3 month evaluation

[3KillerBs]

Wow... The vitriol most of you have for the RIRs!

IMO, it's really critical that the personality of the birds meshes well with the personality of the owners.

Consider my California Whites -- They don't respect fences, flying in and out at will, roost on the roof structure 14 feet off the ground, and generally do anything they choose to do. I'm fine with the dash of hot sauce in my flock of placid Australorps -- I tell Repecka that it's her own fault if an owl gets her -- but I'm sure that they'd drive some people CRAZY with worry.

It's just like dog breeds. I have a friend who LOVES huskies. She'd be bored out of her mind with Labs.

 

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

I have only had two nice RIRs. All the rest of them are unfriendly or hostile.

Barred rocks are awesome.

IMO, it's really critical that the personality of the birds meshes well with the personality of the owners.

Consider my California Whites -- They don't respect fences, flying in and out at will, roost on the roof structure 14 feet off the ground, and generally do anything they choose to do. I'm fine with the dash of hot sauce in my flock of placid Australorps -- I tell Repecka that it's her own fault if an owl gets her -- but I'm sure that they'd drive some people CRAZY with worry.

It's just like dog breeds. I have a friend who LOVES huskies. She'd be bored out of her mind with Labs.

I dare say she wouldn't be bored with my young male lab.

 

[Beckys Birds]

I'm fine with the dash of hot sauce in my flock of placid Australorps

I love that!
I think my most spicy chicken is Amber, the Calico Princes. She gets out of the fence. Every. Damn. Day. But wants in as soon as she sees one of us. No idea why she gets out. The others could, too, but they don't.

Hubby and I are extremely laid back and chill kinda people, but our dogs tend not to be. They are reactive and go nuts at a leaf blowing in the wind that wasn't blowing that way yesterday. Mine are all rescued or adopted from shelters, so there's unknown back stories we'll never know. I just let them be who they want to be, within reason. The barking isn't allowed to be incessant, but they know when we've had enough. I just let my animals be whoever they want to be, minus violence toward others and dangerous behaviors.

Still don't get the hate for RIRs though. Mine are all laid back and sweet. You can have the Wyandottes, though!

 

[3KillerBs]

Still don't get the hate for RIRs though. Mine are all laid back and sweet. You can have the Wyandottes, though!

My Silver-Laced Wyandottes are perfectly good flock citizens. But I've heard a lot of stories about them being problems in other flocks.

It probably helps if the breeds you're pairing together in a mixed flock have a similar level of activity and dominance.

We have one poor large-fowl Cochin who ends up hanging out with the teenagers a lot because she's definitely low bird in the pecking order, but the rest of the pecking order seems to be well-mixed between Australorps and the other breeds.

I *think* that having roosters may help keep the hens from being too harsh with each other. I have seen the flockmaster breaking up hen conflicts (though not even he messes with a protective broody).

 

[3KillerBs]

P.S. The California Whites don't seem to interact with the pecking order much at all. They do their own thing -- secure in the superiority of being able to fly.

 

[Beckys Birds]

My Silver-Laced Wyandottes are perfectly good flock citizens. But I've heard a lot of stories about them being problems in other flocks.

Oh, my one Wyandotte hen is a good flock citizen! She is just stand-offish. Now, the roo we had... Only bird in 4 years I've hated. He was horrible, and only 7 months old. After his dispatch, it's been so peaceful in my back yard.

I've never really seen a "pecking order" with my hens. Only the roos do that, and most of them are in the Batchelor Pad. My main Gen Pop roo, Foggy, keeps the other roo, Milo, in line, and teaches the cockrells how to be good citizens. He is a great teacher, and all the boys respect him, even my two older roos. I have a total of 8 roos, but only Foggy and Milo are in Gen Pop. Milo's in Gen Pop because he was brutally picked on by the dispatched roo, which made the other boys pick on him. So he's in with Foggy, who is keeping him in line, without causing actual injuries.

 

[Garciamomma]

My peeps were 3 months old yesterday and boy have they changed!! Here's my evaluation after 3 months:

1. Rhode Islands Reds are buttholes...
2. Read #1 again...
3. Barred Rocks are delightful
4. They love to free range and are very good at it!!
5. Did I mention RIR's are buttholes?
6. They love watermelon
7. They will eat anything they encounter...frogs, lizards, caterpillars and stuff I have never seen before.
8. There are no boundaries...my wife's garden being the main thing
9. They love to dust bathe in freshly planted flowers...wife hates them.
10. They make some of the weirdest noises...

It's been quite an experience with them I have to say as I have not had chickens in a long time and forgot how neat they are...next up egg laying in a few months I suppose. Take care everyone!!

I've had 2 RIRs in different flocks and they've always been the ditziest of the flock. I now have Wyandottes and Easter Eggers the Wyandottes like to be the protectors and the EEs are just sweet girls.

 

[mossyoakpro]

I've had 2 RIRs in different flocks and they've always been the ditziest of the flock. I now have Wyandottes and Easter Eggers the Wyandottes like to be the protectors and the EEs are just sweet girls.

Hindsight is always 20/20 but if I had it to do over I would get all BR's...the 3 of them I have are very pleasant and laid back.

 

[Awestruck]

My peeps were 3 months old yesterday and boy have they changed!! Here's my evaluation after 3 months:

1. Rhode Islands Reds are buttholes...
2. Read #1 again...
3. Barred Rocks are delightful
4. They love to free range and are very good at it!!
5. Did I mention RIR's are buttholes?
6. They love watermelon
7. They will eat anything they encounter...frogs, lizards, caterpillars and stuff I have never seen before.
8. There are no boundaries...my wife's garden being the main thing
9. They love to dust bathe in freshly planted flowers...wife hates them.
10. They make some of the weirdest noises...

It's been quite an experience with them I have to say as I have not had chickens in a long time and forgot how neat they are...next up egg laying in a few months I suppose. Take care everyone!!

My first batch of chickens contained a Rhode Island Red. Why I selected that one, I don't know. My daughter warned me about them, but I was desperate and thought that the season for selling chickens was almost over. My RIR was the first one I got. And it was the only rooster I had in that group. Was supposed to be a pullet, but, we figured out she was really a he and he was so possessive with the girls that he would attack us when we would go out in the chicken yard. He was hard to work with and he died suddenly one day. It was nice not having to go out in the chicken yard without protection!

 

[Brooksy21]

I feel the same about the black sex links (they are part RIR, after all).
Wyandottes are worse in my flock. LOL
Love the Barred Rocks.

I’ve yet to have any of these. RIR, Barred Rocks or Wyandottes as I’ve heard they’re all bully’s to flock mates.