

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Category
Chicken Breeds
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