my rhode island reds are so mean!!!!!!!!!!

[Me & My Peeps]

I have RIR's also. The only issue I have (had) was with the roosters. I finally had to get rid of them. I decided to make a lesson out of it and I learned how to dispatch and process with these. I have other roo's that get along fine together but the RIR's just refused to play nice.

After speaking with others about this breed, I came to the conclusion that RIR's are more likely to be aggressive (males) than others. I know it's a hard decision to make, but once you remove them, you will see the stress disappear from the remaining flock. I even noticed that my egg production went up!

 

[Pinky]

My RIR hen is nice towards everyone in her flock and me except for the rooster in with her flock. He used to over mate her but lately she has not let him breed with any of the hens.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

try taking the RIR's out of the hen house for a couple of days and then put them back in....sometimes that is enough time for them to lose the peking order and they will not be so bossy any more.

 

[terrilhb]

I don't know what to tell you sorry. But I have 11RIR hens and 2 RIR roo's. My hens are really sweet. The roo's need to be checked once in awhile but basically I don't have problems with them. Mine are soon to be 7 months. Hope it works out for you. Good luck

 

[NYRIR]

I had to get in on this one....I have 7 RIR (production red) Roos...all are fine...2 LIKE to be pet...the others just hang out. No aggression.ALL the hens of red variety (3 red sexlinks and 15 production red hens) are really sweet and are not hard to get along with.Actually I added 2 new barnyard mixes from a friend of mine (one a cockerel the other a pullet) and had no issues either.All the older hens mentioned are last years hatch...don't know if that makes a difference or if it's because they're not "true" RIR's.I did notice with the roos that they were more "touchy" when they were reaching sexual maturity,but nothing enough to draw blood or anything like that,and nothing to humans except (I had posted on here before)that one young (not sexually mature yet) cockerel did chase a young girl.The girl was really scared to start with though and he could tell.He chased her but didn't peck or fly at her or anything.Are yours true RIR's?

 

[Robert Blosl]

I saw your post on new threads for the day and could not help read your thread. Every person who has contacted me about mean Rhode Island Reds are so correct. Some of the ones you have shipped to your home or pick up at the feed store will attach your children or try to beat you up.

The question is are they really the old fashion Rhode Island Reds of yesterday or the ones that thousands buy every year from feed stores or hatcherys.

Today I think there are about five to ten thousand birds like you are talking about alive during the winter months.

Yet in my head today the true Rhode Island Red in Rose comb there is about fifty birds alive.

In Single comb maybe only 150 alive during the winter. They are a very rare breed and they are very docile birds becasue they are breed that way.

I feel your pain with these mean red production chickens. They are breed that way because the high yield of eggs they have to lay.

I raised at least 1,500 large fowl and that many in bantams in the past 22 years and never had a mean Rhode Island Red. If I did I would have knocked them in the head.

Just trying to give the Real Rhode Island Reds a break. Bob old Rhode Island Red breeder.

these are the old fashion docile kind.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:

Those are the kind I so naively THOUGHT I was getting! I love that color...but I love my PR's too

 

[Tracy and the Girls]

That is what ours did but they were aggressive and attacked us and the other chickens. They got into bloody fights and everything with the other chickens. We finally just set them free into a big open field and let them die on they're own. so sad...

:'(

 

[Pinky]

Here's my RIR hen. When I bought her with 10 more RIR chicks I was told they was the old fashion kind.Now I don't know what to believe. I bought her from a breeder that used to be a member here (not sure now).
She was really dark when she was young but not since she grew older.

 

[duckking]

In defense of RIR's. I have 2 hens and they are both THE sweetest girls ever. They are not the old-fashioned ones, just run of the mill mahogany coloured production reds from Meyers. We also have a Gold-Laced Wyandotte and a Delaware. We've had them since they were a day old. In fact one of my RIR's was injured and is in the house with me for a few days and she's sitting in my lap quite content as I type this. She also lives with 3 Mallard ducks and 2 Rouens. I am so sorry yours are so nasty. My Delaware and Wyandotte are both friendly as well, but if you try and pick them up they bolt. If you sit still, they'll come and sit on your shoulder....or head..

Something I tried with my ducks and it worked beautifully - One of my female Mallards was very nasty to the other ducks when they were young, grabbing their wings and not letting go, pulling feathers out of them. We separated her for a few days within sight of the others with some hardware cloth between them. She had her own food/water. When we put her back in, she was friendly and docile with them. She still is today.
=[[\\\\==\\=[[[pppfm : That's my RIR who just jumped on my keyboard! She likes to chase after the cursor unfortunately.

Here's a picture of Foghorn with my son