Rhode Island Reds

[GrannySue]

Just want to share what I saw at our local poultry swap last weekend. A woman was selling a trio of RIRs, show quality.
The Roo was very handsome, but the hens - I have never seen such gorgeous birds! Deep brown, even colour all over. Just beautiful!

Sorry if this isn't the right place. It's just that I had to tell people who would understand. I have 5 hatchery quality RIRs right now. They certainly won't be looking like those girls ...

 

[greathorse]

Your in the right spot thanks. Pictures?/ I love looking at good Rhode Island Reds. In my mind good Reds also have a "presence" that I don't see in many other breeds.

Go get you some of them "gooduns"

 

[Illia]

This is why I always say I have absolutely no interest in 95% of all Rhode Island Reds. . . Wouldn't take one if it was free. BUT, with show quality ones - They really are gorgeous birds!

 

[yotetrapper]

Dont know if you'd consider this guy show quality (at least not with his scruffy looking tail, lol) but I rather like him....

 

[greathorse]

It is hard to see his length of back but he may be a bit short coupled. His color could be a bit better as well, and he may be molting but looks like he is a bit loose feathered as well. He is a better than some I have seen

 

[RM44]

My first set of 5 RIRs were absolutely stunning in color and overall looks. I got them from a private breeder. My next group of RIRS came from the hatchery. While not quite as good looking (and a small bit of "smut" in their tailfeathers), they are still good birds. Even the hatchery RIRs are great birds in my opinion.

 

[greathorse]

The hatchery birds are very useful laying birds with lots of great attributes one of them being that they lay like crazy, but I do like looking at the old heritage ones I really do. Mine are not very good layers at this point it may be largely me as I have moved them a lot and so forth, the hatchery ones sure outlayed these birds that is for sure.

 

[RM44]

Quote:
Well the old heritage ones theorhetically lay consistently for longer (more years), so back in the day when that was necessary, they fit the bill. Folks kept the good layers around forever and ate the non-producers! Now it's all about production. My husband constantly complains about my new hatchery birds though. He comments about how they are not as pretty; he liked our privately bred heritage ones much better. And the heritage ones we had were still cranking out 4-5 eggs a week. (my new hatchery ones haven't started yet, but I expect 6-7 from them.)

 

[greathorse]

I think I sort of made a mess of mine. They started laying last fall, pretty good actually and I had a light on them all night. When the natural light got to be around 13 hours a day I brought them to another coop and just left them with the natural light. I think I put them into a light molt and they are not laying much at all. I think (hope) it will straighten out

 

[Chris09]

To me you wont get a Heritage breed from a hatchery. They come from good breeders that breed by the American Standard Of Perfection...
Breeds that you get from the top 2 hatcheries don't even come close to the Standard...

Chris