The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[NestingHillsSC]

Yea, I'm building my 6x12 hen house right now.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Thank you for this don't know if this is a old formula or something a writer put together years ago in another breed book.

Don't know how to apply it todays breeding. Thank you.. bob




(Exhibition Rhode Island Red) ; s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Mh/Mh Db/Db 'rb/rb'

"Genetics of Chicken Colours-The Basics" by Van Dort, Hancox and friends,
There are four different colours in this "family" of "Red".
The difference with the show RIR is rb (recessive black).
Page 170


ok I figured it out it was Van Dort, Hancox and friends who came up with this. I wonder if they know how to breed reds for color. bob

 

[Eggcessive]

I just got the message. Thank you Mr. Blosl for the heads up. My Fogle flock are just now twelve weeks old. Out of twenty two birds, it now looks like I got five pullets and seventeen cockerels! Those are not great percentages. There is one that could up my pullets to six but still.... I won't be getting rid of any females over the next nine months. Out of those seventeen cockerels, I'm butchering four next month. None of the birds have bad defects but I just can't keep feeding that many cockerels when I will only keep three. Starting next year, I'll share eggs and birds from this stock. Not many but some.

I'll hatch as many eggs as I can from the best of those maybe six pullets and the best cock bird out of the seventeen to choose from. At three months old there are a couple boys that are looking fine. But...There are a lot of late bloomers to wait on too.

My goodness Mumsy, that is a lot of males. I got mine from Ron shortly after you, and I have 5 pullets and 3 cockerels. I think they are the calmest, sweetest chickens I have raised.

 

[Eggcessive]

I had one like that I did the same to this year. But I have one, the older rooster that is awesome. I will never part with him. I can put him in with 3 day olds' and he won't touch them. Very calm and very nice to all the other hens. Actually yesterday I put a temp nesting box in the coop because I think the LB's are ready to start laying any day now. Knowing I think these hens never layed before, he went in the coop and got in the nesting box and was doing low clucking and growling noises to get the hens up there. He was actually teaching them were to lay there eggs. I even took a vid of him doing it. Quit interesting. I've seen him do this to new hens before.

My 2 year old rooster does that also. Each morning when I'm in the coop cleaning, I watch him bring one or two hens in to show them his choice of nesting spots for the day. Sometimes they have just started laying again after being broody (or broody broken.) Last week, I moved a portable nestbox 8 feet across the coop, and he showed 2 hens that box. A couple of hours later I found their eggs, and no one had used that box for months, LOL.

 

[Alaskan]

How many of you'll have the Rose Comb?

I read one site where the guy said that his Rose Comb didn't start laying until super old (was it a year?). And then, out of four hens, he was getting only three eggs a WEEK.

Anyone here have the Rose Comb? And what rate of lay do you get? And where did you get the hens?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Working on planning. I have some questions about hatching more HRIR chicks. Mine current chicks are 12.5 and 8.5 weeks old. So I have plenty of time to plan.
When is the best time of the year to set the eggs? I'm thinking there was mention of chicks hatched in the hot months did not match up to sop.
What is the youngest age of the hen and the roo that you would recommend breeding?

Thanks for your help. Seeing as the majority of my HRIR chicks are roosters, I'm wanting to grow my flock but at the right time with the right chicks.

 

[RedRidge]

How many of you'll have the Rose Comb?

I read one site where the guy said that his Rose Comb didn't start laying until super old (was it a year?). And then, out of four hens, he was getting only three eggs a WEEK.

Anyone here have the Rose Comb? And what rate of lay do you get? And where did you get the hens?

I have RC... 20 of them (about half pullets and half cockerels I believe).
The gentleman I got mine from told me one of the things he breeds for is laying and to expect mine to begin to lay about 23 weeks old.
He has an excellent reputation with the breed and I have no reason to doubt him.
Mine are 7 weeks old right now, so we'll see...

 

[Alaskan]

I have RC... 20 of them (about half pullets and half cockerels I believe).
The gentleman I got mine from told me one of the things he breeds for is laying and to expect mine to begin to lay about 23 weeks old.
He has an excellent reputation with the breed and I have no reason to doubt him.
Mine are 7 weeks old right now, so we'll see... 

Did he say what his rate of lay is? Some people might think if a hen lays three eggs a week then that = excellent.

Personally, I think that in the peak laying season, an egg laying breed should lay at least four eggs a week.

 

[sgribble]

Robert,
Can you pm me info on what lines the person in Chattanooga had and their contact info
Thanks

I am the one Bob was talking about.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did he say what his rate of lay is? Some people might think if a hen lays three eggs a week then that = excellent.

Personally, I think that in the peak laying season, an egg laying breed should lay at least four eggs a week.

Many breeders of heritage RIR have said here that heritage birds will never lay as well as a production hen, but some lines lay better than others.