The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[melroseladi]

I let my cockerels out to do a little exploring a few days ago, in between bouts of rain. My mutt rooster and Tanker free-range most of the day with their girls so I can't let these little guys out very often.







Penny

 

[ChickMagnet207]

I have been reading a lot about the darker horn coloring in Reds beaks. I'm not so convinced that a Dark horn beak means Darker Plumage. Some have darker beaks and lighter plumage and vice versa. I have bred Production Reds with white rocks that have a nice dark horn colored beak. Maybe someone else can chime in on the whole Genetics of dark horn coloring in the beak relating to plumage.

 

[HawaiianRoo]

For someone in Hawaii, it may be easy to forget just how tough upper midwest winters can be. It is best not to have wee chicks hatched in fall. Since daylight hours are constant in Hawaii, it may also be easier to forget the maturing pullets need sunlight. We really want our laying pullets to be hatched in late February through March. These pullets stand the best chance of coming into laying form before the deep darkness of the following winter. A summer hatched pullet has no chance of maturing until the following spring. That's a lot of feed and a long wait for eggs. Many of us have an agricultural or homestead aspect to all this.

Collecting fertile eggs and keeping them cool in the heat of summer is almost impossible. Shipping fertile eggs to customers in the heat of summer is risky business in hot Post Office trucks.

Finally, many breeders use rather small match systems. This isn't the old "one rooster to 10 hens" ratio you hear so much about here on BYC. With small number matings, the hens can be over mated and that's tough on the female. She needs a break. The cock birds also need time off.

So, if you put all this together a picture forms as to why most folks break up their breeding pens in May. Hope all my meandering thoughts helps.

Yes, all makes sense. I do forget... you guys have four distinct seasons! I've lived in the South, unbearably hot and humid during summer months. And the North, short growing season for plants and animals.

 

[redrstr29]

I have been reading a lot about the darker horn coloring in Reds beaks. I'm not so convinced that a Dark horn beak means Darker Plumage. Some have darker beaks and lighter plumage and vice versa. I have bred Production Reds with white rocks that have a nice dark horn colored beak. Maybe someone else can chime in on the whole Genetics of dark horn coloring in the beak relating to plumage.

My red crosses have dark beaks too!!! I don't know if theres a corralation either only that dark beaks and dark plumage go good together in HRIR lol

 

[catdaddyfro]

My red crosses have dark beaks too!!! I don't know if theres a corralation either only that dark beaks and dark plumage go good together in HRIR lol

Mine too, I have some really dark pro reds in the first place but even still yet some of my crop out lighter ones from the instilled RSL blood have a fairly dark beak.

so I agree too with the second half of your post as well, it too, probly has to do with them being really dark red, like almost black and the whole beak being dark and not gradient from yellow/orangish at the face to darker towards the tip, or vice versa maybe?

Jeff

 

[lualshannon]

Fred has some good points here.
I frequently keep a rooster with my production layers all the time... but never fewer than 10-15 (preferably more) hens because they just get worn out. And even then, the roos always have their favorites who always looked shabby... but those were also my best layers. Being a sustainable farm, when I am down to only 1 production roo (like right now) I like to keep one with the hens in case something unexpectedly happens and I find myself without a roo - at least I have fertile eggs and don't need to bring in new blood. But... this is just for my production layers... a self-perpetuating practical aspect for emergencies. Not to mention they can be handy at discouraging "minor" predation.
For heritage or rare breeds I just don't want to wear the hens out. Longevity is a higher priority than flash in the pan heavy and fast laying, easily replaceable hens.
I have raised Cornish x's several times and have found that fall is actually my favorite time of year to do that... scheduling them to arrive about Labor Day. The nights are beginning to cool down a bit, but I still have forage through Oct or Nov, but it's not so hot to prevent good growth. Unlike spring, things are pretty quiet here (as in lambing and calving are over), so fall is a quiet time of year with more time. Also, processing 50-100 meat birds in November is nice when the weather is cool.

As with all the males here though... you must play well with others when it's not breeding season or you can't stay. Bulls must get along, rams must cohabitate nicely after breeding season, etc. I do not provide individual bedrooms for bulls, rams, and roos. Play well with others or the slaughter knife is always handy.
My husband is glad he is the only human male on the farm.

It takes me quite a while before I can part from the misbehaving boys, and spend a lot of time to rehabilitate the bad behaviors, and our success rate in doing so have not been that good. Always, they are oh so sweet and adorable as babies; but, when the testosterone starts to kick in, they turn into entirely different beings..
Your last paragraph made me laugh for a while : ) Well, it is quite honest and very to the point...loved it!

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Mine too, I have some really dark pro reds in the first place but even still yet some of my crop out lighter ones from the instilled RSL blood have a fairly dark beak.

so I agree too with the second half of your post as well, it too, probly has to do with them being really dark red, like almost black and the whole beak being dark and not gradient from yellow/orangish at the face to darker towards the tip, maybe?

Jeff

All mine have really dark becks. I like the dark becks and the dark feathers also. All you see some times is there eyes. LOL

 

[Robert Blosl]

I have been reading a lot about the darker horn coloring in Reds beaks. I'm not so convinced that a Dark horn beak means Darker Plumage. Some have darker beaks and lighter plumage and vice versa. I have bred Production Reds with white rocks that have a nice dark horn colored beak. Maybe someone else can chime in on the whole Genetics of dark horn coloring in the beak relating to plumage.

It depends how long have you been razing R I Reds. If you have for many years you can spot certain traits that some strains have. I only know one strain the Mohawk strain.

The beaks on the chicks are very dark as they are born some maybe more horn color than others. As they grow up to three to five months old some beaks are almost totally horn color. You can see this in some of the pictures people are posting on here. The horn color on their beaks are almost to their skull.

You can only get a RI Red so dark. When the quill color is black or Bing cherry black like the Bing Cherry's that grow in Washington State or some use to say blood red you got them as dark as you can get them. Many strains of R I Reds do not have Black Quill color. On my Rhode Island Red bantams I made I do not have it. I had two ideas to get it cross another large fowl male to my bantams and try to select chicks that have the black quill color males then cross them back to my bantam females for five years to see if I can keep it and get the size back down.

Or I thought of putting breeding pressure on fast feathering and early egg development on the bantams females for five years to see if the black quill color would show up as it may be hidden in the gene make up.

Its not a big deal or mean anything it does however separate the want a be R I Red chicks that so many people think they have from the real R I Rhode Island Reds. I have seen a male that is suppose to be a Mohawk which is not and he is nothing but a half Production Red and half Standard Breed Red in a picture. His chicks will have very little horn color in their beaks at birth and will be light colored down color.

 

[Jharper]

Just got a HRIR pullet from a local breeder! So excited! My other RIR, who is VERY close looking to a HRIR, just hatched out her silkie bantam eggs.

 

[lualshannon]

I would like to share some photos of my HRIR babies. They were hatched by Ron Ottman (Ronott1) who kindly shared 4 of these lovely birds with me; which I am feeling quite fortunate about. They are San Romain/Ron Fogel bloodlines.

In the past, I did have HRIR, as well as Orpington, and Yokahama chickens, where they added joy to my life, and many lived to be 11-12 yrs. old. Needless to say; I love and adore Heritage breeds, and appreciate all their virtues.

The photos below were taken in my studio under artificial lighting which diluted some of their beautiful coloring such as their feet. In person, their feet are corn-yellow : ) They will be confined for a while, and will post more photos when they are able to free range.

Dear Ron (Ronott 1), thank you very much for these gorgeous birds. Finally, after a year long search, I have my own Heritage Rhode Island Reds.