The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Asmorilda]

Asmorilda, I will be at Columbia this weekend.


Matt

Matt, I was so looking forward to meeting you, seeing your birds & experiencing the poultry show. If the weather forecast changes for the better, maybe we can still make it. Right now, the predictions are for rain, snow, possible ice & strong winds on Friday. They don't seem to be certain on exactly what to expect, how much or how many hours. I'm just waiting & watching. If I don't see you at the Columbia, MS show, hopefully I'll catch up with you at another one.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I am watching the weather too. When I went to the one in Newnan, Ga., one year it rained and another time it was freezing. I need to buy a closed trailer to tow. I have an open trailer and don't like to travel that far with the birds in the trailer. I can put them in the back of our truck but that has it's limits too.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

I am still looking to improve my birds so I don't need show quality, but I am in MO looking for some chicks or a cockrel.

IMO I'd say get the best quality you can! THAT is the best way to improve existing 'birds' (flock to me).

Believe me I know. Starting with non quality birds and mating non quality takes a long time to find ANYTHING suitable. The imperfect trait of hens and the imperfect of cockerels put together are more likely to produce duo imperfections that linger for years in the flock. To get GOOD improvement begin with the best you can get your hands on and do selective breeding.

Hope that offends no one but it is what I have found to be fact. I am still weeding out narrow backs, high held tails and cockerels that aren't high on their legs.

I got two really good Cockerels from Fred that I will be breeding to my best few girls this year. The rest are for egg/meat only. Meat and some eggs for my consumption and the rest of the eggs to help buy Non GMO Amish ground layer mash feed.

 

[onarres]

I am still looking to improve my birds so I don't need show quality, but I am in MO looking for some chicks or a cockrel.

IMO I'd say get the best quality you can! THAT is the best way to improve existing 'birds' (flock to me).

Believe me I know. Starting with non quality birds and mating non quality takes a long time to find ANYTHING suitable. The imperfect trait of hens and the imperfect of cockerels put together are more likely to produce duo imperfections that linger for years in the flock. To get GOOD improvement begin with the best you can get your hands on and do selective breeding.

Hope that offends no one but it is what I have found to be fact. I am still weeding out narrow backs, high held tails and cockerels that aren't high on their legs.

I got two really good Cockerels from Fred that I will be breeding to my best few girls this year. The rest are for egg/meat only. Meat and some eggs for my consumption and the rest of the eggs to help buy Non GMO Amish ground layer mash feed.

The entire article can be found here http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id68.html
something to think about before mixing strains.



The Desire to Cross Strains: When I first wanted Rhode Island Reds in the early 1960s as a boy I saw a Rhode Island Red Cockerel that was Grand Champion of the show and a Pullet that was Reserve of breed who where owned by two different breeders. Neither one of these master breeders got their start from the same breeder and where as far apart from being related as possibly could be. Talking to another Hall of Fame Rhode Island Red Breeder Cliff Terry from Nebraska who Judged this National Meet I told Mr. Terry if you crossed that male and that female you would have champions next year. He put his hand on my shoulder and said Son it sounds logical ,but genetically you will have a nightmare of faults and defects. When you cross two different strain you are disturbing the genes pools perfected by the master breeders for maybe twenty or more years. You are money ahead to just get you a good male such as a brother of that male on Champion row, two hens that are his aunts or his mother and start your birds from just one breeder. Mr. Terry stated more people have got into Rhode Island Reds and have left than you can shake a stick at. The main reason they leave is crossing strains because they think they are going to hit the jackpot and get a winner. I told this story to Hall of Fame Bantam Breeder, R Paul Webb, a few years later when I visited his home in Oklahoma City Oklahoma. He said Cliff was right. I have made crosses to develop my Red Bantams, but it's a process of three to four generations before you introduce them into your line. If anyone crosses my strain of bantams with say some bantams from another strain they will be in for a rude awaking. It would take you 5 years to get back to where you started after you pull out all the defects in color and type.

 

[Fred's Hens]

No worries. The males BlueBirdNanny has from me are of the same line, just a very, very slightly different fork. There won't be cross shock in the offspring.

That said, even if you use great birds from a tight line and you put 100 chicks on the ground, you might, might find 4 or 5 to consider ever taking to big shows that next winter. You might well only hold over 8 or 9 of those birds you hatched for continuing breed stock.

Breeding season is upon the southern folk and approaches soon, even for far nothern folks. Selective breeding is all about being very, very…. well? Selective. When folks first start with breeding a fine line of birds they are often surprised that half or more aren't "keepers". Well, they just aren't gonna be.

Culling wisely and appropriately is absolutely necessary. Sell them off, eat them, use the females as layers, etc. Know what you're gonna do with the culls as you're gonna have a bunch to deal with.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree with this. I sometimes hear people say they want new birds from a different line to bring new blood into the line they have and it makes me cringe. I believe that you need a partner like Fred's Hens and bluebirdnanny are partners. I have been partnering with Matt. I have seen vast improvements in my birds and as Fred said you will hatch a lot for a few birds worth breeding.

 

[Asmorilda]

I am watching the weather too. When I went to the one in Newnan, Ga., one year it rained and another time it was freezing. I need to buy a closed trailer to tow. I have an open trailer and don't like to travel that far with the birds in the trailer. I can put them in the back of our truck but that has it's limits too.

I am watching the weather too. When I went to the one in Newnan, Ga., one year it rained and another time it was freezing. I need to buy a closed trailer to tow. I have an open trailer and don't like to travel that far with the birds in the trailer. I can put them in the back of our truck but that has it's limits too.

It actually wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. We did get some ice though. It's still on the trees & grass but the roads were clear this afternoon. The roads may freeze in places again tonight since there is a strong wind blowing & it is a really cold wind. We live in a hilly, rural area so our roads are less traveled & it takes a little while longer for them to clear. I was relieved that we didn't get the storm that was predicted. A closed trailer would be nice to have when you travel with your birds. Heck, a closed trailer is just a handy thing to have any time.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

No worries.  The males BlueBirdNanny has from me are of the same line, just a very, very slightly different fork.  There won't be cross shock in the offspring.

That said, even if you use great birds from a tight line and you put 100 chicks on the ground, you might, might find 4 or 5 to consider ever taking to big shows that next winter.  You might well only hold over 8 or 9 of those birds you hatched for continuing breed stock.

Breeding season is upon the southern folk and approaches soon, even for far nothern folks. Selective breeding is all about being very, very…. well?   [COLOR=B22222]Selective[/COLOR].  When folks first start with breeding a fine line of birds they are often surprised that half or more aren't "keepers".  Well, they just aren't gonna be.

Culling wisely and appropriately is absolutely necessary.  Sell them off, eat them, use the females as layers, etc.  Know what you're gonna do with the culls as you're gonna have a bunch to deal with.  

As always, Fred restates what I was trying to say and does it much better! Perfect interpretation there partner!!!

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Who raises high quality Rhode Island Whites?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Fred's Hens]

The Rhode Island White is not a variety of the Reds. It is a different breed that just happens to share most the Red's standard.

Most folks believe, as Bob Blosl did, that the breed died out. The breed was never popular the way Reds, Dots, or Rocks were. It was too late to the party. We have re-creations today and of course, we have all those hatchery birds with single combs purported to be RIW. FOLF. Check the records and see what they've won in the American Class over the last half century. Virtually zip.

There are those rare fanciers.. Very few and far between. Cmom has some she works hard at.

Since 98% of top breeders of poultry are not on this backyard oriented site, your search and your questions, Karen, really need to be asked elsewhere. Check the YearBook perhaps.