RIR's and New Hampshire Reds?

[Illia]

A.T. Hagan :

Quote:
Yes, but the SOP is about cosmetic differences. Not production. The show birders and the farmers who made their living with those birds parted company long ago.

Actually the true heritage types that people bred to survive off of were MUCH closer to today's "show birds" than today's hatchery type birds. You've got to consider, people who do "show quality" heritage birds still need meat and egg production. . .

Hatcheries ONLY look for egg production. One cannot make a sustainable dual purpose flock out of production Reds. Hence the name.

Show Quality lines are actually about preserving the original, not breeding solely for production or solely for looks. They want the eggs and meat, but best of all, they want the bird that looks the same it used to.​

 

[spartacus_63]

ooopps

 

[spartacus_63]

Hatcheries ONLY look for egg production.

I am unsure of what is meant by the term Hatchery. I got a good number of RIR chicks from a hatchery and most are decent quality heavy egg layers with dark red coloring and decent body type. I didn't buy them to show. I bought them to produce eggs and meat. They do a great job at that. The birds I got are healthy, large, dark, evenly colored, red birds that meet weight standards and are great layers. I have also received some RIR birds that originated from feed stores, now these birds although good layers were generally smaller and did not have even coloring. I also have not found that the offspring of these birds are as good at production. The jury is still out on that one for me.

Actually the true heritage types that people bred to survive off of were MUCH closer to today's "show birds" than today's hatchery type birds.

I'm not so sure that is correct. This quote is from Dave Anderson past president of the APA:

Over the years, great debates have raged over the correct shade of color required in an exhibition Rhode Island Red. The desired color has evolved as can be seen by examining the APA Standard of Perfection. The 1916 edition of the Standard calls for “rich, brilliant red” for the male and rich red for the female while today’s version calls for “a lustrous, rich, dark red throughout” for both male and female. Many fanciers in the early 1900s described the ideal color as “steer red” similar to the color on a Hereford steer and today the desired color looks almost black when viewed from a distance of 10 feet or more. The one thing that most breeders and judges have agreed upon through the years is that, whatever the shade, it should be even colored throughout.

In fact, the virtually maniacal quest for the rich, dark red undercolor and surface color in the early 1900s almost led to the downfall of the breed. It turned out that the darkness of the red was genetically linked to feather quality – the darker and more even the color, the poorer the structure of the feather. Breeders and judges alike were selecting birds with excellent color but very thin, stringy feathers, many called them “silky,” that were poorly structured and did not carry the desired width and smoothness that sets apart an outstanding specimen. In addition, this “silky” feather was genetically tied to slow development so their desirability as a meat bird diminished as well. Fortunately, a handful of dedicated breeders “righted the ship” and today we have birds that possess all of the desired qualities.

The bottom line for me is, if you want to have a "heritage" or show quality flock, find a good breeder. If your goal is to have a sustainable producing flock, a good hatchery may be what your looking for. I am not a big fan of feed store birds because you just do not know what you are going to get, but if your goal is to have some birds to give you eggs and keep you entertained, then a feed store may suit your needs.​

 

[OkChickens]

Where did you get your RIR's at?

 

[spartacus_63]

Murray McMurray

 

[OkChickens]

How many weeks old until they started laying? Around 25-30?

 

[OkChickens]

What kind of egg numbers do you get on average from a hen?

 

[Illia]

Both New Hampshires and Rhode Island Reds (production reds included) begin at the normal 21-22 weeks.

 

[kathyinmo]

My hatchery reds started laying at 18 weeks. My heritage RIRs started laying at 25 weeks. My New Hampshires are still not laying, so I can't help you with that one.

 

[Gallusfarm]

Quote:
Very well put. This is what it's all about.