RIR

[speckledhen]

Dont get me wrong, I love my three hatchery RIR girls. One is such a lap chicken-she wants to be carried around and be lifted up to eat blueberries from the bush, so she flies up on you, ready or not. I wasn't aware at first of the real color standard for RIRs, either. Now that I have one, I think she's lovely, but I'm not breeding RIRs since I have roosters of other breeds. Almost a shame not to reproduce her, though. Most people just don't know the really black-red ones exist.

 

[silkiechicken]

I have a feed store RIR too... and at one time had 20... I find they come in a variety of red with most being light. I only have one now and she is still lighter than standards but not as orange as some of the RIR's I've had.

No flash

With flash

 

[speckledhen]

What great pictures! She's a doll. I love when a bird in a breed not known for being cuddly totally blows away the stereotype, dont you?

 

[Gracefulspice]

I have 2 RIR. There 12 weeks now. The color is more like Speckledhens hen laying down in the second photo. After a molt can they the color come back darker? Like your other girl? They are both beautiful, but that darker hen is breath taking. Absolutly Georgous

Edit to add photo. This is when they were about 10 weeks

 

[speckledhen]

Gee, Graceful, I think they'll be about the same color, maybe a shade darker. Scarlett was fairly dark even as a chick. Here she is at about five weeks old, then Meg as a chick. You can see the difference, even then:

 

[silkiechicken]

I found that my RIR has gotten lighter over time... I think she's sun bleached though

 

[Julie in Al]

TurnerStar, if you are really interested in some of the darker red RIR's, I can sell you some eggs in Oct when it cools off. I have some SQand breeder quality that will be laying well by then. BTW Speckled got her Scarlett out of my birds.

 

[speckledhen]

That is true. I had just a few eggs from Julie's RIR rooster. I got two dark RIR purebreds and then Meg, who was sired by her Big Red with a Buff Orp. The dark cockerel I sold, but now have Scarlett, who is laying nice brown eggs for me. Meg lays jumbo and super jumbo and double yolks about every other time. Both wonderful girls. I'd take Julie up on that! She packs well, too.