Barred Rock VS RIR

[aShMaNv]

OK I got a question. I have some RIR and production reds. A good buddy of mine has a real nice quality Barred Rock flock and gave me 18 eggs to hatch out in my incubator. I really dont have enough space to start another flock. I am for sure going to keep a couple of the barred rock hens. But i got to thinking and was trying to compare the two breeds. Everything i have read says that RIR are better layers that Barred rocks. If this is true why do so many people prefer the Rocks over RIR? I was just looking for someone to help compare the two breeds for me. Thanks in advance

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

I don't really know too much about RIR's but we have a barred rock roo. My wife would rather have the barred rock because one day during the summer we were outside and a mouse was by her foot and she didn't see it and then all of the sudden the barred rock roo jetted toward my wife and gobbled that mouse off and ran away!

A RIR probably would too but i just thought the story was funny and thats why we'd rather have the barred rock. Take care.

 

[Illia]

From hatchery quality, they're kind of the same, but some BR's are bigger. They're both bred for production, so they're on the lightweight side and lay a lot of brown eggs, plus both have some strains of aggression in roosters, and they're both hardy. So really, they're the same.

From heritage and/or show quality lines, they do differ though, but I don't have the experience to say with what, other than how they look and weigh.

 

[aShMaNv]

Quote:
That is one of the pluses for me. The BR roosters are bigger and there is a chicken auction every other friday where i could make about $8 off all my extra roos. But im mainly in it for eggs.

 

[aShMaNv]

Anyone else?

 

[BarredBuff]

I have had both breeds. The RIR were the best layers and they were slightly bigger. The BRs were dumb they were purely stupid. They laid pretty good thru the winter and some were fat. Both roosters had a good temperment. The RIR hens tended to be aggressive.

 

[donrae]

I like the BR because they're smallish hens (yes, hatchery birds) so don't eat much but still lay like crazy. I think they're prettier to look at than a solid red hen. Plus, you can put the hens under a variety of roos and get sex-link chicks

I guess hatchery RIRs may be smallish, I guess I still think of them as a larger bird, thus eating more. I've also heard a lot about aggressive RIR roos.

 

[ddroland]

I have both RIR and BR, both seem to lay about the same and continue to produce over the winter. I much prefer the BR though purely from an aesthetics perspective. I have both penned purebreds and a free range flock and the BR are a much better looking bird to have running around the yard. My RIRs seem to be in a perpetual state of molt, which is usually a quality of a good layer, but for me that is only half the equation.

 

[flyawaynet]

I've got both BR's and RIR's. My BR's are docile and quiet, the RIR's.... um...they're just more likely to get in trouble. Granted - none of my flock cause me trouble really but if someone did cause me trouble it's likely a RIR. When I first got them the RIR was the one that tried to jump on my back when I went to feed, the RIR jumped at my tray of food and spilled it, back when I let them out of their huge (150x100) penned area to free range by the house and in other areas of the pasture just for a change and some exercise, the RIRs were the ones that started jumping the fence each morning to get out sooner if I didn't show up as early as they'd like. One of my RIR's likes to sit on other birds backs every once in awhile and peck their head. It's nothing too horrible (though I don't have roosters yet) but.. they're just... not quiet and docile like my BR's. Shortly after we got them, my then 10 yr old sat down on a bucket out in their area and a BR just hopped up in her lap. It was sweet. I'd imagine the RIR would have tried to jump on her head.. just not a sweet bird haha.