The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[immyjay54]

Jim,
The only thing I can add is Mr Underwood told me this was something he was working on breeding out of his line.

Understood Jim, The thing that is getting me is this. (Not with the Underwood's because you and I both knew this already) If we are not to breed them, How do we try to fix the problem without just throwing everything out and starting anew?

 

[melroseladi]

I remember reading an article, or part of a book, or something that addressed the tail lacing in females. I have searched and can not find it but maybe somebody here has it or knows what it was I read. I am almost positive it was Mr. Wallace that wrote the article/book and addressed the issue. I will keep searching.

Penny

 

[immyjay54]

I remember reading an article, or part of a book, or something that addressed the tail lacing in females. I have searched and can not find it but maybe somebody here has it or knows what it was I read. I am almost positive it was Mr. Wallace that wrote the article/book and addressed the issue. I will keep searching.

Penny

Penny,
Is this what you were looking for. I've read this many times. lol https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/rhode-island-reds

 

[melroseladi]

Jimmy,
That's the article but I don't remember reading it on BYC, lol. I should have known to search BYC first.

Penny

 

[immyjay54]

Jimmy,
That's the article but I don't remember reading it on BYC, lol. I should have known to search BYC first.

Penny

Ha, ha, ha. I keep all this stuff where I can find it pretty quickly. lol Sometimes the old brain doesn't work like it used to for me to have to hunt for it. Oh my gosh.
Jim

 

[FOGELLY]

My pullets have some of the nicest shaped tails I have ever seen. From the back they are a perfect teepee.
However fluffy backs "cushion" is another issue that I need to address. It seems to show up later as they approach laying age.
I noted the bands on all the fastest feathering last spring. It appears as though the pullets that were quickest to feather has the least cushion.
This year I continue to note the faster feathering birds, and keep working toward birds with tighter feathering.

Ron

 

[catdaddyfro]

My pullets have some of the nicest shaped tails I have ever seen. From the back they are a perfect teepee.
However fluffy backs "cushion" is another issue that I need to address. It seems to show up later as they approach laying age.
I noted the bands on all the fastest feathering last spring. It appears as though the pullets that were quickest to feather has the least cushion.
This year I continue to note the faster feathering birds, and keep working toward birds with tighter feathering.

Ron

Thanks for the heads up there Ron this is info like I need to know and start to look for and note down myself.

Jeff

 

[immyjay54]

Thanks for the heads up there Ron this is info like I need to know and start to look for and note down myself.

Jeff

Ron,
I remember Bob saying on here quite a while back to watch for the ones that feather out the quickest and that they would be our best birds. AND I can't say how many times I've seen him and Chris 09 write on here saying records, records, records. lol
Jim
Keep up the good work.

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Well, I have received official word that I will be getting my RIR's on Friday.

 

[Robert Blosl]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5482996/width/350/height/700/flags/LL
Here is the male that was shown and is suppose to be pure Underwood. Look at the green in his tail. If you had females that are Underwood and had this red in the tail you could mate them to this male then again raise up say ten pullets and select one or two who have less red in their tails and mate back to him again. You could do this for about three years. Gary did this about 25 years ago to some females. He took the best two pullets sisters and mated them to a male who had the best green tail but he had red on the inside of his main tail feathers. He then selected a ckl his son who had Less red in the tail or it went further down to the quill with black and mated him back to the same two females. He did this for five years until his males had green or black on the outside and inside to the quill. The same can be done with this issue. After the three to four years you cross the best birds onto your others or family's and you would have this issue cleaned up. There is no quick fix. Its not a big deal on real dark females. I dont worry about it myself I have males with pure green tails and females with pure green tails and I am more worried on ticking than anything else. If this gets out of control you cant manage where the black should go in the first place.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5483175/width/350/height/700/flags/LL

This female looks to have good black in her tail and I think she is a Underwood female but notice the dark surface color. If they have real dark beaks with horn, dark surface color, dark quill color the black is normaly very good in a female. Also, a female does not display her black as rick or beatle green in the tail as a male does. If this bird was to be a male you would not see this red on the main tail feathers but nice rich beatte green sheen tail color.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5486608/width/350/height/700/flags/LL

The first thing I noticed on this female was her surface color. Its very light almost like a sun burn three to five year old hen. I would love to see a side few picture of her. If she is light in color she will weaken your over all flock in surface color with using her as a breeder. Normaly, when these chicks are in the brooder box they have light down color. The chicks that are going to grow up dark rich red are very dark and thier beaks have lots of horn on them. If you have other females from Underwood line I would use them first. Even if you only have one or two females it is better to mate from the best only.

h
ttp://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5486604/width/350/height/700/flags/LL

Notice this females surface color dark like the male in the first photo. This would be a good breeder. In a few years her grand daughters will have solid rich green in the tail if mated to a male with a good strong green tail. If you have two or three like here you will do well. Again this is not a big deal in the long run. You want to fix your strain with that classic brick shape like the male in the first photo has. The proof of the pudding is what will these birds look like when they are two and three years old. Will they be long in body showing their classic brick shape or boxey looking like a Wyandotte?

If you own three different strains of Red Large fowl you have to select two good males two or three good females then hatch about 30 to 40 chicks per starin to get a idea what they produce. If you seem to find one or two strains that are easyer for you to manage or you find one strain superior in type and color over the other get rid of them and foucus on the one line you like that does best in your climate and on your farm. Then do what Art Schilling use to say. Set your plow deep look ahead and go in a straing line. In five years you will be one of the Chosen Few in Rhode Island Red large fowl then in Ten years we will nominate you to the Rhode Island Red Club Hall of Fame for making it to that level. Not many can do it. Its simple if you just follow the laws of breeding Red Color. Hope this helps you. Classic problem to present and try to teach others who are trying to learn. This is what this thread is all about.