Bay Area BYCers!

[wolftracks]

Some one said that you could buy layer feed for 15$ for 50 pounds around are area dose anyone know where that may be every feed store I ben to is 0.40 to 0.60 cents a pound thanks

Sure isn't near me. I pay close to $20 for #50

 

[1 silkie 2]

I love my rode iland red

 

[ronott1]

I love my rode iland red

I have three that look like yours. They are great!

Here is a picture of a Heritage Rhode Island Red

 

[1 silkie 2]

 

[1 silkie 2]

wow you have some nice looking ones

 

[ronott1]

wow you have some nice looking ones

I wish they were mine. It's hard to find Heritage RIR's because they are rare now and were even declared extinct at one point. Let me see if I have a picture of mine. Sorry, not here but mine look like yours.

I might get some hatching eggs from Dick Hortsman or the Urch's at some point though...too many chickens out there to choose from.

 

[1 silkie 2]

What is the difference between the two. And I totally get to many to chose from I cant decide with a Silkie Amarcana or Orpington

 

[ronott1]

What is the difference between the two. And I totally get to many to chose from I cant decide with a Silkie Amarcana or Orpington

The guy that raises these has had them since 1938. They are 6 and a half months old

. Look at the breast/body area and notice how wide it is. Remember this is a pullet! The legs are yellow with pink to red lines in them. The color is more mahogany and not really red. Those are just quick differences. They are also not mixed with other breeds or lines of Rhode Island Reds.

For a bit of history, Hatcheries came up with a commercial line of RIR's for small and large meat and egg production in the 1950's that out competed these chickens for eggs. These were crossed with something like a New Hampsire red or a delaware(could be completely wrong about the breeds. Too lazy to look it up). Since most people did not care about preserving breeds back then, the older Rhode Island Reds began decreasing in numbers.

The Heritage chickens are great. They don't lay as many eggs, but will lay them longer over their lifetimes. So now there are Heritage RIR's, Hatcher RIR's and Production RIR's. Yours is a very nice Hatchery RIR. Enjoy her--she will be a great hen for you.

Be careful about posting to one of the RIR sites with pictures of yours though. Sometimes folks are kind of picky on those sites

 

[1 silkie 2]

Thanks for the info and the tip I use to think that rode iland red where just rode iland red I didn't even know that mine was a hatchery bird I just picked tow up from the alameda county fair they said they said they they where RIR I was totally blank about the breed now I wish I had the heritage kind and do you know if RIR's are aggressive with other birds such bantams both of mine are very sweet but don't know if I can trust them one has had a problem with picking but never brock skin would they be ok with a 4 month old bantam

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for the info and the tip I use to think that rode iland red where just rode iland red I didn't even know that mine was a hatchery bird I just picked tow up from the alameda county fair they said they said they they where RIR I was totally blank about the breed now I wish I had the heritage kind and do you know if RIR's are aggressive with other birds such bantams both of mine are very sweet but don't know if I can trust them one has had a problem with picking but never brock skin would they be ok with a 4 month old bantam

Your Welcome

Jeremy is working on an order with the Urch's. They have Heritage RIR's.

The Hatchery RIR is a lot like the Heritage. Behavior is variable though. Mine are nice, but a bit standoffish. One is funny and likes to growl at me when she is in the nest box. She is not broody though. I am thinking about getting some Heritage RIR Hatching eggs and then swapping my three out for a couple of Heritage RIR's. I would sell or give away the others that hatch.

Is one of yours feather picking? It could be a dominance thing, nutrition or just a mean bird. You can clip the beak(this is not debeaking and is not cruel ). Look up how to do it, but you clip a bit off of the top beak. This makes it so that the chicken can't pull the feathers out. they still eat and forage like normal. The beak will grow back, so watch for this. Another option if it gets bad, you can trade the chicken off to someone else. Often times a chicken just does not like it at your place but is fine somewhere else. At my place the Barred Plymouth Rocks would straighten them out. They are quite large.