Quick info on Cackle Hatcher RI's

[celticfarmer]

I ended up with two freebies from a guy that I know late this fall and I was just wondering what people's experiences are with RI's from Cackle?

They lay fine but they don't look like anything a guy would want to keep around after their out of eggs.

Any and all information is useful to me.

 

[Omniskies]

They are just red production birds that vaguely resemble RIRs. I wouldn't bother keeping any as a shining example of the breed. They are decent layers, but will taper off nearly as quickly as the hybrids.

 

[celticfarmer]

Quote:
I noticed on their website that they have both a large fowl RI and a production RI listed. Are they just selling one strain of bird and telling people what they want to hear?

 

[Omniskies]

I know they have Production Reds and Rhode Island Reds. I haven't heard of them having two separate strains of LF Rhode Island Reds.

Production Reds are different from Rhode Islands. Productions are a hybrid/line bred specifically for eggs. They look a lot like hatchery stock Rhode Island Reds, and a lot of people get them mixed up, but they are two separate flocks.

_Actual_ Rhode Island Reds are supposed to be nice dark birds that are a pretty good size (LF hatchery birds are almost always too small and the bantams are always too big). Hatchery stock Rhode Island Reds are more of a bright chestnut/red color. Check out the dark mahagony red birds here: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Reds/BRKRIR.html _That's_ your real Rhode Island Red, which you will rarely stumble across at a hatchery.

Cackle's RIRs aren't bad birds and they aren't sick birds. But if you are wanting the actual breed to raise and sell, you want to pay the extra cash and go through a breeder (find out where they got their original stock and ask for pictures). Getting a breed from a hatchery is the equivalent of going to a pet store to find a show quality animal. It's just not going to happen (except as a fluke). But if you're not worried about showing or having "the best of the best" then Cackle's birds will be fine.

 

[celticfarmer]

Quote:
Gotcha, I must have misunderstood the website.

 

[crash0330]

You gotta decide what is it that is most important to you, as RIRs from a hatchery will lay more eggs but will not be the best, and RIR's from a breeder are closer to the real deal but I've heard from some people that Show quality birds dont usually lay well.
So you gotta decide what's more important to you. I have some RIR from cackle and they look really good, but not show quality.

 

[celticfarmer]

I guess I am fishing more for feedback on the quality of bird that they are. I will not be breeding them at all. They will lay till they are out of cackle-berries and then they will go into the pot.

I guess I am looking for information on how long I can expect them to lay and with what frequency.

 

[Cowgirl71]

I've never had any RIRs from Cackle, but of all the birds I've had the very best layers hands down are McMurray's RIRs. Those birds can LAY!!! They're excellent all year layers, and are good for two years plus of laying. If you want excellent layers, I highly recommend these!
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/rhode_island_reds.html

 

[celticfarmer]

Thank you for the advice, I already have the birds you see and i am just wondering what expectations to have regarding their performance.

 

[Omniskies]

Two years, maximum. Really, they're going to be best to part with at 18 months. That's not to say they won't lay, but they won't be laying as much.