rhode island red hen or rooster

[drumstick diva]

She's a beautiful hen regardless.

 

[rIrs roost]

She's a beautiful hen regardless.

X2 I'll take her if you don't want her lol. I know you'll love them eggs soon.

 

[abbey21]

Beautiful girl! Their faces, combs, and wattles will get very red before they start laying. I have two RIR chicks that are 2 weeks. I can't wait to watch them grow and start laying!

 

[Chris09]

well not that i would know the difference . the 4H club i bought them from advertises it as a rhode island red and that is what i asked for and paid for . so i hope that they are teaching the kids properly .

The 4-H club is incorrect.
They are production red.

 

[abbey21]

Shes a production red hen. (not a Rhode Island Red)

I'm still trying to learn all my chicken breeds, what are the differences between RIR and production reds? I have two that I was told were RIR, now I am curious if they really are?

 

[ChickenGrass]

Production reds are light red and white as in the picture
A true rir will have yellow legs and be a dark red mahogany colour
Here's a picture off the Internet of a true rir
TRUE RIR ROOSTER
https://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl...d=0ahUKEwjAz5Sj5MDKAhVBcA8KHe1EDtkQMwgfKAQwBA

TRUE RIR HEN
https://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl...0ahUKEwiYwuLJ5MDKAhXFfg8KHYa1Bro4ZBAzCF8oXDBc

HYBRID RIR HEN
https://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl...d=0ahUKEwiYyPfv5MDKAhVH_A4KHW5dBagQMwgfKAQwBA

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm still trying to learn all my chicken breeds, what are the differences between RIR and production reds? I have two that I was told were RIR, now I am curious if they really are?

Basically any red layer sold from hatcheries as New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red are Production Red. There is no difference between what hatcheries call two different breeds. The only source I've seen honest about it is Stromberg. They actually say Production Red and state that they are hybrids of layers and RIR or New Hampshire or cross of both. Simple and honest. It's a red bird that is crossed and bred for laying, it will breed true, and is a Production Red.

4-H is a great program but unless they obtain their birds from breeders they are raising hatchery birds and merely repeating name of what was sold them. Fair enough, it's the husbandry part of things that is important in 4-H not actual breeding and intricate knowledge of breeds. Production Reds are excellent birds and what people want- egg laying machines! 99.9% of backyard people could care less that it's not a pure Rhode Island Red and in reality would not be satisfied with egg laying of a pure RIR.

 

[Chris09]

I'm still trying to learn all my chicken breeds, what are the differences between RIR and production reds? I have two that I was told were RIR, now I am curious if they really are?

The Rhode Island Red is a breed dating back to about the mid 1840's.
The breed is a true duel purpose bred that weighs in at about 9 pound for cocks, 7 pounds for hens and lays a fair number of eggs a year.
There a dark mahogany color, black tail feathers, black ticking in the hackle feathers, and brick shape just to name a few key descriptions of the breed.

This breed holds its ancestry n a number of fowl such as the New Hampshire, Red Sex-Links, Production Reds just to name a few.


The production red is not a true breed, can come in any shade of red, has a small to medium size body and is meant as a egg laying fowl.
This production red carries leghorn blood in it also to add to egg production.

Note a hatchery Rhode Island Red is also a production red.

 

[abbey21]

Thanks everyone! My two girls have very yellow feet and black tipped tail feathers, so maybe they are RIR after all! Or maybe just a mix. They were not bought from a hatchery, but were not from a professional breeder either. They are still young so I guess only time will tell! One is flighty and the other wants to sit on my shoulder all day.

Thanks for the info and pictures!

 

[Chris09]

Thanks everyone! My two girls have very yellow feet and black tipped tail feathers, so maybe they are RIR after all! Or maybe just a mix. They were not bought from a hatchery, but were not from a professional breeder either. They are still young so I guess only time will tell! One is flighty and the other wants to sit on my shoulder all day.

Thanks for the info and pictures!

There production reds, I'm positive of it..

There yellow legs and the tips of the tail being black doesn't really mean much there are a number of crosses that can "look" like a Rhode Island Red.
Color alone doesn't make the breed. This page should help some.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/407294/the-heritage-rhode-island-red-site