Quick question. How well do RIR's tolerate a coop? Heritage RIR vs Production matter in this instance?

[teddyjames]

I have a decent run, 14x30 ft. I like the characteristics of the breed but keep hearing they are curious and like to free range, and don't really like a fence/coop/run lifestyle. I would like to hear some real-world examples, but a simple "Don't do it." OR "Mine do fine" will suffice.. Thanks in advance.

 

[FunClucks]

I have a decent run, 14x30 ft. I like the characteristics of the breed but keep hearing they are curious and like to free range, and don't really like a fence/coop/run lifestyle. I would like to hear some real-world examples, but a simple "Don't do it." OR "Mine do fine" will suffice.. Thanks in advance.

Unless you really want the heritage birds for the sake of having the heritage birds, I'd get the Production Reds instead. They are known to be docile, tolerate confinement well, and lay lots of large light brown eggs. If you don't mind culling or rehoming at the end of 2 years, you can raise your own replacements and never suffer from loss of egg production. Not sure exactly when they run out of eggs, but 2 yrs is a common flock turnover time. I had one PR rooster for one year, and he was great for a long time. He turned human aggressive at 1 year, but that's kinda luck of the draw for any chicken breed, and it may have been how we kept him.

RIR are known to be aggressive, the PRs had that bred out of them for the most part and are meant to be kept commercially, so tolerate confinement well. Bred my PR with prairie bluebell eggers and starlight green eggers, and got the best green egger hens. The roos were obvious by 3 weeks, and the hens laid large - extra-large medium green eggs daily.

 

[saysfaa]

My understanding is the heritage are more docile - that the temperament problems came from the influence of the Mediterranean breeds mixed in to increase egg production.

So far, my information is from reading. I am planning to pick up my first RIR (heritage strain) chicks within a few weeks. I might be more helpful if you don't need to immediately.

Which strains of heritage breeds one is talking about may make a difference. I'm getting mine from a place that sells both production- and heritage- strains of RIR. They emphasize the temperament differences in the descriptions.

I don't think Mediterranean temperaments are bad. I like my leghorns liveliness and sassiness better than my australorps calm niceness. But I don't have as much space as I would like so docile temperaments are a high priority.

 

[teddyjames]

I favor the most aggressive roosters, they pull double duty as guard chickens.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

I favor the most aggressive roosters, they pull double duty as guard chickens.

Hello I have both heritage and production RIR and I have fenced in both. They both want to wander. I have heritage RIR in a 20x60 electric fence and they want out every day because I let them out one time to get grasshoppers. They wander 500 ft in every direction but still go back when the sun starts to go down. The production RIRs are in a 2 acre yard and wander the entire yard.

They want to be free when they know what freedom is but they also want to be fed by you a lot when there are no bugs around.

The Productions RIR roosters and the most aggressive. They will even kick people that used to feed them when someone else starts to feed them. When they kick it hurts. They can kick many times in one jump like many ninjas but it hurts.

Heritage RIR roosters will keep their distance from you or if they are familiar with you and tame they will dance around you so that you comply to them like a hen but without kicking or biting you. They are much more friendly. THe hens will jump on you and stay in your arms to escape the rudest roosters.

 

[FrostRanger]

I would 100% get heritage RIRs over production reds if possible. Production reds are more likely to have attitude issues particularly the rooster which regarded as some of the most human aggressive roos. The hens are also far more likely to have reproductive issues as well. I would not get reds personally but if I had to I'd go for the heritage reds every time

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

I would 100% get heritage RIRs over production reds if possible. Production reds are more likely to have attitude issues particularly the rooster which regarded as some of the most human aggressive roos. The hens are also far more likely to have reproductive issues as well. I would not get reds personally but if I had to I'd go for the heritage reds every time

Hello I think you are correct.