The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

He's leaving' on a jet plane.

 

[daxigait]

He's leaving' on a jet plane.

Beautiful!! Where is he going?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Beautiful!!
Where is he going?

To a junior in Texas. The boy will show that bantam K next month. I like to support junior exhibitors with my cull birds, if they're decent enough.
Bit of a risk shipping in these temps, but dad insisted.

 

[Fred's Hens]

There's a lady in central Tennessee, not far NW of Nashville, who has our birds and is facing surgery. She posted elsewhere she'd like to move out some the juvenile's she hatched out this spring.

If you are near that area and would like some young started birds, hatched around June, IIRC, send me a message and I can point you in her direction. This is the breeder stock she got from us, so I know the quality of the young birds is going to be outstanding.

I consider this a rare opportunity and you likewise help out a fellow Red's breeder during a time of medical recovery. PM me.

 

[waddles99]

He's leaving' on a jet plane.

Reminds me of how I got one of my hens. She was shipped all the way from Arizona! Man was she stressed when I opened the box. I would think that chicks would be harder but the older ones seem to get more stressed. In a way the older ones are harder.

 

[cmom]

He's leaving' on a jet plane.

I wish I had the room for more birds. He is handsome...

 

[GruveyChickens]

Some photos for you, Fred, of the blue banded cockerel (first photo), white banded cockerel (second photo) and the two pullets. Love these little birds! The blue cockerel has an incredibly huge keel - gives him that nice brick shape. He's doing better with roosting on a real roost rather than the top of a nesting box.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Some photos for you, Fred, of the blue banded cockerel (first photo), white banded cockerel (second photo) and the two pullets. Love these little birds! The blue cockerel has an incredibly huge keel - gives him that nice brick shape. He's doing better with roosting on a real roost rather than the top of a nesting box.

They're about as ugly as everyone else's, this period in the growth.

However, I see what I would want to see. Great keels, strong legs. The rest? They're a mess!!! ahahah. You'll turn around a month from now and say, "WoWser!!!!!" "Where did YOU come from?"

BTW folks? When people ask what a "red brick shape" is? Just show them these birds that Gruvey came here to the farm and picked up. The lack of tails and combs on their heads just accentuates the brick shape. The back lines will improve with another month. They do not often hold themselves properly at this age, and certainly don't if they see a camera.

PLEASE show them again in a another month. Good for you and happy for you.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Some photos for you, Fred, of the blue banded cockerel (first photo), white banded cockerel (second photo) and the two pullets. Love these little birds! The blue cockerel has an incredibly huge keel - gives him that nice brick shape. He's doing better with roosting on a real roost rather than the top of a nesting box.

When Mandy references the leg band color, I check my chart. Their left toe punch is their sire and they both had the same sire. The leg band was put on to help me see, without picking them up, who their dam was, i.e., their right punch. Those are temporary, loose fitting zip tie bands, which will soon need to be cut off and replaced with permanent legs bands, if Mandy so wishes.

Folks, if you have been using temporary zip-tie leg bands, be careful. These are not hatchery birds and their legs will grow as thick as oak trees. Just keep an eye on this from here on in. These birds, especially the males, are nowhere near done growing and will fill out more right up to becoming a cockbird next spring, putting their cockerel year behind them.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

When Mandy references the leg band color, I check my chart. Their left toe punch is their sire and they both had the same sire. The leg band was put on to help me see, without picking them up, who their dam was, i.e., their right punch. Those are temporary, loose fitting zip tie bands, which will soon need to be cut off and replaced with permanent legs bands, if Mandy so wishes.

Folks, if you have been using temporary zip-tie leg bands, be careful. These are not hatchery birds and their legs will grow as thick as oak trees. Just keep an eye on this from here on in. These birds, especially the males, are nowhere near done growing and will fill out more right up to becoming a cockbird next spring, putting their cockerel year behind them.

Those of mine that were getting "snug" have all been replaced. They're good and loose now, and if I'm guessing right, won't need to be replaced until Spring. I found they are easy to replace if I do it while they're on the roost. Don't even have to hold them...