The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[NestingHillsSC]

Ron, your chicks are slap out of sight, Man. Clean out of sight. I look at 'em 3 times a day and marvel each and every time. The coloration is coming in a nice deep garnet color. The type is phenomenal, buddy. Flat out phenomenal. They are in the brooder with our southern Kentucky bred ringlet Barred Rocks and everyone seems to get along quite well. I think they're whistlin' Dixie in two part harmony.

Don't know if those Pennsylvania Kittle birds will quite understand all the chatter, but they'll pick it right quick.

 

[cmom]

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[immyjay54]

Ron, your chicks are slap out of sight, Man. Clean out of sight. I look at 'em 3 times a day and marvel each and every time. The coloration is coming in a nice deep garnet color. The type is phenomenal, buddy. Flat out phenomenal. They are in the brooder with our southern Kentucky bred ringlet Barred Rocks and everyone seems to get along quite well. I think they're whistlin' Dixie in two part harmony.

Don't know if those Pennsylvania Kittle birds will quite understand all the chatter, but they'll pick it right quick.

Hey Fred,
I have to tell you that when I went in the Army back in 1968 I never had so many people laugh at my hillbilly talk in all my life. If my birds get to chattering with your mid west birds you are going to have one real language to try and figure out. ha,ha,ha.
In all seriousness though I thank you so much for the kind words on these birds. I didn't raise any of them yet this year but still do have the original 6 girls and there partner that I may raise just a few from so I don't loose this original line and work on them a little more down the road. While reading your posts about Mr. Kittle my soft side came out and made me feel so bad thinking that I have the birds that Mr. Kittle bred and that it would really be a shame to just let all his hard work go down the drain.
Thanks Fred
Jimmy

 

[chickensnew2me]

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

Ron, what levels of animal protein, fat, and total protein should I be looking for for my adult birds and jouvunile birds?

 

[Robert Blosl]

Many people use different feeds and many want a non commercial type feed as I guess they think the feed has bad stuff in it and if you eat the eggs or the meat this will harm you ect. All I know is this. If you go to a chicken show with your Rhode Island Reds and compete with the top breeders you can beat on Finish alone. The feed you give your birds to put a finish on them is paramount in showing your birds.

I have seen people spent $300 or more to just drive and stay in Hotel Rooms and don't win nothing and they think they got good birds and the reason is they tried to save a dolor or two on the feed sack or try to make their own feed.

I tried going the cheap route a few years ago lost the whole breeding season to no fertile eggs went right back to my super expensive Game Bird Feed and starter and will never go back to anything else. Some are caught between a rock and a hard place. The feed that they have to use is all they can get some add cat fish feed which has good protein. Others may use other stuff heck if you had to using crickets a meal worms would be a good supplement. One of the best methods to put a finish on a Red is free Range. Then you have to watch out for varmints during the day and dogs.

However, as Maurice Wallace once wrote in the Rhode Island Red Chronicle in the 1960s there is no alternative for free range. He lived in Canada and had them running around in his apple orchards. If you live in the northern states and can plant alfalfa that is a great greens to give to your birds and will put a good finish on your chickens.

Now I mentioned about showing your birds to get a good finish. Many don't show their Reds and that is fine but when you take pictures of your birds the eye can tell how they look and how they feathers. We are all judges to some degree. So I don't want to push showing down your throat. I myself have not showed much and its not the cost but the way judges pick their birds that turns me off. If I want to show Red Rocks I would get me some but I raise old fashion R I Red Bantams and it just hurts to much to get beat by a Red Rock so I would rather stay home.

I often wonder how many new people got large fowl Reds this year. If you post on this thread could you tell us how many chicks you got on the ground. If you got Ten just say ten that's a good start. If you got 40 that is fantastic.

I have thee pullets and one ckl that I saved. I am trying to get a Radamaher Rose Comb male or female to cross onto my old line. Does anyone have this line other than Arian the Club Secretary in Texas.?

 

[melroseladi]

I have 24 all of the Underwood line:

5 - 1 RC cockerel and 4 SC pullets that are 24 weeks
18 - 7 SC cockerels and 11 SC pullets that are 12 weeks
1 - 1 RC pullet that is 10 weeks

Penny

 

[FOGELLY]

Ron, what levels of animal protein, fat, and total protein should I be looking for for my adult birds and jouvunile birds?

I have settled on Penpals Meat Maker for my whole flock. I don't know the exact % of animal protein vs plant protein that it contains.
The meat maker is 21% with 5% fat and .9% max calcium.
If you feed this to laying aged hens you will need to provide oyster shell.
The lower calcium will not harm the young birds kidneys.

Until last week I was feeding my breeders PenPals Game Bird Breeder.
It also has animal protein. It is 22% with 3% fat and 3% calcium.
To high of calcium for non laying birds.

Like Bob says, green grass and bugs is hard too beat when it comes to finish. I have free ranging all but the breeding pens for several weeks. I also mow with a bagger and feed the breeders the clippings. We use zero lawn chemicals on our property so it is always safe. Sure helps with feed consumption.



Ron

 

[LillianMae]

How come there aren't many heritage rhode island reds left? Did production hatcheries just try to breed them quicker and mess it all up? Are there other heritage breeds?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I just got 11 HRIR on Wed. They are still chicks, no full grown HRIR yet. I have 19 other chickens that I plan to use as a layer flock or sell late this fall.

 

[Pozees]

I now have a total of 10, with the last one drying in the incubator. 7 Fogle and 3 Greathorse. Thanks so much to both for giving me this opportunity to have these beautiful chicks. Thanks especially to Ron, who took pity on me when my first hatch went terribly (although I did get one drop-dead-gorgeous chick) and sent me more eggs. There is no way for me to adequately express my gratitude except to try and do the best I can with these chicks.