Production Reds

[One Chick Two]

Bob, You are SO correct. Most casual chicken owners, like as lot of the BYC family, think a red chicken is a R.C.R.I.R. I prefer to call them Feed Store Red Chickens. I do have a true Rose Comb Rhode Island Red roo. He is a looker ! And (so far +1 yr.) is as sweet as he can be. Maybe the horror stories of 'mean' RIR roo is because they arent real RIR to start with.

Heritage RIR are amazing birds.
My DH grew up with 200-300 Heritage RIR each season during the 70's. They did a lot of showing and 4-H. He recalls vividly the personalities of those roosters as, "…a few were nice, but some could be really, really mean…"

When our PR roosters grew up, the thing that struck him the most was how nice they were- and that they all could live together peacefully.

So, in all breeds you will get some that are pleasant and some that aren't... you never know what you will get at first. Genetic makeup is just one component.

There's environment, stress, way birds are handled, etc. Factors can add up. Being a nice rooster has less to do with if they are purebred, than if they are predisposed by genes, dislike their situation, or are stressed.

In those days, don't think he realized that choosing a rooster for breeding should also include having a great personality as that trait could be passed down to the young.

He also said that his heritage birds looked different than many he sees today. They were big, beautiful birds with gorgeous tails, that laid eggs very well. (Production Reds weren't known to be circulating when they were breeding RIR.)

But, the birds were a richer, redder color- not as nearly as dark as now, that almost reddish-chocolate hue as you see. They were placing well at the fairs and such, so they were doing things right.

PR's are often from hatcheries- if the effort and time was taken to carefully produce a refined strain from nice parents, I'm sure there would be even more nice roosters.

 

[troy4]

My production reds let me pet them while laying and all kinds of things.Its ok if I pick them up.my little red is the real deal!the nicest of all.The only time she attacks is when a hen in my hands gets in her face.lWhy does she do this?there was a hen she did not like and they were ALWAYS fighting.I say 2 dominate hens,both not to big in the pecking order,but wanted to be the 1 who is bigger in the pecking order and be able to boss eachother.I love mines!Today I was allowed to sit and get pictures of them dust bathing.Some people who say that they have these mean attitudes,it could be the way your working with them.

 

[troy4]

does anyone know what breed this is

It looks as if it is a NHR,but if you look closely its bodies almost shaped like a EE.Maybe a lot of Pr and a tad EE

 

[troy4]

These are all Red Sexlinks, not production Reds. Thye mislabeld them.

well actually 1 a red sex link.ones a golden comet which is a relative breed to the PR and the other 1 is a red star a relativ eto PR.Production reds aren't really a breed.Its a bird that comes out red and lays LARGE BROWN eggs.So,these are realtives because they do same things accept have different colors.I raise both.Both lay BIG brown eggs.Its difficult to say.I have a typical PR.A Red sex link is a chicken who MATURES faster and its a cross breed.

 

[Michael OShay]

Heres a question for you. WHY are Production reds so mean most of the time people tell me the males attach them or thier childern.

Yet people who have the pure Rhode Island Reds have no problem and they are docile as can be.

Do any of you who have production reds have a idea?

Pure Rhode Island Reds are sometimes aggressive too, particularly the roosters.

 

[Michael OShay]

Love all the pictures!

Sometime in the future I am hoping to breed and sell Production Reds. I heard they were the most popular breed of chicken in the US, is this true?

Actually based on total sales, Easter Eggers are the most popular chicken in the USA.

 

[ChazzanHillel]

Well, all of you who said my two reds were cockerels were right. Let's just say I now know what a cock learning how to crow sounds like. My wife is gonna either kill me or the bird. It sounds like something dead dying. Oy vey... Lol

 

[One Chick Two]

Well, all of you who said my two reds were cockerels were right. Let's just say I now know what a cock learning how to crow sounds like. My wife is gonna either kill me or the bird. It sounds like something dead dying. Oy vey... Lol

LOL. They are so funny when they first begin to crow. We have one rooster who's crow sounded like, "...Scooby DooooAH...!!!" Another is (low pitched but nasally and run together) "...abc..." but, still has a cute crow. One of our Black Copper Marans cockerels sounds like a crazy clown laugh. ("HAhahaha...!")

I was asked to post a few of the vintage RIR photos, so here they are.

All of these photos are from 1972-4. The 4-H entry form is typically what was used around this time to have a 4-H chicken go on to State fair.

TAs I understand it, this hen made it to the state fair. I believe she made first place which is why her photo was recorded. You can see she is not a dark, chocolate brown, but more of a deep russet-y red. (Sorry for the poor quality of the photos- it was the Polaroid age. I did not shift colors. She definitely had a nice, flat black and width.



1972-4 RIR chicks


1972-4 Entry tags

 

[VladikC]

So one of my production reds went broody. It's funny cause I bought a broody Orpington and she quit sitting. But my production red went broody.

 

[troy4]

I've decided if these other hens dye were starting with PURE bredPR'S!Hopefully I can see some more PR roosters.