The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[immyjay54]

I agree. This is proven to be the case with our hatchlings this season. The dark, wild markings has produced the darkest birds, with deep, to the skin type coloration.

Fred,
I was wondering if you caught this. lol You were right on my friend. lol

 

[redrstr29]

lol I do understand my name might say "out of the brooder" but let me tell you up here in New England when people wanna know about chickens they call me lol!! Ive rolled around many pultry pens!! lol

 

[monnie662]

I have had chickens forever and I do know that a lot of breed are hatched out this way but what I'm asking is only on the RIR's. I know the stripes leave. I just wondered if it was something that maybe we should try to get. lol Way back years ago All of our RIR's looked like little chipmunks. As I've said, I've hatched many and bought many day old HRIR's in the last 2+ years and have never had one of the little chipmunk striped chicks in any of them. These are the first and it just really surprised me.
Even about 4 years ago I bought day old pullets from McMurray (their RIR's) and not one was striped like these. I'm just going to forget about it because some of the others on here say that they get them so I guess it is just a wild gene or something. Must not be anything to it or I'm sure some of the bigger breeders would have mentioned it.
Jim

If I remember correctly my only HRIR hen was striped when she was hatched. Now she is a large hen with very dark feathers. And talking about the striped ones being pullets when I ordered some hatchery reds all were ordered as pullets and they all were striped too. Looks like I'll be looking too from now on.

 

[FOGELLY]

Yesterday, I had a good opportunity to take a long look at my young birds from January. It is amazing how much they will change as they go from that ugly phase to juvenile.
I am feeling a lot better about this years birds than a couple weeks ago. I changed their feed about a month ago, it has made a big difference in their overall appearance.
After feeding a certain feed for several years I had not noticed that last winter they stopped using animal protein. Don't let anyone tell you that plant protein is just as good. Without the animal protein they started looking washed out and dull.
I feed all my adult breeders Game bird Breeder, but it has to much calcium for young birds. I was feeding all the young birds a 20% grower, because in my area the only other game bird feed with a lower calcium level was medicated.
I have now found a 21% meat maker that has good levels of animal protein, it also has a little higher fat levels than the other feed.

Ron

 

[Fred's Hens]

Love the meat maker for chick starter. Our local grinds a mash of meat maker, 22% protein, animal. Very, very affordable at $22 a hundred. It is not medicated however. So I switch them to local mill's 20% medicated chick at week 6 through week 10, which corresponds to their expose to the ground. Although, we've never seen cocci here. Apparently the soil isn't conducive to it?

 

[Robert Blosl]

Jimmy I was not meaning you on the sex of the chicks. So many people get chicks or eggs and they can hardly stand it if they don't know the sex of the seven to ten day old chicks. You have no control over it until the little roosters combs start shooting up.

I was putting some bigger chicks in a big pen with my four R I Red chicks about March hatched. I looked at them and maybe I got four pullets and one male. I thought I had two of each.

No big deal if I don't have any males I will find one somewhere down the road.

You should see the emails and messages I get at least no one wants blue chickens this year that really sets my bottle of Valium off.

 

[cmom]

Here is one of the stripped chicks from a recent hatch, More are hatching out now but due tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if any are stripped.

 

[immyjay54]

Jimmy I was not meaning you on the sex of the chicks. So many people get chicks or eggs and they can hardly stand it if they don't know the sex of the seven to ten day old chicks. You have no control over it until the little roosters combs start shooting up.

I was putting some bigger chicks in a big pen with my four R I Red chicks about March hatched. I looked at them and maybe I got four pullets and one male. I thought I had two of each.

No big deal if I don't have any males I will find one somewhere down the road.

You should see the emails and messages I get at least no one wants blue chickens this year that really sets my bottle of Valium off.

Hey Bob,
That didn't upset me, I just thought maybe you thought I was looking for a way to sex these chicks. lol That really doesn't concern me that much at younger ages. I have never looked to tell sex until they start growing the combs and wattles. I've seen some of mine that have legs like fence posts and end up being a very heavy built pullet. I might look at them and think gee, looks like I have a lot of boys or girls but I don't really worry about it either way Time will surely tell.
If it has anything to do with anything, I feel it is probably deeper color or better feather quality or something like that. Gosh, I've gotten many many pullet from chicks that never had any dark stripes on them so I would never go by that to sex them even if the scientists say it does. I've got to many pictures to prove it. lol
Jimmy

 

[immyjay54]

Here is one of the stripped chicks from a recent hatch, More are hatching out now but due tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if any are stripped.

That's it. Looks almost exactly like one of mine, The other 3 are more distinct though. lol All this time and hadn't seen any. Are these from your birds from Matt?
Jim

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Got my chicks from Ron today. They are lovely. My son has chosen the smallest as his.
Thanks Ron for the great birds.