And yes, they are suppose to be that dark. Look how dark the beak is. That will give you a sign on how dark your HRIR will be. Production Reds have a very light beak. I can show you the two together if you want. Since I have both.
Glad you said that. I looked at the pictures again, and WOW those beaks are super dark! Pretty cool actually.
How many different breeds do you have? And, could you rate them all for how likely they are to feather pick under confinement? (I am not talking cages, just smaller than ideal square foot per chicken)