The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

Zip ties aka, cable ties. Using these modern thingies are kinda great and kinda dangerous too. Be really careful. Yes, I've used them too, but to use them is to really put pressure on you to check them regularly. These birds have growth spurts and suddenly that loose, sloppy zip tie is now crippling the bird, digging into the skin and making it's removal very difficult.

Just putting that warning out there. Toe punching for permanent ID is something worth doing.

Even more standardized numbered leg bands can be dangerous. I've seen a lot of birds needing to have those cut off too. So, practice good husbandry. Do the right thing and keep your eyes open when you study your birds. The more you have the more important it is to practice methods that you can ACTUALLY be faithful in doing. Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Zip ties aka, cable ties. Using these modern thingies are kinda great and kinda dangerous too. Be really careful. Yes, I've used them too, but to use them is to really put pressure on you to check them regularly. These birds have growth spurts and suddenly that loose, sloppy zip tie is now crippling the bird, digging into the skin and making it's removal very difficult. Just putting that warning out there. Toe punching for permanent ID is something worth doing. Even more standardized numbered leg bands can be dangerous. I've seen a lot of birds needing to have those cut off too. So, practice good husbandry. Do the right thing and keep your eyes open when you study your birds. The more you have the more important it is to practice methods that you can ACTUALLY be faithful in doing. Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe.

And a good warning to heed. I put them on day old chicks before moving them to the brooder, and they have to be a bit snug so they don't slip off their small feet. They last a couple of weeks, and it's time to change them. Their feet are much larger at this time, so they can be a bit looser the second round. I check on them several times daily, but it would still be easy to slip up and not notice the ties. I have had more than one that the ties were getting snug on. Another week and they probably lost a foot. Definitely risky... and I'll be investing in a toe punch before I raise any more chicks. Thanks for the tip, Fred.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

@cmom Is it possible there may have been an RC egg in the last batch.. or do RC's occasionally show up in SC offspring? I noticed one of the chick's comb didn't look like what I'm used to seeing with SC... which is a small rib with tiny serrations in the center of the beak and forehead. The chick in question has what looks like a wide(r) area with a rib-like edge on each side. Here's a couple of pictures of the SC, followed by the one I'm not sure of...




Side-by-side...



Thoughts?

 

[waddles99]

What size bands do you guys use for your RIR? Im talking about the plastic ones. I use number 9's. Im just wondering if this would be too small down the road. I bought these for my ameraucana so they may be a bit on the small side.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Multi-colored bricks...







From these bricks I will build something very nice...

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

What size bands do you guys use for your RIR? Im talking about the plastic ones. I use number 9's. Im just wondering if this would be too small down the road. I bought these for my ameraucana so they may be a bit on the small side.

18" will work just fine for a full-grown RIR.

 

[cmom]

@cmom Is it possible there may have been an RC egg in the last batch.. or do RC's occasionally show up in SC offspring? I noticed one of the chick's comb didn't look like what I'm used to seeing with SC... which is a small rib with tiny serrations in the center of the beak and forehead. The chick in question has what looks like a wide(r) area with a rib-like edge on each side. Here's a couple of pictures of the SC, followed by the one I'm not sure of...




Side-by-side...



Thoughts?

It is possible. I thought I was really careful when separating the eggs.

Just ship it back. lol. I'm sorry. I am really surprised

. That would be from my Dexter. Dexter is from Dick Horstman's line. He has top girls with him also from the same line.

 

[cmom]

What size bands do you guys use for your RIR? Im talking about the plastic ones. I use number 9's. Im just wondering if this would be too small down the road. I bought these for my ameraucana so they may be a bit on the small side.

I use #11 for my females and #12 for my males. I use the colors to distinguish which hatch they belong to.

Most of the time I use the colored spiral leg band. When I run out of colors I change legs so some may have bands on their right legs and others on their left legs.

I also have some of the numbered bands but they get them off easier.

 

[Fred's Hens]

What size bands do you guys use for your RIR? Im talking about the plastic ones. I use number 9's. Im just wondering if this would be too small down the road. I bought these for my ameraucana so they may be a bit on the small side.

The purpose of leg banding is to ID the bird for future breeding purposes or for exhibition purposes. The bands don't have much purpose for a backyard flock, to be honest. Bands break, come off and get lost, at least the inexpensive kind do. I've had some pullets that were Houdini like in their ability to shed themselves of the bands. Thus? toe punches. I need to find that chart.


Everyone has their own system. For me? The right foot I usually asign to the sire and the left foot I asign to the dam. Since I normally only use a limited number of males and females in the breed pens, outside foot is Null, 1 outside, 2 inside. Thus, three different sire possibilities. Left foot also Null, 1 outside, 2 inside thus three different dam possibilities.

There's tons of internet examples, codes, systems and stories and teachings of what folks do with toe punching. Cheap plastic bands can get lost, but toe punches cannot.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I use #11 for my females and #12 for my males. I use the colors to distinguish which hatch they belong to.

Most of the time I use the colored spiral leg band. When I run out of colors I change legs so some may have bands on their right legs and others on their left legs.

I also have some of the numbered bands but they get them off easier.

Agree. Just a word to those getting started. Do NOT rely on memory. Chart everything, keep a good breeder book, write down this stuff or you WILL forget. The older one gets and/or the more birds you have over time, the more important good notation is. You WILL forget, trust me. If you cannot ID the birds for life, then when they lose a band or I lose my memory of what it was supposed to stand for? Then if I use that bird in breeding, I'm just shooting in the dark and guessing and hoping. That's not good.