Rhode Island Reds OR are they?

[utefan47]

Hello: So I'm new to this. I picked up 14 RIR chicks at the local Wilco in March and have raised them now to laying hens. I will qualify that to say several are laying, it's a process as they are young (I've gotten appx 12 pullet eggs in the last week and all are in good shape). I love the RIR. They are docile, calm, they seem to really like each other, they are friendly to me and they are supposed to be good layers and good meat chickens. I did my homework . Three weeks ago I decide to go all in and get more because I have the space and I hear times are going to get tough. I'm building another coop. I picked up 15 more RIR. Well they have turned out to be holy terrors and they are only 4 weeks old (HA!). They are large and gangling, with long necks and they are wild, running all over the two tanks I have them in ( I separate them into groups of 7 or 8 in each 70 gallon stock tank) screeching, pecking at each other, it's like high anxiety, easily startled, unfriendly. I mean, I just did not experience this with the previous group. They do not look like they are shaping up to be the true RIR. Thoughts?

 

[Painted Calls]

Production reds are sexlink birds bred for high egg production, they typically die from reproduction issues by age 3, unfortunately. Sex links are created by breeding opposite color parents together, the girls look like the sire and the males will look like the dam. I.E Barred x red, white x red, since they are red sex link, the boys will be lighter than the girls, like your little cockerel there and his comb gives him away too.

Production reds aren't sex-links. They are birds bred down from RIRs to produce more eggs. They are often a lighter rusty/orangey red color vs the deep red of a RIR. A RIR should be almost mahogany in color, and built more solidly (dual purpose breed).

Time will tell. Unless you specifically order heritage RIRs, most hatchery stock Production Reds and RIR are extremely similar.

 

[Painted Calls]

Hello: So I'm new to this. I picked up 14 RIR chicks at the local Wilco in March and have raised them now to laying hens. I will qualify that to say several are laying, it's a process as they are young (I've gotten appx 12 pullet eggs in the last week and all are in good shape). I love the RIR. They are docile, calm, they seem to really like each other, they are friendly to me and they are supposed to be good layers and good meat chickens. I did my homework . Three weeks ago I decide to go all in and get more because I have the space and I hear times are going to get tough. I'm building another coop. I picked up 15 more RIR. Well they have turned out to be holy terrors and they are only 4 weeks old (HA!). They are large and gangling, with long necks and they are wild, running all over the two tanks I have them in ( I separate them into groups of 7 or 8 in each 70 gallon stock tank) screeching, pecking at each other, it's like high anxiety, easily startled, unfriendly. I mean, I just did not experience this with the previous group. They do not look like they are shaping up to be the true RIR. Thoughts?View attachment 3176403

They appear to be RIR/Production Reds. The one in your pic is a cockerel.

 

[Painted Calls]

Oh forgot to mention sex. The comb on that chick looks like it's fairly developed for 3 weeks. Could just be the red light making it appear that way though.

 

[utefan47]

They are some kind of red sex links. They are looking like Rhode Island Reds, or possibly Isa Browns.

Looking at pics on line of Isa browns, they certainly look like they are shaping up that way. Good to know. It also sounds like these Production birds end up with health issues as well as short life span. So interesting. When I hear of an opportunity to get more "heritage" lines, I'll certainly jump on that knowing there seems to be a big difference. Thank you for this information.

 

[NatJ]

I picked up 14 RIR chicks at the local Wilco in March...I love the RIR. They are docile, calm, they seem to really like each other, they are friendly to me and they are supposed to be good layers and good meat chickens.

I picked up 15 more RIR. Well they have turned out to be holy terrors and they are only 4 weeks old (HA!). They are large and gangling, with long necks and they are wild, running all over

Can you post a photo of the older ones?
And a group photo of the younger ones?

I'm thinking you're right that something is different about the second batch, but I'm not yet sure what it is. If both groups were supposed to be the same, then maybe one group was labeled wrong (maybe the first group are a different breed, or maybe the second group are all males, or maybe the second group are a different breed, or maybe they are the same breed but came from a different hatchery.)

 

[NatJ]

A LOT of the new ones look like cockerels. I'm pretty sure I see at least 4 males in the first photo, and at least 2 in the 3rd photo.
The pullets in the middle photo are really beautiful

I'm not very good at telling red breeds apart (Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, Production Red), but all of yours look right to be either RIR or one of the similar breeds. They don't look like anything really different got mixed in.

I don't know if having that many males is enough to make them behave that much differently, but it's the most obvious difference I see right now.

 

[InterestingChickens]

A LOT of the new ones look like cockerels. I'm pretty sure I see at least 4 males in the first photo, and at least 2 in the 3rd photo.
The pullets in the middle photo are really beautiful

Agreed, a total of 6 males in the 1st and 3rd pictures. And yes, your pullets are very pretty.

At this age the the cockerels will be fighting for dominance, as well as the hens. Howerever, becuase you have quite a few cockerels, this will make it worse. I would say this is the reason for their behavior. At this stage of their life it is not unusual for them to become more skitish as they are growing their first true feathers and hormones are kicking in.

 

[InterestingChickens]

Whyyyyyy. SIX??? Just kidding. Its like watermelon, it's a risk going in. Thank you for your input. I'll keep you posted. I hope you are wrong. Ha!!

Quite right. That is, 6 if they are diffrent pictures of each bird. 6 is the number of cockerels between the 1st and 3rd pictures, not necessarily the ammount of cockerels you have.

 

[All4Eggz]

They are some kind of red sex links. They are looking like Rhode Island Reds, or possibly Isa Browns.