The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[aoxa]

My one and only RIR is finally finished molting... I may consider getting a nice RIR rooster or just keeping her as eye candy. We just happened to like the look of her a year ago when we were getting hens solely for eggs. Wondering if she is worth breeding?

Her comb is really small because she hasn't been laying for a few months.

 

[jaman4]

Hi aoxa she looks nice to me.
Bobby

 

[catdaddyfro]

Hi aoxa she looks nice to me.
Bobby

jaman4 congrats on the winnings as of late they looks like you cleaned house up there in Lucasville.

job well done I might say.

jeff

 

[monnie662]

For those who didn't know, I've been very sick the past few months and one night I just forgot to shut them up. I had several medical appointments that day, lots of tests done, then had a bad spell after I got home and just forgot to shut the coop.

The part that made me mad was it was something I never do and was entirely preventable.

Don't beat yourself up too bad. After being at doctor's offices and all that good stuff you have to do, you are worn out when you get home and the mind is jelly. I've gone out and locked mine up at midnight before. Hope you feel better soon. And like you say wage war on the "stray" dogs, I keep my dogs home so other people need to keep theirs at home.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Thanks everybody, I really appreciate the support.

I'm not out by a long shot, it's just a setback. It'll just take me a bit longer to get to where I want to be with them. The older rooster was what got me the worst, I had high hopes for that boy.

I still have a good cockerel to use and several nice pullets and hens so it'll all work out.

As for predators; I seem to get a slew of coons and possums hit about every other spring but never lose much stock unless it's some idiot bird that decided to roost outside or one of our ducks, guineas or such that free range. I'll be up every night for a week with a spotlight and the 12 gauge, kill 8 or 10, then I'll be ok for another year or two. I have lost a few small ducks and smaller growing birds to a owl but so far I've never had any problems with hawks although there are several pair of red-tails that nest in the woods behind our house. They almost cleaned a neighbor of mine out this last spring but they never bothered my birds. No idea why. Around here the number one chicken killer is stray dogs. When we had the property fenced it wasn't a problem, but for the past few years we have only had it partly fenced. A tornado hit us a couple of years ago and destroyed most of the fencing and since it was all over 40 years old and getting rough anyway, I tore the rest down and started over as money allows putting up all new fences.

I do need to get a LGD, but the last time I had one IT was killing chickens on the sly. So now I just lock them up at night.

 

[aoxa]

Thanks everybody, I really appreciate the support. 

I'm not out by a long shot, it's just a setback. It'll just take me a bit longer to get to where I want to be with them. The older rooster was what got me the worst, I had high hopes for that boy. :/

I still have a good cockerel to use and several nice pullets and hens so it'll all work out.

As for predators; I seem to get a slew of coons and possums hit about every other spring but never lose much stock unless it's some idiot bird that decided to roost outside or one of our ducks, guineas or such that free range. I'll be up every night for a week with a spotlight and the 12 gauge, kill 8 or 10, then I'll be ok for another year or two. I have lost a few small ducks and smaller growing birds to a owl but so far I've never had any problems with hawks although there are several pair of red-tails that nest in the woods behind our house. They almost cleaned a neighbor of mine out this last spring but they never bothered my birds. No idea why. Around here the number one chicken killer is stray dogs. When we had the property fenced it wasn't a problem, but for the past few years we have only had it partly fenced. A tornado hit us a couple of years ago and destroyed most of the fencing and since it was all over 40 years old and getting rough anyway, I tore the rest down and started over as money allows putting up all new fences. 

I do need to get a LGD, but the last time I had one IT was killing chickens on the sly. So now I just lock them up at night.

I don't trust a LGD until they are mature. Only issue with mine and the chickens was playfulness. I worked very hard to get her bored of them. FINALLY success! She's 9 months now and can be trusted to a certain extent. She even backs away when they go after her food. She'll lay down and watch. She is allowed mingling if I hook her to a tire. That slows her down enough to keep her from taking off.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles

 

[monnie662]

The older rooster was what got me the worst, I had high hopes for that boy.

I do need to get a LGD, but the last time I had one IT was killing chickens on the sly. So now I just lock them up at night.

Whatever got my rooster, that tore me up, he was the one for me to breed with my lone hen. And I do have Anatolians but they were not reared with the chickens so chickens are fair game to them. So maybe will get a pup to see what I can do, a coyote is not going to mess with an Anatolian and sometimes at livestock sales someone will give you a LGD just for a home.

 

[cmom]

So sorry mississippifarmboy about your loss. I hate it when I loose birds. I lost a couple of birds lately. I think it was a coon. A couple of my neighbors lost some birds too. All the birds were found with their heads ripped off. Some of the neighbors have lost birds to red-tails and I have seen them around my property but so far haven't lost any birds to hawks. I put a trap out the other night but so far nothing. I had a LGD but sadly she died of old age. Haven't replaced her. If I get another dog it will probably out live me.

 

[immyjay54]

I just took a few shots of my little Don Nelson flock. These are 6 months 3 days old today. Two of the pullets are laying. I just love this line of theRIR.

 

[vebyrd36]

Oh I finally got my 1922 George Scott reprint of 1922 RIR book.