The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Mumsy]

Thanks for explaining. It just seems to me that everybody thinks production birds are lame.

(Don't say no, you know it's true...)

And I think it's unfair because they're the birds that help us the most, and give us eggs and meat.

You have a great point. It would be a loss to lose original strains. But I think people should appreciate the commercial type a little more.

In my region (San Juan Archipelago) Washington State, the only chickens available are production. No one thinks they are lame. They are the only chicken most people can get unless they order hatching eggs or chicks from far distances at very expensive cost I might add. All chickens regardless of breed, mix, or size can give meat or eggs. Some are better suited at that than others. An egg is an egg after all.
The beauty of living in a free society is that lovely thing called freedom of choice. Some enjoy that freedom of raising heritage old variety of livestock including poultry. I myself have enjoyed raising heritage poultry, Arabian horses, heirloom veggies, and old European rose varieties. There will come a time when the world will be in shorter supply of these old genes. Production poultry is not a dirty word. They definitely have their place. But there also will always be people that choose to focus on just a few pure breeds. I for one am very thankful for that.

 

[Chloe77]

In my region (San Juan Archipelago) Washington State, the only chickens available are production. No one thinks they are lame. They are the only chicken most people can get unless they order hatching eggs or chicks from far distances at very expensive cost I might add. All chickens regardless of breed, mix, or size can give meat or eggs. Some are better suited at that than others. An egg is an egg after all.
The beauty of living in a free society is that lovely thing called freedom of choice. Some enjoy that freedom of raising heritage old variety of livestock including poultry. I myself have enjoyed raising heritage poultry, Arabian horses, heirloom veggies, and old European rose varieties. There will come a time when the world will be in shorter supply of these old genes. Production poultry is not a dirty word. They definitely have their place. But there also will always be people that choose to focus on just a few pure breeds. I for one am very thankful for that.

Well, that makes three of us that like production reds...

I have production reds and don't think they are "lame". Well 1 was but she is no longer part of my egg laying flock. I have a PR who is sweet, and has hatched out some of my guineas for me and is an excellent mother BUT she is a Production Red not a RIR. For me that is the difference. That doesn't mean that they don't serve a purpose or are not good birds for people to raise but they are just not RIRs.

Penny

Ok. I think I'm still going to call my birds RIR though. I mean, they are, right?

 

[Mumsy]

Ok. I think I'm still going to call my birds RIR though. I mean, they are, right?

You are in a free society. You can call your chickens what ever you wish.

 

[melroseladi]

If you like them and they are serving your purpose then why not call them what they are and promote them as useful poultry? I think that has been one of the biggest issues with Production Reds, people, hatcheries, promoting them and selling them as RIR when that is not what they really are, although they may have some RIR blood in them somewhere in their past.

Production birds are good for people who want to raise poultry for eggs and put food on the table or as pets. There is nothing wrong with that as long as they are aware of what they are getting. I find it very unfair to sell somebody something that isn't what it was said to be.

Penny

 

[Mumsy]

I find it very unfair to sell somebody something that isn't what it was said to be.

Penny

I would go one step further and call it what it is. Fraud! Anyone selling a Production Red and calling it a RIR to someone in this day and age? With the ease of Internet enlightenment and education? They are perpetuating a con.

 

[Chloe77]

Hm. I'm going to show mine this summer.

 

[RedBugPoultry]

 

[monnie662]

https://www.facebook.com/MomsOriginalsInc?ref=mf#!/groups/393983650675714/photos/

Mr. Bob
I checked this out and has some great pics of Heritage Reds. Added it to my "Like" page.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: This face book page is taking off like wild fire. Look at all the Standard Breed Rhode Island Red pictures on this new page.
This thread was started over two years ago to promote the endangered species called Rhode Island Reds. There is only one Rhode Island Red Chicken and that is the one that is in the American Standard of Perfection. It is shaped much like a brick, it has very dark even maroon Red colored feathers much like a Bing cherry, The beaks of the Rhode Island Red are horn colored and the good ones are nearly 90% horn in color, many have very dark horn colored legs and the females are good layers but not heavy layers as they are not breed for eggs alone. The birds have good flesh on them for eating purposes and they are very attractive one the ground or when shown at Poultry Shows and Fairs. Their are many different strains of Rhode Island Reds today about maybe eight. Many new people are wanting to get some of these rare Rhode Island Reds and can only get them from Breeders who have had them for say over three years or from Master Breeders who have had them for over ten years. Those are few and far between and sometimes do not sell eggs or chicks to beginners.
They are not located at feed stores or hatcheries, except one that I know of.
In order to be called a Rhode Island Red the bird should score at least 92 points if a APA judge would score a bird using a old fashion point system that was used in the 1930s when Poultry was judged. If you type in to Bing and see the pictures of chickens called Rhode Island Reds only about 10% of those are really Rhode Island Reds. If you go to the new Face Book page and look at the pictures of the chickens posted on there they al are the Original Rhode Island Reds. There is even a picture of a new batch of baby chicks that shows you how dark the chicks are when hatched compared to others that are called Rhode Island Reds.
Lets continue to promote the very rare Single Comb and Rose Comb Rhode Island Red large fowl and bantams.
Edited by me tonight at 4:30 AM

 

[Chloe77]

This face book page is tacking off like wild fire. Look at all the Standard Breed Rhode Island Red pictures on this new page. You asked about your production reds being Rhode Island Reds. There is no reason you can not call your chickens Rhode Island Reds. It is America. However, we will not be sending people to your place to buy Rhode Island Reds because you dont have such a bird they are trying to purchase. Any buddy I mean thousands do each year get production reds from feed stores. They are not R I Reds. They don't look like them, they don't have the shape or color like them. I have a dog that I can say he is a German Shepard. His father was a German Shepard but his mother was part beagle and part cure. He is about 50 pounds but when he and I go to pet smart to go to the Vet and we see a real German Sheppard there is no contest who is the real thing. He is a wonderful dog I just cant call him a German Shepard. However, his buddy who is two years younger then him and found at the same Pet Smart two years latter is a true to breed Peakiness dog. When he sticks his head out the back window the people going by say look at that pretty Peakiness.

There is a difference. This tread is not to promote production reds and we have people coming in every two or three months trying to re educate us that there birds are. We are not stupid. We are trying to promote and Preserve Rhode Island Reds on this tread. We are trying to help new people who want to convert to this breed of fowl. That's our purpose and we want them to be happy with what they got and not be heart broken if they get something that is not true to breed. 99% of the people on this web site have production reds. We don't care if they do. We are kind of like the Rescue people who love a breed of dog and when a dog gets into trouble and needs a home they take him in till they can find a new owner. That is how I got my little dog.

Lets get on with promoting the real Rhode Island Red and get off this production red stuff. Not interested in those foul and they are not endangered like the Rhode Island Red is. Thank you.

I totally agree with everything you're saying. Btw, it's spelled "fowl."

Right, on with RIR. There is a good breeder of them here in Indiana. His name is Drake Davis.