Rhode Island Red

Our RIR's are wonderful. They are very curious and get along well together. They get bossed a little by our Barred Rock but don't seem to mind. They are very mellow birds. They will sit on our laps and almost purr when they are settled.

I had originally ordered 6 RIR hens and 1 rooster. the rooster was the only nice rooster i have ever owned and very protective of the flock. i am now down to 2 RIR hens because a raccoon got most of them included the rooster who died defending the flock. the 2 that i have are the nicest birds i have. they are they best egg layer in the flock

Mine eat very gently from my hand - I hardly feel it. Not like my other chicken breeds which want to drill a hole in my hand. They are truly the leaders of my flock. The other breeds are Easter Eggers, Golden Lace Wyandotte, and Brahmas. They have done great this winter with laying and being cold hardy.

I have 9 RIR's in my flock and all of them are friendly and they produce beautiful and delicious eggs.
Overall I am very happy with the breed. I think this is a good breed for people who have never had a flock before and are just starting.

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I have one Red in my flock of seven. The rest of the six are all pairs of other breeds, but her clutch mate was a rooster that I sold. She's independent, aloof even, but it's a nice mix for my flock. She's not the dominant hen, but takes absolutely no guff from my dominant BRs and Black Australorps. She's medium size, but holds her own and I just never have to worry about her getting pecked.

I get six eggs per week from her. Her eggs are large, brown, and more circular than most eggs. She's not skittish of me, but by far the least interested in being handled. She greets me and interacts with the flock. I enjoy her because she's independent - not an instigator, but doesn't get pushed around especially when she's laying. I live in Utah and we have temperature extremes. She does fine in either hot or cold.

My next flock may very well be all Reds. If I had to have just one breed, it would be Reds or Ameraucanas.

The only downside to her - and it's slight - is that she's my roamer. I have a seven foot high fence that she accesses easily and roosts on. She escaped once and I had to track her down in some hedges (it had gotten dark). I wouldn't consider this a serious concern. It's probably her personality rather than a breed trait.

If you're considering RIRs for your flock, do it! You won't regret it.

I have 2 RIRs. Red and Ruthie. Ruthie was a rescue so she is shy, but not aggressive or mean. Red was raised by me as a chick and is a very friendly bird! She likes to be picked up. They are great layers. They don't go broody, which is good, I have enough broody hens! I had trouble deciding between 4 1/2 stars or 5 stars on this breed. They are good chickens anyway, and I have no dislikes. Hope this helps!

Had one very nice one.

Was torn into shambles by raccoon
R.I.P Omelet

I have one Rhode Island Red, and she is a great bird. Although most RIRs are aggressive, my chicken is at the bottom of the pecking order. Also, she is very easy to handle, and a bird with her temperament would be a great addition to a flock. Even though all individuals may be different, overall I love this breed.

Our RIR is a great bird. She was the first of our flock to start laying about a week ahead of our BR and Ameraucana. Eggs are consistent and nice size. She loves greens like spinach and kale and is very friendly. While she is not at the top of the pecking order she does act like a mother to our other two birds. This is Rachel.

So I have 5 rhode island reds. 3 are baby hens,a nd the other are two roosters. The roosters have different personalities, there is Lenny and Butterscotch. When butterscotch was younger he was really mean, but so was lenny. As they got older they are really sweet, they are around 8 months old. The babies are hens so I hope they are good layers and nice.

Lenny



Butterscotch

These birds are my favorite breed I have. I get an egg from everyone almost every day. If you live in a cold climate then these birds are a good choice. They can be very noisy though...

Probably my favorite breed of chicken! I have met and owned different breeds, and the Rhode Island Reds have to be my absolute favorite! My girls were just the sweetest. They would let you pick them up, were very interactive, and had very soft feathers. They layed about an egg a day, and they're eggs were very nice quality. The only down side I discovered was that it is hard for them to defend themselves against larger animals (foxes, dogs, etc.) but that is the same for a lot of breeds. All in all, an excellent family and egg bird!

Rhode Islands are a very popular breed and aren't pricey at all. This is a good thing although if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, this is not the breed for you. Rhode Islands are one of the most common breeds of chickens and are somewhat, plain in looks with there dark red feathers. They are docile most of the time and are good at laying for the most part. The hens are friendly making them a good starter breed, for beginners.

I hope this short review has helped you in your search for chickens!

I've had 3 Rhode Island Reds, and the 2 I have right now are very curious, and will walk right up to you. I had another one, that would pick on all the other chickens, and would do anything to get away from you. All of them have laid lots of eggs though. If you want a good egg layer, Rhode Island Reds are a good breed.

The hens are good birds, hardy and require little attention. If you have a rooster I wish you luck, mine made it seven months before chicken and noodles. He would attack me every time I went in the coop and then when I went in the nest boxes to gather eggs. He also relentlessly picked on one hen and tore her up even with nine others. Maybe if he was free range he would have made it, but I don't have that option with predators here in northwest indiana.

I bought a mature RIR at a farmer's market and discovered to my surprise that she was the sweetest girl. She was completely tame from day 1, whereas the other hens I bought were skittish at first. She never complained when we picked her up and cuddled her either. She unfortunately got attacked and injured by the neighbour's dog when she free ranged a bit too far one day. I didn't expect her to lay eggs for awhile after that and was amazed to find her laboriously making her way to the nest box to lay 2 days after the incident. After that she continued laying regularly, in spite of her injury. I've had many chickens over the years, but this one really stands out for me. She was great.

I have a RIR hen named Wicked; for a reason. She is the first to get to the gate when I walk in the run with food, and jumps up to my chest at times to grab the food out of my hands, and if she can't reach it, or if I scoot her back, she pecks me. If my daughter touches the fence, Wicked pecks her fingers. And if another chicken takes food in front of her, Wicked jumps on her to take it back. I have seen her do it to the roosters twice so far.

However, even since chick-hood, she has loved to investigate new things everywhere, which provides a great deal of entertainment for us. Plus, how can I argue with her when she gives me an egg a day?

I have one 2 1/2 year old Rhode Island Red hen from McMurray Hatchery. She lays about 6 eggs a week most of the year, and about 3 eggs a week in the winter. I've never had any frostbite problems with her single comb in the winter, and she has been disease-free. She is not particularly aggressive to other chickens or humans, though she pecks hard when she is eating from your hand. She is a calm leader of my flock. Her first molt occurred when she was nearly 2 years of age.

The only thing I don't like about my Rhode Island Red is her rather boring temperament. She isn't as affectionate as my other chickens, preferring to stay by herself. She does tolerate being held, though, and will come running to you for treats. Also, she is production in type, having been bred to lay eggs and not for show. This is a common problem with hatchery Rhode Island Reds; you can usually only get big, dark colored Rhode Island Reds from a breeder. Of course, this isn't a disadvantage to people who don't want to show poultry.

My RIR (Rhode Island Red) cockerel was the sweetist rooster ever. He'd let you hold him, he would NEVER hurt his hens or his owner, and he liked to sit in my lap. But when he turned 3 months he was VERY mean. One day he pecked and bloodied my little Polish pullet's head. ( who's only 2 1/2 months old and very small) He also pecked my knuckle on my left hand and it bled a little. Bottom line being roosters should only be kept for breeding purposes. Not companionship.