The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[NestingHillsSC]

These are my 2 week old RIR chicks from Ron Fogle in Arkansas. These are very calm, sweet chicks, and are growing well.

 

[cmom]

Here are some more pics of chicks I just hatched out from the birds I go from Matt. It's hard to get good pictures of them because they don't stay sill for more than a second.






Thanks for the name Bob. He/she likes the camera. ↓ Hollywood


Hollywood ↓

 

[Jake Levi]

This is one of my favorite threads, I havent posted in over a year, mainly because right now I dont have any RIRs, the breed that I grew up with. To me it is the ultimate homestead breed. And a known quantity. I will have some next spring, ifnot sooner. Everyone who appreciates heritage and homstead chickens needs some.

Just my 3 cents

 

[RedRidge]

OK... after years of lurking I finally signed up... specifically so I could ask some advice and questions.
There is SO much information here and while I've been wanting to get to a heritage line of RIR for some years, I'm now on information overload.
My great grandfather raised RIR in the 30's so they have always held a special place in our hearts.

I am looking for purchase a nice breeding pair (or even some hatching eggs - I have an incubator), but one of my highest priorities is that it be one of the heavier laying lines.
I would love some input about what lines to consider given this priority.
I hope I have posted this in the right place.

Thanks for any input,
Sheri

 

[Robert Blosl]

Look at this pose what grace. She is a natural poser. Lets say she or he grows up to be a pretty good show bird. This bird mated to the right mates could produce a whole new line called Hollywood's which means when they are in the show coops they are natural posers. Some judges when they have close birds for champion American or Champion Large Fowl may have a edge just because of the personality and the posing natural skills they reveal to the judge. Some of my great Red Bantams came out of the eight by eight pens and act like nuts and wont show and because of this don't win big.

I have to build a conditioning room for my birds this year and train them so they will not be scared when showing.

Love this bird. Watch it and maybe one or two others. You never know what will show up every five to ten years from a great bird from the past. Also, glad others like this tread its a good one with some of the future super stars of Reds contributing on it.

In regards to finding a high egg laying strain that is going to be hard as no one knows what there's can or can not do. They will never be like the production chicken you get from the feed stores as they are breed for eggs. These birds are like a Shorthorn Cow. Some give more milk than others but hard to measure. They are a dual purpose chicken. Meat, eggs and beauty.

 

[RedRidge]

I raise dexter cattle for both beef and milk, so I know what you're talking about. But I also know there are those lines that are a little more "known" for better laying production. Just as there are those that are not.
I'm also aware that folks get defensive of "their" lines and stirring that pot was not my intent. I am simply a newbie trying to learn.
Private replies welcome if folks prefer not to post.
Thanks,
Sheri

 

[cmom]

I raise dexter cattle for both beef and milk, so I know what you're talking about. But I also know there are those lines that are a little more "known" for better laying production. Just as there are those that are not.
I'm also aware that folks get defensive of "their" lines and stirring that pot was not my intent. I am simply a newbie trying to learn.
Private replies welcome if folks prefer not to post.
Thanks,
Sheri

 

[immyjay54]

Look at this pose what grace. She is a natural poser. Lets say she or he grows up to be a pretty good show bird. This bird mated to the right mates could produce a whole new line called Hollywood's which means when they are in the show coops they are natural posers. Some judges when they have close birds for champion American or Champion Large Fowl may have a edge just because of the personality and the posing natural skills they reveal to the judge. Some of my great Red Bantams came out of the eight by eight pens and act like nuts and wont show and because of this don't win big.

I have to build a conditioning room for my birds this year and train them so they will not be scared when showing.

Love this bird. Watch it and maybe one or two others. You never know what will show up every five to ten years from a great bird from the past. Also, glad others like this tread its a good one with some of the future super stars of Reds contributing on it.

In regards to finding a high egg laying strain that is going to be hard as no one knows what there's can or can not do. They will never be like the production chicken you get from the feed stores as they are breed for eggs. These birds are like a Shorthorn Cow. Some give more milk than others but hard to measure. They are a dual purpose chicken. Meat, eggs and beauty.

I sure don't won't this to seem like I am going against the folks that seem to know a whole lot more then I ever will about these HRIR's but when it comes to the egg production I can honestly say this. I can't say for any other line yet except the Nelson. I have 7 hens (3 from NYREDS and 4 from another BYC member dinahmoe) (the girls from dinahmoe were hatched 4/5/12 and the NYREDS girls were hatched 6/1 - 6/5/12). I did not gather todays eggs yet but for the first 27 days of April I've gotten 148 eggs. In my honest opinion, I think that is just pretty dern good. I've had hatchery stock that does not lay as good or any better then these girls. I can't say how they will do in the winter time yet because these just started laying late Jan early Feb. This was with no lights in their pen also. I've not went under 4 eggs per day from these and some days 7. IF all the heritage birds layed as well as these, I don't think anyone would complain. Again, I can't speak for winter laying yet. I am keeping a record of these girls and will be keeping track of my other lines as they start. I have an egg production page on my site and update it every week with how many eggs for that week.

Just went and gathered the eggs from the Nelson coop and got 7 today so that means 155 eggs in 28 days. Pretty good in my eyes.

 

[NYREDS]

I sure don't won't this to seem like I am going against the folks that seem to know a whole lot more then I ever will about these HRIR's but when it comes to the egg production I can honestly say this. I can't say for any other line yet except the Nelson. I have 7 hens (3 from NYREDS and 4 from another BYC member dinahmoe) (the girls from dinahmoe were hatched 4/5/12 and the NYREDS girls were hatched 6/1 - 6/5/12). I did not gather todays eggs yet but for the first 27 days of April I've gotten 148 eggs. In my honest opinion, I think that is just pretty dern good. I've had hatchery stock that does not lay as good or any better then these girls. I can't say how they will do in the winter time yet because these just started laying late Jan early Feb. This was with no lights in their pen also. I've not went under 4 eggs per day from these and some days 7. IF all the heritage birds layed as well as these, I don't think anyone would complain. Again, I can't speak for winter laying yet. I am keeping a record of these girls and will be keeping track of my other lines as they start. I have an egg production page on my site and update it every week with how many eggs for that week.

Just went and gathered the eggs from the Nelson coop and got 7 today so that means 155 eggs in 28 days. Pretty good in my eyes.

The characteristics you select for in your breeding program are the characteristics your birds will display. This includes productivity. Show breeders have paid little or no attention to productivity in recent years & the result is lines of beautiful birds that don't lay well. I know of strains of show-winning OEGBs where the females lay 10-12 eggs per year. As far as I'mconcerned that's a crime. The first responsibility of a chicken should be to lay eggs.
In past generations there were many strains of show winning birds that produced well because the breeders selected for productivity as well as appearance. There's no reason we can't get back to that if we make it a goal. My Grandfather raised some really nice looking White Leghorns that laid very well. He trapnested & culled unproductive females. The hens he hatched from were all dependable producers. You'll notice I said hens. Why would you want to hatch from pullets who haven't shown what they can do? [you'll also get bigger chicks from hen's eggs]
I'm not surprised to hear the pullets from birds you hatched from my eggs are laying well. I select for productivity even in bantams but especially so in large fowl.

 

[immyjay54]

The characteristics you select for in your breeding program are the characteristics your birds will display. This includes productivity. Show breeders have paid little or no attention to productivity in recent years & the result is lines of beautiful birds that don't lay well. I know of strains of show-winning OEGBs where the females lay 10-12 eggs per year. As far as I'mconcerned that's a crime. The first responsibility of a chicken should be to lay eggs.
In past generations there were many strains of show winning birds that produced well because the breeders selected for productivity as well as appearance. There's no reason we can't get back to that if we make it a goal. My Grandfather raised some really nice looking White Leghorns that laid very well. He trapnested & culled unproductive females. The hens he hatched from were all dependable producers. You'll notice I said hens. Why would you want to hatch from pullets who haven't shown what they can do? [you'll also get bigger chicks from hen's eggs]
I'm not surprised to hear the pullets from birds you hatched from my eggs are laying well. I select for productivity even in bantams but especially so in large fowl.