RIR Breed Thread

[cluckcluckluke]

Nice birds!!

Thank you. I personally think they are great.

 

[hdowden]

i just got 2 bantam RIR. they look nice will try to take some pics here soon and see what yall think

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Question for those of you with heritage rir's. Can you get anything close to them using hatchery stock? Here is what I have...roos



hen--I do have some darker color hens but this is the only pick I have...



Hane with two of the hens. His tail sickles are longer now. I was looking at pics of heritage rir;s and noticed how much darker they are than mine. I was wondering if I hatched out eggs from the darkest hens I have if they would eventually breed back to the darker coloring. Olaf, the first roo pictured, has a lighter red coloring but Hane has the darker coloring.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Question for those of you with heritage rir's. Can you get anything close to them using hatchery stock? Here is what I have...roos



hen--I do have some darker color hens but this is the only pick I have...



Hane with two of the hens. His tail sickles are longer now. I was looking at pics of heritage rir;s and noticed how much darker they are than mine. I was wondering if I hatched out eggs from the darkest hens I have if they would eventually breed back to the darker coloring. Olaf, the first roo pictured, has a lighter red coloring but Hane has the darker coloring.

According to the folks who've kept the real McCoy's and are hall of fame breeders? Not really. If, if you could push the genes back to the surface, it'd be a 20 year project and it's highly unlikely anyone would stay with it anywhere near that long. Getting a trio of top flight birds to start with, then keeping the following generations up to snuff, is plenty hard enough to do. Remember, this is about a whole lot more than just dark color. Its about body shape, type, feather condition, heads, backs, tails, stance width, etc, etc.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Anyone on here going to have any heritage breed hatching eggs for sale? I am looking to get some thhe first week of march. Please pm me if you do with price and shipping. I have decided to upgrade my flock. Thanks!!!

 

[RiverRoadFarms]

Love Heritage RIRs but they are hard to find in my area.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Love Heritage RIRs but they are hard to find in my area.

Anyone on here going to have any heritage breed hatching eggs for sale? I am looking to get some thhe first week of march. Please pm me if you do with price and shipping. I have decided to upgrade my flock. Thanks!!!

On the Heritage Rhode Island Red thread, you'll find lots of advice, names of breeders and lots of contact information. Start from the last post and read backward, as this is a very long running thread.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Question for those of you with heritage rir's. Can you get anything close to them using hatchery stock? Here is what I have...roos



hen--I do have some darker color hens but this is the only pick I have...



Hane with two of the hens. His tail sickles are longer now. I was looking at pics of heritage rir;s and noticed how much darker they are than mine. I was wondering if I hatched out eggs from the darkest hens I have if they would eventually breed back to the darker coloring. Olaf, the first roo pictured, has a lighter red coloring but Hane has the darker coloring.

In my view, it would simply take too long and you might not "get there". Why not enjoy what you have, as far as egg layers, and start with some birds that are great? Within 8 months, you'd have breeding capable birds and you could, if you wish, then be done with your present production reds. Point is, you'll get to your goal much, much faster by just getting some quality birds and working with them.

 

[Fentress]

In my view, it would simply take too long and you might not "get there". Why not enjoy what you have, as far as egg layers, and start with some birds that are great? Within 8 months, you'd have breeding capable birds and you could, if you wish, then be done with your present production reds. Point is, you'll get to your goal much, much faster by just getting some quality birds and working with them.

I have ordered some from the Sand Hill Preservation Center, which advertised them as not being a production breed, but the "true" Rhode Island Red. Does any one have any experience or heard about the quality of the Sand Hill line?

 

[NYREDS]

In my view, it would simply take too long and you might not "get there". Why not enjoy what you have, as far as egg layers, and start with some birds that are great? Within 8 months, you'd have breeding capable birds and you could, if you wish, then be done with your present production reds. Point is, you'll get to your goal much, much faster by just getting some quality birds and working with them.

Fred's right. There's an old saying that applies; "you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear". The Production Reds, such as yours, are just too far removed from Standard bred Reds. The genetic material just isn't there.