The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[waddles99]

If this woman is selling "Candea" birds I fear this is just another example of folks marketing their birds by using a previous breeder's name. How much does this woman actually know about breeding? She may know a lot or may be a virtual novice. OK, she got some birds from the Candeas, but now what? They're her birds now.

If the pattern holds, the risk is they'll be all screwed up in three years and the person will be out of them. ADHD kind of thing. I hope not. I hope she goes to town and becomes very successful, but history shows us that 95% of such folks won't be.

I keep repeating this same stuff over and over and realize folks get weary of me saying it. What she got from Toni or more likely the girls, were birds they were done with. Birds that were no longer meeting the expectation of the upward march of higher and higher quality. The "ideal" is perfection, thus the name of the Standards book. We never achieve it, but we strive to constantly improve. If it were easily obtainable we'd not work so hard on our birds.

You cannot buy good birds, you must breed your own and live and die with your own eye, skill set and husbandry. Today's whole culture is based too much on buying whatever you want for instant gratification. It doesn't work that way in this hobby.

What you get from a breeder 99.9% of the time are culls or birds they're through with and they're moving on. You get a start, an opportunity, a few birds to see what you can do with them. That's what you get.

I'm sure the birds spoken of here would give just about anyone a very good start. But that's all they'd be, a good start.

BTW, I consider Toni a good friend and I admire the heck out how hard those girls work and how responsible they are. Full disclosure.

I have the same skepticism about her. I know she got the birds from Toni, but know really nothing about them. I think you may be right about her not knowing too much about breeding. What I think happened is she got these birds from Toni that she showed before, didn't do as great as some other birds, and then decided to focus on breeding those other birds and sell these. Then the woman who is selling these pullets thought she would breed them all together without any consideration to trying to better improve the line.
I agree with all that about how you have to breed your own champions and not buy them, but i cannot do that. These people are lucky to have multiple pens and incubators and large flocks of birds. I have only one small coop, and cannot keep a rooster. I know, not quite the way if you want to be winning shows, but Im trying to make it work.
If you think there is a better place to get some, please suggest that to me. I would like, before i go to the effort of raising these RIR to adulthood, make sure that they are worth it. These would be my 3rd RIR that I am buying, so I want to get it right this time.

 

[Fred's Hens]

If you think there is a better place to get some, please suggest that to me. I would like, before i go to the effort of raising these RIR to adulthood, make sure that they are worth it. These would be my 3rd RIR that I am buying, so I want to get it right this time.

Worth it for what? The price she is charging?

The information given about the line or history of those birds is not accurate, but since you're not going to breed them or continue to work on the breed it doesn't really matter. I'm sure they'd make some fine backyard birds for you to enjoy, although a common feedstore sex link might serve as better egg layers.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

I have the same skepticism about her. I know she got the birds from Toni, but know really nothing about them. I think you may be right about her not knowing too much about breeding. What I think happened is she got these birds from Toni that she showed before, didn't do as great as some other birds, and then decided to focus on breeding those other birds and sell these. Then the woman who is selling these pullets thought she would breed them all together without any consideration to trying to better improve the line. 

I agree with all that about how you have to breed your own champions and not buy them, but i cannot do that. These people are lucky to have multiple pens and incubators and large flocks of birds. I have only one small coop, and cannot keep a rooster. I know, not quite the way if you want to be winning shows, but Im trying to make it work.
If you think there is a better place to get some, please suggest that to me. I would like, before i go to the effort of raising these RIR to adulthood, make sure that they are worth it. These would be my 3rd RIR that I am buying, so I want to get it right this time. 

It sounds like you're between a rock and a hard spot. You want champion quality RIR, but without being able to raise several cocks to choose breeders from, it's virtually impossible. Unless someone close by has a champion cock or two availale for conjugal visits, it's not going to happen. I hate to say this, but you may have to settle for yard candy...

 

[cmom]

Quote: I agree. It takes years of careful selective breeding to get show and champion quality. I sell my culls to people who aren't interested for the most part of showing they just want pretty dark mahogany colored birds, lawn ornaments. I have sold some birds that had great potential and a couple did place well at shows and one girl did get a champion with a cockerel I sold her. I keep my best as all or most breeders do. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

The 2 chicks in sick bay are still hanging on. One is improving, but the one with the exposed yolk most likely isn't ging to survive. Antibiotic salve isn't keeping the yolk moist, and infection is highly probable. Having curled toes isn't helping it's recovery, but I'll give it electrolytes and vitamins anyway. You never know...

Recovering chick...

Not so much recovering chick...

Some of the chicks in the brooder...

same two chicks as above. Left chick has some "bone" for a day old, don't you think, Fred? I love the broad, flat-top it's sporting.

Chicks right after being placed in brooder...

 

[cmom]

The 2 chicks in sick bay are still hanging on. One is improving, but the one with the exposed yolk most likely isn't ging to survive. Antibiotic salve isn't keeping the yolk moist, and infection is highly probable. Having curled toes isn't helping it's recovery, but I'll give it electrolytes and vitamins anyway. You never know...

Recovering chick...


Not so much recovering chick...


Some of the chicks in the brooder...


same two chicks as above. Left chick has some "meat" for a day old, don't you think, Fred?


Chicks right after being placed in brooder...

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

They are absolutely adorable! It was funny... my wife got home around 3pm yesterday, and immeditely got the recovering chick out of the bator and started giving it water and hand feedig it. When she wasn't walking around with it wrapped in a towel, she was laying ot he couch with the chick sitting on a heating pad on her stomach. I asked if she'd seen the chicks in the brooder, and she said she hadn't. Around 6:30pm, she finally put the chick back in the bator and walked down to the basement to see the others. I have never heard so much ooing and ahhing in my life. She was blown away, and kept saying she couldn't believe how beautiful they were. I lost count of the OMG's...

Needless to say, she was more than impressed. Come to think of it, so am I...

PS: White bands are Sonny's chicks, and black bands are Champ's. Will try to get better pics soon.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

The 2 chicks in sick bay are still hanging on. One is improving, but the one with the exposed yolk most likely isn't ging to survive. Antibiotic salve isn't keeping the yolk moist, and infection is highly probable. Having curled toes isn't helping it's recovery, but I'll give it electrolytes and vitamins anyway. You never know...

Recovering chick...

Not so much recovering chick...

Some of the chicks in the brooder...

same two chicks as above. Left chick has some "meat" for a day old, don't you think, Fred?

Chicks right after being placed in brooder...

They're gorgeous!

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Thought I should post some pictures of my rooster after his tail grew in. His back isn't actually slanted, in pictures it always looks that way,

 

[cmom]

Thought I should post some pictures of my rooster after his tail grew in. His back isn't actually slanted, in pictures it always looks that way,