Rhode Island Red's...

[mandylovespets]

What is your opinion about this breed based on your own experience???... Are they a good breed for a first time chicken owner?... Also, why are some RIR's called production reds?...

 

[silkiechicken]

Most RIR's are production reds if not from a breeder. They are just out bred a bit away from the standard of perfection in order to get better egg laying abilities.

 

[RebelsHope]

My RIR hens are nice, but I had a RIR banty Roo that was a monster.

 

[morelcabin]

I really liked my RIR's even the rooster...which some say have a tendancy to be mean. I think roosters of any breed only get mean if they are put under stress too many times and learn not to trust humans. Of the hundreds of chickens I have owned I have only had one mean roo (it was a barred rock) and ONLY became mean after I asked my neighbor to tend my birds for a weekend and she sent her kids to do it. (wonder what happened there)

 

[sundance]

I have RIR and i love them. They lay large brown eggs only problem is my roo is about 3inches taller than my hens and he is REALLY a lover.So guess i will be looking for a smaller roo and try to trade mine for another. He;s not mean just big.

 

[MRNpoultry]

Last year I bought 4 rhode island reds from a feed store. For the most part they are nice, my 3 lay 2-3 eggs a day. When you walk outside they will run up out of the woods. They will be way off in the woods sometimes and come up when they here a car pulls in.

Here is a pictue of two of them -

 

[greyfields]

RIR's are the quintessential chicken. If you had people pick from a line-up of chickens which most looked like a chicken to them, they'd surely all pick the lovely colored RIR.

You simply cannot go wrong with the breed if you get good ones. Nice brown, large eggs. Good temper. They lay lots of eggs for a purebreed.

Now, I do have one cockrel who seems to like to dominant the ladies a bit much for my liking. So I keep his spurs well trimmed. The other two I have though, don't seem to be any 'meaner' than any other rooster I have.

Probably the only other route I'd suggest someone go the first time would be any form of Plymouth Rock. Very similar in performance and I would give the BR cockrels my vote for the 'best' around the girls here.

 

[RebelsHope]

Quote:
Well I would like to know what I did to him because I raised from from a chick and was never cruel to him, but when he was sexually mature he would attack me if I turned my back on him. He would calm down during the winter and then when spring came around he was right back to his old nasty self.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
Well I would like to know what I did to him because I raised from from a chick and was never cruel to him, but when he was sexually mature he would attack me if I turned my back on him. He would calm down during the winter and then when spring came around he was right back to his old nasty self.

You didn't do anything to him, and it doesn't have anything to do with breed, it is an individual thing.

Having said that, I have an RIR roo that is very well behaved.

I love my RIR hens.

 

[Alexis]

I ADORE my Reds... I just call them reds because like a previous poster said they're usually Production Reds. Pure bred RIR are really dark.
Here's a picture of one of my girls from earlier today... she's my only original hen and just the nicest and follows me around everywhere.

Correct me if I'm wrong anyboy, but isn't a Production Red actually a RIR x New Hampshire Red?