Rhode Island Red

You have a wonderful production red female and she will lay many many eggs for you. The origin of the New Hampshire started in New Ha shire and the Original person got credit i forget his name but his strain went no wear and a fellow named Ken Bowles of New York who owned a hatchery got them going and off the ground in the 1930s . Some say they crossed Brown Leghorn blood onto stains of current Rhode Island reds of that time period. I had Ken Bowles on the phone for four one hour interviews about 25 years ago. He did not tell me that New Hampshire's came first then Rhode Island Reds.had some of the best rhode Island Reds of that time period in rose combs the old Dick Line.I also have read all the Rhode Island Red Journals from 1912 to 1944 and their is no history of that in there New Hampshire blood in the original Rhode Island Reds up to the time of the invention of New Hampshirechicken. . The New Hampshire was a separate breed wanting to make a good dual purpose bird for eggs, meat and beauty for the state of New Hampshire.

The current Rhode Island Red breeders of this time and the club leaders where not to keen on this new chicken. It was in fact Ken Bowles and all his work in the 1950s of making this breed a success that hurt the popularity of the Rhode Island Red and the club. Memberships drooped like a rocket ton the red club. The New Hampshire Club was up and down but never off the ground as well. Ken invented the New Hampshire Bantam and gets full credit for that. Ken was is in the business of making money in his hachery and chose to go that route. The current Rhode Island Reds we have today which I breed and study have never had New Hampshire blood in their veins. One strain of Rhode Island Reds which I owned and promote today is called the Mohawk line and is 100 years old this year. There are two breeders who have this line and about four sub strains in their infancy. I have a strain about 20 miles from my home that are my old birds from Illinois and Florida. I have a strain of Mohawk red bantams that I shrunk down from large fowl for the past 25 years. Not one ounce of New Hampshire blood in these little guys.

You got a good chicken there. The company that you got your chicks from has a good production line and I recommend them to people who want to make a profit from brown egg layers.

If you want the history of how the Rhode Island Red got Started . type the history of Rhode Island Reds or the history of Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds into go ogle. bob
 
I was reading around and saw the "production red" term used and wondered what the difference is..... Now I know!
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I assume that because I got my RIRs from an old country lady in NC that they are infact "production reds"... My new RIR chicks are a rusty mixed with yellow. According to the lady they are pure RIRs.... no matter to me, they are all here for the same purpose to LAY EGGS!!! Although I am really intrigued by chickens and the breeds and such.
 

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