Rhode Island Reds.... (WHAT??!!)

[Whigru]

I had a RIR that we got as a chick with two other birds (BO and PBR). Of the three, the RIR was definitely the most easily stressed and did not like being held. She also got loud as all get out as she grew, to the point where we had to rehome her because I didn’t want our neighbors getting annoyed with her constant loud squawking. We now have a 10wk Cherry Egger (which my research says is just a “fancy” name for a dark red RIR) and she is also prone to be more skittish than her coop mate. No negative experiences though other than the gosh darn squawking.

 

[paintedChix]

Are all the RIRs you are talking about Hatchery stock?

Has anyone had experiences with Heritage RIR stock from breeders? If so, have you had more than one line?

I have not had RIRs at all. But I have had related breeds - Production Reds (PRs - hatchery stock & hens only), Rhodebars (RBs) & Rhodebar/RIR crosses (to improve the RBs). I want to say I've had another breed bred from RIRs but I sure can't remember what it is at the moment...

So far, from different lines (but all imported by Green Fire Farms) of RBs from a couple of different breeders - most of the roos have turned dangerously mean, aggressive and sneaky about doing their attacks. I'm not sure why, it doesn't seem to matter if they are contained in a coop/run or if they are allowed to free range. Doesn't seem to matter if they have been handled from "baby-hood" or not. Not all of the ones I've had have "changed" - but enough that it is definitely noticeable.

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I want to get some non-industrial, heritage RIR breeding stock to put in with some of our RBs. We will see how that goes in the future.

None of our RBs are as noisy as the FBCMs. Geeze, now those are some NOISY birds! and when I had hatchery stock hens, it was only the Cuckoo Marans that were noisy, the Production Reds were some of the quietest birds I've ever owned.