Heritage RIR vs production RIR

[A.T. Hagan]

All Rhode Island Reds are heritage birds whether they came from a small scale breeder or a major hatchery.

"Production Reds" is a vague term that can mean anything. You have to ask the person that produced them specifically what went into the makeup of their birds. Some may be all Rhode Island Red, some crossed with another breed or variety such as New Hampshires or maybe even with Leghorns. You have to ask.

Whether a given breeder's or hatchery's Rhode Island Red birds are suitable or not depends on what you want them for. If you want to show then go with the show breeder. If you want a good dual purpose bird that lays well and grows quickly (for a non-hybrid) to a large size bird for butchering you're going to have to search a bit.

Show breeders and production breeders pretty well parted company decades ago. Now that hybrids rule the commercial world the situation has gotten even worse.

 

[7L Farm]

A.T. Hagan :

All Rhode Island Reds are heritage birds whether they came from a small scale breeder or a major hatchery.

"Production Reds" is a vague term that can mean anything. You have to ask the person that produced them specifically what went into the makeup of their birds. Some may be all Rhode Island Red, some crossed with another breed or variety such as New Hampshires or maybe even with Leghorns. You have to ask.

Whether a given breeder's or hatchery's Rhode Island Red birds are suitable or not depends on what you want them for. If you want to show then go with the show breeder. If you want a good dual purpose bird that lays well and grows quickly (for a non-hybrid) to a large size bird for butchering you're going to have to search a bit.

Show breeders and production breeders pretty well parted company decades ago. Now that hybrids rule the commercial world the situation has gotten even worse.

Oh , I see what your saying. I was talking to the individual that sold me the birds & she said they aren't production reds. But true RIR's. Whatever that's worth either way its all good at 7L.​

 

[Robert Blosl]

I want to buy the best Production or Commercial Reds I can get. I do not want to show them. I dont want to eat them. I want them to lay tons of eggs to make egg money. Where do I buy these high laying egg brown feathered chickens. What hatchery has the best lines. Where do the comercial poultry farms buy their high laying Babcock 290s chickens. I dont want any of those dark Rhode Island Reds they dont lay enough eggs. All they are good for is to look at.

 

[wyandotte freak]

Welp hatchery has production reds, rhode island reds, and Dark rhode island reds which is what some of the pics in this thread looked like to me. THey also have New Hampshire reds.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Love that!

- And to anyone confused by this, Robert is a breeder of very nice heritage-type Rhode Island Reds.

And, Welp Hatchery does NOT have true-to-type "heritage" Rhode Island Reds. No hatchery does. Hatcheries do EXACTLY what Robert was talking about. . . They just want to create what most chick buyers want - A hardy red chicken that lays a LOT of eggs. Nothing more.

 

[speckledhen]

I have had the heritage RIRs as well as the hatchery stock. The heritage girls did lay very well, were much larger than their hatchery counterparts, and much quieter and more laid back than Reba, Rosemary or Ruby were. I still have Reba, who is about to turn 5 years old and she still lays a couple eggs per week when she isn't molting.

 

[punky rooster]

A.T. Hagan :

All Rhode Island Reds are heritage birds whether they came from a small scale breeder or a major hatchery.

this is not true major hatcheries are not true RIR the one that kathy posted is a true RIR http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Reds/BRKRIR.html here you can see the nice dark color that true RIR should have in the 4th pic
punky

 

[7L Farm]

Here's a picture of my heritage RIR. She is 26 weeks old.

 

[Chris09]

A.T. Hagan :

All Rhode Island Reds are heritage birds whether they came from a small scale breeder or a major hatchery

That is wishful thinking.

There is not one thing that makes those "Red" chickens that hatcheries are calling Rhode Island Reds a, true Rhode island Red little lone a Heritage Breed.

http://albc-usa.org/heritagechicken/definition.html

Hatcheries sell Production Breeds.

Chris​