The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

This is an exhausting time of year at the old homestead. We market garden, so the work is tough and compressed into a short time frame. The older I get, the more frequently I have stop at the end of row, sit down, have cup of coffee and just sit in the shade a spell.

That's when I enjoy the chickens the most. I got a pen here, a pen there, some pullets darting out of their barn there, stuff like that. Gives me a chance to just sit and enjoy them, at all their ages. This IS the best time of year to just soak in the beauty of these birds. A dark Red flashing across a deep green yard, with a blur of really, really yellow legs? Nah. It doesn't get any better than that. Then, you get up, wipe your brow and go do another row of planting peas. Beats being under the sod all to heck.

 

[immyjay54]

Jim, I love, love, love your birds. Look at those long wide backs. They are really nice.

I am thinking Henroo is laying. I had found that soft shelled egg in the yard last week and I found 2 eggs hidden in the pig pen behind the pigs dogloo today. I have nesting boxes in their coop and nothing has been laid in there yet. I decided to lower the nesting boxes down to the floor and put an egg in one and hope she gets the idea. I am hoping to have eggs from them all soon.

Penny

Put a golf ball in the nest box. They may break a real egg. lol Thank you for the comments. I just got the SC's banded today. This SC rooster is a complete hoot. Worse then a dog. All I have to do is stoop down and start talking to him and he comes at me sideways and I pick him up. lol He's worse then my Nelson boys. lol
Jim

 

[immyjay54]

This is an exhausting time of year at the old homestead. We market garden, so the work is tough and compressed into a short time frame. The older I get, the more frequently I have stop at the end of row, sit down, have cup of coffee and just sit in the shade a spell.

That's when I enjoy the chickens the most. I got a pen here, a pen there, some pullets darting out of their barn there, stuff like that. Gives me a chance to just sit and enjoy them, at all their ages. This IS the best time of year to just soak in the beauty of these birds. A dark Red flashing across a deep green yard, with a blur of really, really yellow legs? Nah. It doesn't get any better than that. Then, you get up, wipe your brow and go do another row of planting peas. Beats being under the sod all to heck.

Hey Fred,
I just told my pastor last Thursday evening that I didn't like this getting old thing and he said," Well the alternative is not to good though." LOL I said gee, never thought of it that way.
Jim

 

[Robert Blosl]

I had to do some research on this thread some of these comments kind of caught me off guard it through me for a loop. I thought I may have taken two Valium then one. Any way I can send you some Geratal Chicken Liquid to make those production Reds less endemic. I had a old timer once tell me you can feed them Pork Liver its higher in Iron than Cow Liver.

None the less I like your Dark Reds. Glad to see some new experts coming on here.

Hope you show this this fall in Washington. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...ex=aps&hvadid=859512388&ref=pd_sl_iyvb2ur78_e

 

[Mumsy]

I had to do some research on this thread some of these comments kind of caught me off guard it through me for a loop. I thought I may have taken two Valium then one. Any way I can send you some Geratal Chicken Liquid to make those production Reds less endemic. I had a old timer once tell me you can feed them Pork Liver its higher in Iron than Cow Liver.

None the less I like your Dark Reds. Glad to see some new experts coming on here.

Hope you show this this fall in Washington. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...ex=aps&hvadid=859512388&ref=pd_sl_iyvb2ur78_e

I hatched a dozen or so Production chicks from my layer flock while waiting for my real reds to arrive from Ron Fogle. The four I just butchered weren't out of this group in the above picture. They were raised by a broody. Not a lot of meat on them but they tasted good. Those production birds don't grow as well or fill out as good as these reds do. I'm really looking forward to having one flock of chickens for meat, eggs, and showing. These old time reds look like the chicken to fit that calling for me.

I wasn't offended by the lethargic and anemic comment but thought it was a joke. It made no sense to me how lethargy or anemia in my chicks could possibly be evident in still images? I believe this thread is one of the best on this forum for learning about the real Rhode Island Reds thanks to your efforts Robert. I read everything here twice over and save pages of the information in my folders for furthering my knowledge. If anyone wants to weigh in on why my chicks look lethargic and anemic, I'm still waiting. It's everyones business when critiques are posted on this thread. Explanations for critiques should be posted so we beginners can learn.

Those little four week old production barn yard chicks are holding their own just fine with the bigger older red chicks. One of my favorite features of this Fogle strain are how friendly and accommodating they are with the younger chicks. There is very little sparing and no bullying. There is plenty of chow for all. The bigguns eat first and on down the line in the pecking order. That's the way of chickens. No body goes hungry here. The littlest chicks hop right into the pan and get their fair share anyway.

I'll be attending a Fall/winter show in Chehalis, Washington and will be taking my RIR bantam pullets and the best Fogle cockerel bird out of this bunch. It will be about seven months old. Not a real contender with the big boys that will be shown but good experience for me. Hopefully I'll learn a lot.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Here are some of mine I got from Ron. 10 now at 3 months. Only 2 roos. Which I think is good. Sorry for all the pics but want to get an idea on what you all think. I can take it. I need to know.

Hen. Looking at type here.




My smaller roo.


This is the right color. This is really how the color looks. They are very dark!


My big roo. Hard to get a true image just how big he is. WHY bigger than the rest. Main breeder here!


The chest on this hen.


Her from the top.

 

[Fentress]

I hatched a dozen or so Production chicks from my layer flock while waiting for my real reds to arrive from Ron Fogle. The four I just butchered weren't out of this group in the above picture. They were raised by a broody. Not a lot of meat on them but they tasted good. Those production birds don't grow as well or fill out as good as these reds do. I'm really looking forward to having one flock of chickens for meat, eggs, and showing. These old time reds look like the chicken to fit that calling for me.

Mumsy and others,

I am also looking for a true dual purpose bird that has good meat qualities. My first year with hatchery birds was dissapointing in this regard. If you don't, mind when you cull the cockerels, post the weight (dressed), age, pictures and any mamangement comments you might have. I will do the same. I'm thinking 3lbs at 16 weeks is a good target, but I really don't know!

Mark

 

[Mumsy]

Here are some of mine I got from Ron. 10 now at 3 months. Only 2 roos. Which I think is good. Sorry for all the pics but want to get an idea on what you all think. I can take it. I need to know.

They are beautiful! Good pictures. I really like this one.


I hope my bunch keep getting darker like yours. Each week that goes by they get better and better. I also noticed the big chests on these chicks. Your lucky to just get a couple males. I've got a hunch 3/4 of my chicks are male.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

They are beautiful! Good pictures. I really like this one.


I hope my bunch keep getting darker like yours. Each week that goes by they get better and better. I also noticed the big chests on these chicks. Your lucky to just get a couple males. I've got a hunch 3/4 of my chicks are male.

Yea I wasn't sure. If that would have happened would of been some good eaten being done in another month.

Oh yea, that hen is 2 weeks older than the rest of the birds. Ron sent 1 older one. Her.

 

[immyjay54]

Yea I wasn't sure. If that would have happened would of been some good eaten being done in another month.

Oh yea, that hen is 2 weeks older than the rest of the birds. Ron sent 1 older one. Her.

Very nice young birds. Ron has sent quite a few out this past spring and all the pictures seem to look like very nice quality. I'd bet that next year there will be a lot more RIR's on the ground then there was a couple of years ago. Folks have surely gotten into the RIR Craze. lol BUT that is a good thing. I wish all of you that got birds from Ron or anyone else this year the best of luck with raising them and having fun with them for years to come.
Jim