The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[FlashPointFarm]

Earlier this year, I honestly tried to get rid of most of my breeding flocks. I had a few youngsters in a couple of breeds that I was growing out to use as layers, and a couple of SC red pullets were in that mix. I talked to Gary at the EIPA show, as he was checking in 5 cockerels into the sale pens he rented. I totally caved, and purchased the best cockerel he brought to sell. So, I'll be hatching a few reds this next Spring. I'll only be breeding one of the pullets, as I don't care for one of them in color and type.

Also, when I was going through the last of my Ameraucana's during my flock dispersals, I found some of the best Ameraucana's I've bred yet. So, I decided to keep them to see how they would do at the EIPA show this year. Boy am I glad I did. They took grand and reserve AOSB.

Jim, have you called Gary yet? Maybe we can plan a road trip out to his place next Spring to pay him a visit and talk reds.

 

[immyjay54]

Your Welcome,

I've been crossing SC/RC Reds for sometime now.

The Rooster is out of a RC/SC Cross and Sire to Hen and Young Rooster Below.

Hen coming out the door is out of a RC/SC Cross and Dam to the Young Rooster below.

This Young Rooster was out of the Rooster and Hen above.

Chris

Chris, I can't tell you how much I appreciate these pictures and your explanations. I don't need to look for X--Y--or Z. lol I can look at your top roo and it doesn't look to me like he has a hollow comb. The hen looks like she has a nice comb also. I do know that my Horstman birds do not have hollow combs and will know later about my Underwood lines.
Like Chris has done on here. Show the outcome of what you've done.
I sure don't mean this in a smart way toward anyone but I will be first or last to say, "you've done a super job Chris, keep up the good work." I've admired pictures that you've posted in the past and present. As Bob, Bill and others on here have said at one time or another, KEEP GOOD RECORDS AND LOTS OF BANDS OR TOES PUNCHED when working toward a certain goal with these birds.
Jim

 

[Chris09]

any particular reason you do this Chris? to reinvigurate the RC lines? or the other way around?

Well the first cross with this line way about 8 years ago when I got 3 good hens off of Denny Myers [one of the best single comb red breeders I know of up north here] and my best rooster was a RC Rooster.
For the most part I cross them now to add size to the SC line and improve color of the RC Reds.

Chris

 

[immyjay54]

Earlier this year, I honestly tried to get rid of most of my breeding flocks. I had a few youngsters in a couple of breeds that I was growing out to use as layers, and a couple of SC red pullets were in that mix. I talked to Gary at the EIPA show, as he was checking in 5 cockerels into the sale pens he rented. I totally caved, and purchased the best cockerel he brought to sell. So, I'll be hatching a few reds this next Spring. I'll only be breeding one of the pullets, as I don't care for one of them in color and type.

Also, when I was going through the last of my Ameraucana's during my flock dispersals, I found some of the best Ameraucana's I've bred yet. So, I decided to keep them to see how they would do at the EIPA show this year. Boy am I glad I did. They took grand and reserve AOSB.

Jim, have you called Gary yet? Maybe we can plan a road trip out to his place next Spring to pay him a visit and talk reds.

Oh my gosh, this is a funny but good story. I'm really tickled for you. Good to have you back. lol
Jim

 

[Chris09]

Chris, I can't tell you how much I appreciate these pictures and your explanations. I don't need to look for X--Y--or Z. lol I can look at your top roo and it doesn't look to me like he has a hollow comb. The hen looks like she has a nice comb also. I do know that my Horstman birds do not have hollow combs and will know later about my Underwood lines.
Like Chris has done on here. Show the outcome of what you've done.
I sure don't mean this in a smart way toward anyone but I will be first or last to say, "you've done a super job Chris, keep up the good work." I've admired pictures that you've posted in the past and present. As Bob, Bill and others on here have said at one time or another, KEEP GOOD RECORDS AND LOTS OF BANDS OR TOES PUNCHED when working toward a certain goal with these birds.

Glad I could help.
I can count on one hand how many Hollow Center Combs I have had pop up by crossing the two types of combs, I will also say that those birds never were used in the breeding pens.
When you cross RC and SC you will also have to watch for narrow rose combs and double comb. [I will try to post pictures of both]



Quote: Well I thank you and I will try to continue the good work.


Quote:
When keeping records always keep copies of the records, I have records in breeding note book, on file cards and on the computer. By doing it this way I always have a back-up.
I like to use both Leg and Wing bands that way if I loose one band I have a back-up band.


Chris

 

[Robert Blosl]

Bob,
Do you know what line Mr Wilcox has?

Gary and I discussed the comb genetics some. I taught Biology and Chemistry for 11 years and have a passion for genetics. He said he has crossed the Single Comb and Rose Comb for many years. He keeps two families and does an out cross about every 5 years. Gary told me the main thing he sees in crossing the two varieties is a hollow center Rose Comb. I brought up the size of the Rose Comb and he agreed. We think it has to do with modifier genes but Gary did state that in one to two generations the comb can be fixed.

When Gary sets up Rollie's pens with him one has a Single Comb cock over Rose Comb hens and the other is a Rose Comb cock over Single Comb hens.

Dont know Mr. Wilcox so dont mean nothing he may be a new fellow who got some nice birds from someone and doing well. At least that is what you hope the new person does. God knows I helped enough people get started over 30 years only have two or three to show for. If you have taught Biology and Chemistry then you know what Gary did for a living as well. School Teacher and a good one. He told me the night we stayed up talking Reds about the Genetic make up but to be honest with you I had to revert back to my old teachings of hard core breeders some who did not even have a high school education. They breed by the gut and breed by the standard and knew when to add excess black into their line to darken it if it started to fade. If you can learn all you can from Gary and retain it he is as good a mentor as I have ever interviewed. Remember George I dont think could even write and read but was one of the best color breeders ever in the Red Club. He use to beat the heck out of the guys who came from the east to the mid west shows in the 1950s and 60s. My other mentor Cliff Terry of Nebraska felt he was the best color breeder he ever met. Cliff himself produced some killer large fowl in those days. Gary learned from his dad then with the education in Biology and Genetic was able to dig deeper into the skill of breeding R I Reds for color.

I have to breed with vision as thats my make up that I was born with. Thats what I inherited from my Grand Father and not many in his clan where visuals and positive thinkers. Beleave it or not most of my relatives where like my grandmother a worry wart and you cant do this or that attitude. I said to him one time be for he died how do you put up with that crap I was 9 years old. He said she dries me with her negative attitude to succeed becasue she says you cant do that he said to himself watch me.

So as Red Breeders many did well with little education in the old days and just learned by asking the top breeders like Harold Tompkins, Ralph Knickerbocker and others of that time period. Thanks for the impute and please share your knowledge to other in the next twenty years.

Be leave it or not there is a breed club for Rhode Island Reds which I was once National President and Gary Underwood was installed into the Red Club Hall of Fame. Do you know what other member was installed next to him that year.???

Thanks for the pictures Chris. I always liked that big male you posted. O the hollow center is what Gary talked about in Rose combs that's why it takes two to four years to get it back like a Wyandotte type looking comb. bob

 

[Chris09]

Immy,

Here is a picture of a Double Comb like I was talking about in my last post.

Chris

 

[ChickMagnet207]

Sometimes when you dig so deep into the genetics, you loose touch with the big picture.

 

[NYREDS]

Well the first cross with this line way about 8 years ago when I got 3 good hens off of Denny Myers [one of the best single comb red breeders I know of up north here] and my best rooster was a RC Rooster.
For the most part I cross them now to add size to the SC line and improve color of the RC Reds.

Chris

Chris-does Dennis still have birds?

 

[NYREDS]

Just a few pictures from the Eastern Iowa Poultry Association show

A Rose Comb Cockerel shown by Gary Underwood. He was Best variety and Reserve Breed



Single Comb Cockerel Best Variety Best of Breed Reserve Champion American shown by Robert Wilcox


First Place Single Comb hen shown by Jim Heinz



I'll need to get a picture of the Reserve Variety Rose Comb pullet. I didn't take one at the show but she came home with me.

I'd swear that a few pages back someone said Gary Underwood didn't have birds anymore. Must be they were wrong or I dreamed it.