RIR

[floppysquirrel04]

What is the difference between a RIR and a heritage RIR? Do they still lay the same amount, size, and color egg? Are they just bigger? What about temperament? What do y’all prefer? Our feed store has all of the chick schedules and the dates, and one month they’re having Rhode Island Reds, one month Heritage Rhode Island Reds, and one month Dark Rhode Island Reds. Chicken math, right? I could fit some more in my coop!

 

[boskelli1571]

https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/rired
This link will give you an idea of the difference. I love my RIRs - they are 'production reds' but they lay well and do occasionally go broody. Great bird but if you have some docile breeds like Polish, Silkies etc. the RIR can be a bit pushy.....

 

[rocking chickens]

The difference lies in what they were bred for. Production reds ,which most hatcheries call RIRs, are bred for production and do not have the hardiness, color, and meat qualities of heritage RIR but if you what an egg laying machine this is a great machine. Heritage RIR are very hardy dual purpose birds but they produce slightly less eggs. If you what to have chicks heritage RIR are going to be more true to their parents than Production reds.

 

[IJustWantMyChicksToLive]

Why is my 3 day old Rhode Island Red chick bigger than my four other new chicks? Is it because it is just older, is a certain breed of RIR, or are these birds naturally bigger? Thank you for you input, and helping me figure it out.