133f4596_IMG_0205.jpeg
133f4596_IMG_0205.jpeg

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.
Overview Reviews (319) Gallery
Leave a rating

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
824164be_034.jpeg

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.

d0bb78d5_348.jpeg
Rhode Island Red eggs

7e0cfc25_rhode_island-10529-953660.jpeg
Rhode Island Red chicks

133f4596_IMG_0205.jpeg
Rhode Island Red rooster

56f9aebd_rhode_island-10529-744820.jpeg
Rhode Island Red juvenile

cb087cbf_LL-2.jpeg
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/
  • Like
  • Love
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

MollySunshine
I agree, I love my RIR's! Especially my roo's. They follow me everywhere. I have heard that they are known to be aggressive birds but mine are very good.
 
M
My RIR's actually are the less dominate hens of my flock.
 
Richie
Sorry, I didn't realize that. I thought it was about roosters and their personalities. I could see where it would be confusing
 
FourShuesFarm
So RIR's are bullies. Good to know. I have 13 RIR chicks, and have 24 Breese eggs in the incubator. Going to be a intresing summer indeed.
 
Cerise1924
That is so interesting to hear @lutherpug ! I love my RIR, because she is the one hen among my layers who is NOT a bully. My Red Stars are great layers, but they relentlessly chased and bullied my Silkies, whom I quickly separated, and they also go after my gentle Black Copper Maran. My RIR, who was raised with the Red Stars, will not engage in the bullying. More and more, she distances herself from the bullies, and hangs out peacefully with the Maran and the peahen. I don't know whether my RIR is the exception to the rule or whether yours is... or if there is no rule. It's just interesting that we have had opposite experiences with this breed.
 
lutherpug
That's interesting @Cerise1924 ! I had read that the red breeds are more prone to bullying behaviors but I decided to take a chance on Waffles and she is just a mess. I've also read that there is a temperament difference between hatchery birds versus buying from a breeder. Waffles was a hatchery bird and maybe she just has nasty parents-who knows? Personally, I prefer gentle chickens so she is just not my cup of tea. I can handle her fine but most of my flock is terrified of her. My Dominique is the only one who doesn't let her get away with it.
 
Cerise1924
Sorry Waffles is so naughty! @lutherpug I'm very glad you posted your review and follow-up comment. I hadn't heard that about red breeds, but (because of my Red Stars) I do end up complaining a lot about my "Red Devils," lol. If I hadn't read your review, I might have gotten more RIRs based on sweet Tasha, but I am not in a big hurry to do that, now. I like gentle chickens, too. Thanks for your posts.
 
ZachyWachy
l have one hen, quite sure that she almost always lays an egg(we have 13 other hens so it is a little hard to tell, but l have a hunch) and never have to worry about her when it comes to climate or predators.
 
coop410silkies
I have a few, too, and I am quite fond of them. They take care of and comport themselves well, the hens are excellent layers, and the roos do the work they are intended while getting along with each other with reasonable peace and order. The Roos are NOT human aggressive, and the hens are friendly and intelligent, some bonding tightly and loyally to their owner/guardian. I got mine from Cackle.
 
S
Can anyone tell me if they've ordered from Cackle Hatchery, especially any Rhode Island Reds (or Golden Comets, Buff Orpingtons, White Rocks, Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, or Easter Eggers)? I got a batch of Black Australorps from Chickens from Backyards (which has great service) that are extremely skidish and unfriendly. Also, if I get any new breeds again, I want to try to make sure that are somewhat friendly, fairly docile and/or at least will fit well in a mixed flock without much aggression (allowing for a normal pecking order of course) and be easy to handle.
 
millermcnutt
I have a (teenage) rooster and (teenage) hen....now both 3 months old. They are my favorite! Haus has just learned to crow and he is just magestic!! **UPDATE...Haus is still a rooster. Donald (who WAS a HEN, turned into a ROOSTER...and a mean one at that) So they try to flog anyone who comes into "their" property....INCLUDING ME!!! Called my Vet to see about having them casterated (neutered or whatever you call that on roosters) I do NOT (will not) kill and eat them. I still love my chickens....but they have got to stop being mean!!
 
bald Rooster
SYLVIA STEVENSON said:
Can anyone tell me if they've ordered from Cackle Hatchery, especially any Rhode Island Reds (or Golden Comets, Buff Orpingtons, White Rocks, Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, or Easter Eggers)? I got a batch of Black Australorps from Chickens from Backyards (which has great service) that are extremely skidish and unfriendly. Also, if I get any new breeds again, I want to try to make sure that are somewhat friendly, fairly docile and/or at least will fit well in a mixed flock without much aggression (allowing for a normal pecking order of course) and be easy to handle.
Click to expand...
I bought 20 pullets and 3 cockerels last sept from Cackle.I lost one pullet . A coon got one Cockerel,one got smoked and one still lives . Good chickens great layers and not to aggressive.
 
MossyOaks
We have 3 RIR and I love them! We started out with 6 chicks, 1 white leghorn, 2 black sex links and the 3 RIR. I'm new to raising hens and so far RIR & the Black Sex Links are my favorite. But that's the only breeds I have raised. Our leghorn got sick with Respiratory illness and we put her down. As she would have became a carrier even if we had used antibiotics. And that's not something I wanted to do. My reason for raining hens for eggs was to keep them free range and free of all that crap they give to hens in factories.
 
feather13
We have two RIRs that we raised from chicks (we got them from Chickens Galore in Norco, CA). I was hesitant to get them since I'd read so many posts about this being an aggressive breed. Ours are incredibly curious, good layers, friendly, and not very loud. They are neither at the top nor at the bottom of the pecking order, although they are more slight than some of our much larger and pudgier breeds.
 

Item information

Category
Chicken Breeds
Added by
Super Admin
Views
162,862
Watchers
53
Comments
324
Reviews
319
Last update
Rating
4.11 star(s) 325 ratings

More in Chicken Breeds

  • ella2025
    Cochin Bantam (Pekin)
    The cochin bantam is a bantam breed originating from China. It is known for its fluffy butt...
  • Mitsos Lamprogiorgos
    Easter Egger
    Easter Eggers are mixed crossbred X chickens created in barnyards by hobby farmers all around...
  • GodLovesU
    Barred Rock
    Adventurous, sociable birds!
  • GodLovesU
    Starlight Green Egger
    A lightweight breed that is a great egg producer!
  • talkinboutchickens
    White plymouth rock
    With a super kind temperament and 4-6 eggs per week, you really can't go wrong with this breed!

More from Super Admin

Share this item

Back
Top Bottom