Rhode Island Reds the correct color

[Robert Blosl]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/7163_rir2.jpg

I got a personeel message last night from a junior reader of this web site saying I am confused what is the correct color of the Rhode Island Reds.???

She said I know there are three kinds of Rhode Island Reds Single Comb, Rose Comb and Bantams. The bantams and the the Rose Comb pictures are all dark red color almost purple. The Single Comb kind are dark and light in color. Why is this? Is there a difference is one better than another?

I found a good picture on this site from a fellow who has both colors in one picture. Maybe we can help this person and others on the different reds out there.

Also she said , I went to the Rhode Island Red Club web site and saw they have pictures of Rhode Island Reds on thier to look at I saw Single Comb, Rose Comb and bantams but only one shade of color why dont they post pictures of the light colored Rhode Island Reds like mine? I have the light colored Rhode Island Reds that I got from a feed store in my home town. The owner of the feed store said he got the chicks from a hatchery in Iowa.

May be we can share some light on this subject for this junior. bob

http://showbirdbid.com/coppermine/r...hp?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=5#top_display_media

 

[Smoky73]

Ah, poor girl got hatchery stock.

I wish the large fowl was more "popular" at shows around here, usually when I show mine they are the only ones. Course, anyone who has backyard birds here has hatchery reds and when others see mine, they are wondering what they are?
I do have some that have gotten much lighter with age though, that might be seen to be hatchery but are not.

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://www.silverpulletpoultry.net/rirs.htm

I remember you pictures. You got your Reds from House of Champions. bob

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Yup that hatchery stock can really confuse people on what the true color and or look of a breed should look like.

Chris

 

[Chris09]

Well ever since the late 1840's when Captain Richard Wheatland imported the Red Malay and started using them in the breeding of the then to be Red [Rhode Island Red] it was considered a dark red fowl and when the bird was entered into the American Standard of Perfection as a breed it was entered in as a rich Dark Red bird. I think the best description of the, "correct" color would would have to be as some of the older breeders described the color in that it is like, "the color of a Bing Cherry".

Hope this helps some..

Chris

 

[Smoky73]

Thats a really good way to put it, the color of a Bing Cherry...sounds right to me. I plan to take new pics of my flock tomorrow if the weather cooperates. I like my RIR's much more hardy than my Silkies, but I love my silkies more. RIR flock, currently not laying a thing!!!

 

[Robert Blosl]

Here is a picture sent to me the other night from a fellow in Colorado who got some eggs from Paul who post on this site. Now for the people who think that the light colored reds are just as important as the Standard Colored Reds I have tracked this linkage of this strain to 1912. This is one if not the oldest strains of Rhode Island Reds around and they still have very good type and color.

This line was once the Mrs. Donald Donaldson line from Decatar Georgia.

I have gone to the Rhode Island Red Club web site where they have pictures and all the pictures that are on this site seem to be the same hue or color as these Reds do.

Thanks for sending me the pictures.

I have been asked by a fellow to help him collect a collection of pictures of old Standard Breeds and will be putting togeather a collection of pictures for people to look at so they can get a idea what kind of Rhode Island Reds they have.

It seems that out of one hundred people who Have Rhode Island Reds only about one to two percent have pictures like the above birds. We hope to get some more pictures of these birds in a more natural pose. bob

 

[X2Farm]

So, I'm curious....

I've got some Reds. I got them from a lady not far from me. They were all a very bright red when I bought them in July. I've since sold a few, but out of the 2 I kept, 1 has been molting/broody, and she has gotten darker in color. She's compact, seems to have a very bricky shape, just not the darker color, not that "bing cherry" color yall have. (Her legs are usually more yellow too)

So my question, Do they sunbleach that much? Or is she just more of a production type?

{I don't know if she's a hatchery bird or not... I didn't know enough when I purchased them to ask, they were just for layin eggs. }

 

[thunderwagn]

Quote:
My family feels very fortunate to have some of these birds. I am grateful that I ran into Paul here on the site and found out we lived several miles apart...small world. Paul got me hooked up with these birds, and I look forward to working with him and Bob on them. Its great fun! I just recently ran into Bob out of shear coincidence on another adventure in fowl raising that my young boys wish to undertake. I do plan on getting more and better pictures.

Smoky73, your name sounds really familiar. Your RIR's wouldn't happen to be reds from Mike J. would they? We have silkies too. My daughter and wife love them, and I will admit, I do like watching them from time to time. I wonder if we might have some of the same silky lines?? A couple yrs ago I got some from JerryD. and just recently picked up a couple of roo's in Longmont from a family who is also members of FF.

(sorry to derail the thread there a bit)

 

[Robert Blosl]

Glad you posted on this thread. I am happy both of you posted. As many of you know there is another thread compairing the two colors and it was getting out of hand which came first and which should have the true name of Rhode Island Reds. I said I would not post on that thread as the history as I know it does not go along with what I have read, studied and was thought by Hall of Fame Memebers of the Rhode Island Red Club.

I was thinking last night of puting togeather a web site of pictures the dark ones Standard and the light one Procuction just to show people the difference. Then if you want one or the other color I will find the sources for you.

I still have people who want to raise commercial reds brown eggs to try to make money with them. For gods sake I am not going to send them to a Standard Breeder as they will go broke selling eggs from those birds like I use to have.

Also, I am putting togeather a list of names of Barred Rock, and Rhode Island Red breeders small flock owners with thier email addreess so when I get messages from beginners who want that breed I can send them the list.

Some of the people I have on my list will not be able to supply the eggs to the beginners this spring. Its over welming who wants these breeds.

Look forward to the pictures and maybe we will find another lost soul out their that we can contact. I need Partridge Rock Large Fowl from Joel Gilman lines next.

Snow Hunter they normaly dont fade or bleach out the dark kind. Yours may be more production type and they do bleach out could be because they lay so many eggs
and loose thier pigment. They are very vigours looking females. This is the classic Monroe Babcock 290 line look from New York State about 50 years ago.
He had won many contest with his production reds and they are all over Europe still with his name Babcock 290s. I interviewed him about 20 years ago.

Again thanks for posting the pictures. bob