The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Alaskan]

I know that they won't lay as much as a production red per week....but I was hoping that they would lay more over their lifetime.

Since a production red should really be killed after two years, three at the most, and it is my understanding, that the Heritage birds are supposed to lay well for five years.

So.....does a Heritage Rhode Island maybe not start laying until a year of age, but then manage to lay four eggs every week for years two, three and four, and maybe three eggs a week for years five and six?

But, I am starting to get the impression that the rose comb RIR lay less than the single comb birds.

So, does anyone know what the rate of lay tends to be? Rate of lay at two years, and at five years of age?

 

[ronott1]

I know that they won't lay as much as a production red per week....but I was hoping that they would lay more over their lifetime.

Since a production red should really be killed after two years, three at the most, and it is my understanding, that the Heritage birds are supposed to lay well for five years.

So.....does a Heritage Rhode Island maybe not start laying until a year of age, but then manage to lay four eggs every week for years two, three and four, and maybe three eggs a week for years five and six?

But, I am starting to get the impression that the rose comb RIR lay less than the single comb birds.

So, does anyone know what the rate of lay tends to be? Rate of lay at two years, and at five years of age?

Go back about three months--there was a post that had different lines and their lay rates.

What you will likely get is between 150 and 200 per year for 5 years. That winds up being more than the 280 for two years that production Reds lay before they blow themselves out.

It is all averages though. Chickens are not a vending machine where you put in a quarter and out pops an egg. As living creatures there is a lot of variation and conditions that effect laying rates.

 

[Alaskan]

Go back about three months--there was a post that had different lines and their lay rates.

What you will likely get is between 150 and 200 per year for 5 years. That winds up being more than the 280 for two years that production Reds lay before they blow themselves out.

It is all averages though. Chickens are not a vending machine where you put in a quarter and out pops an egg. As living creatures there is a lot of variation and conditions that effect laying rates.

No, totally understand that. But, then again, you should never expect a Cochin to lay like a Leghorn.

I just want to know what sorta range they are in.

 

[immyjay54]

No, totally understand that. But, then again, you should never expect a Cochin to lay like a Leghorn.

I just want to know what sorta range they are in.

Go to my website and you will find lots of information about the different lines from my experience. Everything on there is my opinion/experience from the different lines that I have or have had over the past couple of years. On my site is a page (egg production) and there you will find out about my Nelson and my young Underwood's, both RC and SC. My SC's do seem to lay a little better but I am satisfied with my RC's for being young. I will try to keep posting their egg production for a while and you can see how it goes. Right now I only have 3 of the RC's and 6 of the SC's Underwood lines. They started to lay just a day or two past 6 months.
I had 7 Nelson hens to start with but I lost one a month or so ago so only 6 now and they are doing really well. They seem to slow down a little on the super hot days. Our summers for the past couple of years are really changing and getting extremely hot here in SW Pa. It's really hard on my birds.
If you need to ask question about any of my birds, feel free to email me. The email etc is on my site.
Just click my user name and you'll see my site address.
Jim

 

[Alaskan]

Just my two cents worth on the above posts. 
I have been thinking of putting this on here for a while but didn't want to get my head chewed off.  I have 5 different lines of the RIR. Four of these 5 lines are of laying age. 
Please don't think that I am talking down of the folks that have these birds for show birds.  
I have 3 pullets/hens and 2 cockerels of the Mohawk line. I don't really know if only one is laying or what but about 1 1/2 - 2 months ago I got my first egg from them. They are now 11 months old. I had gotten maybe 1 egg per week. On the 14th I got 1 egg, 1 on the 19th and 1 yesterday. Males could be used for meat birds but the girls are on the small side. 

I have 4 Nelson pullets/hens that are 11 months and 3 that are 9 months, I get anywhere from 3 to 6 eggs per day from them. 40 eggs in the last 10 days. Male or female of this line could be used for meat birds. 

I have 3 Horstman RC pullet/hens that are 11 months old and I get 2 - 3 eggs per week from them. Male or female could be used for meat birds. 
I have 6 Kittle hens and 1 cock bird in a separate pen and I get from 3 to 6 eggs per day from these. The cock birds could be used for meat birds but the hens are mostly on the small side. 
My Underwoods are 4 1/2 months and are as big or bigger then any of the other reds. I can't say how they will be for layers but I'd say going by their size right now that they could definitely be meat birds. I have 24 six week olds also. 
I am the youngest of 12 children (in my mid 60's) and I can say that most of these lines would not have been kept by my parents for egg birds with our big family. I do not show but I still want a good looking chicken but I don't want to feed a big flock and still have to buy eggs. If they aren't going to lay good enough for me to sell a few to help pay the feed bills then I won't keep them. 
I will see how each of these lines do over this summer but believe me, the ones that aren't laying to suit me will be either going down the road this fall or in my freezer. 
I know for sure that my Nelson's are the best when you look at the all around meat and egg birds. The males are nice size and the hens are sooo heavy. I'm hoping the Underwoods are good at the egg production. They have already showed me that the meat end is fine. lol 
This is just my experience with what I have and I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers. I'm not downing any lines, just telling it like it is. 
Jim

From Fentress, post#3171

thanks for your response Ron! I know Bob has quoted 180 eggs a year for the HRIR. I could live with that if I had a better carcass, than what I have now. Is your lay rate on the GSBR less than 180? I need to read some books on breeding, because I don't want to order from a breeder and then not be able to maintain the quality that I desire. On post #43 of the Heritage Large Fowl thread the Hogan method is described which envloves weighing and a physical examination for "fleshing" Can the physical exam be self taught or would I need some help with this? I'm not real keen on handingly my birds and they don't like it much either, but it would seem important if one is selecting for meat production.

Thanks again,

Mark

From FOGELLY, POST # 3172

Without trying to make myself sound to simple minded. Since we dont select just for meat production I probably won't ever weigh our birds. When we cull (kill) they going to be used, no matter the weight.
We eat our culls because it benefits us more than trying to sell a lot of cockerels. They have enough meat for our small family. It is the overall traits of the bird, not one more than another that makes them DP.

We have not had the GSBR long enough to know how many eggs a year they will lay. However they have been layin about 6 weeks and they are still laying pullet sized eggs and only around 3 per week.

My HRIR start laying at about 8 months and lay large eggs from the onset and lay 180+

Ron

From Jaman4, post #3182

Thanks for sharing your experience with the various strains Jim.I appreciate hearing what others have learned.I have or have had some of the birds you mentioned and would agree as far as the egg laying.At least on 3 you mentioned.
Bobby

From sgribble, post #3183

I have Mohawk/Reece birds and one other line not mentioned and both have been very good layers and very consistent.

From FOGELLY, post #3184

When I started looking for HRIR to start a flock with, most of my friends told me they did not lay well.
"For Show"
For the last 10 weeks my three breeding pens with a total of 9 hens have averaged 44 eggs for every 7 days.
These pens have hens ranging from 1-4 years old.

I have only weighed my birds one time a while back and the pullets weighed 6-6.5 lbs at 8-9 months. They are all about the same size.

I am more than happy with both the hens and the roosters.

Ron

From catdaddyfro, post #3192

I'm glad too that Jim shed some light on that subject also. I don't have any other RIR strains to compare them to, but I will tell you I am quite impressed with my Horstman RIR girls and their egg-laying abilities so far. They lay very regular and started out laying big eggs as Ron had mentioned his reds did also, and too, the docile nature is just awesome. I did not get to handle these from day one(imprint them) they were reared to about 3/4 weeks of age by another person and then sent to me but they are so easy going and laid back its amazing. Good sized and not too shabby looking either. I don't think they would win the beauty pageants at the shows but they are for sure as good as ever, for what I wanted, good old fashioned and nice looking barnyard fowl.

Go Reds, LOL

Jeff

 

[RedRidge]

Quote:
Will letcha know as time goes by, I really have no idea and making a guess in my climate, with my conditions, with my management system (I feed home ground and mixed FF and BSF and they free range), would be anybody's guess.
The production reds I've had in the past seem to either be "flash in the pan", or pretty decent until 4-5 yrs old.
Most are flash in the pan... peter out after 2. Maybe 20% have been healthy, hardy and still laying regularly at 4-5 yrs old.
Most do not survive to 6, but if they do, we butcher em with the annual meat birds each year because laying at that point isn't worth feeding them.

For me... the HRIR are all about balance. Proper structure and type to create a true dual purpose bird who has longevity, a decent carcass, lays more than an adequate number of eggs, forages well, and has a non-confrontational temperament.
What you get with production birds is just that... production... but you are sacrificing everything else.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Each line and its owners are different. You may say you have my old Mohawk line but did the owners who got their birds from me push egg production like I did?

If not they will revert back to a normal pattern that I got from Mr. Reese. Is 175 eggs per year average. Did I hit about 200 per year average with the fast feathering and early development push I put on using the Hogan method?
Is that enough eggs for the back yarder production convert to Standard Breed Fowl. If not don't get these birds and stay with your production egg layers.

Getting Standard Breed Rhode Island Reds is just not about egg production its about PRESERVATION of the breed. All the things you know about feed store reds is out the window they are not the same breed of chicken.

They are what is called a Dual Purpose breed. Some eggs, good meat properties and very pretty to look at and if you show them they can win big for you.

Rose Combs have never been breed for egg production. They have never been popular as Single Combs. So its hard to tell how they will lay.compaired to the single comb strains.

The most important thing is to get your birds to start laying around Thanks Giving time turn the lights on them for a total of say 15 hours of light stimulation to their eyes and try to start hatching them in Jan to March. Then in a few years your strain will be doing this and you should be just fine. bob

 

[greathorse]

I agree with Bob, egg production is important but we need to continue to preserve the breed in general. We then make certain that we get as close to the standard of perfection as possible and then as we get some numbers we can begin to select for egg production. I believe egg production is an important factor but if we let the breed die out we will have no eggs. My Mohawks are doing quite well at the present time. I average 9 eggs per day with 15 birds, I am quite happy with that. They did quite a bit better than that this spring and not that well in the middle of the winter. It is my estimation that they are laying 180 eggs per year. It has been very hot here this summer and they are staying right on track.

Paul

 

[monnie662]

Go to my website and you will find lots of information about the different lines from my experience. Everything on there is my opinion/experience from the different lines that I have or have had over the past couple of years. On my site is a page (egg production) and there you will find out about my Nelson and my young Underwood's, both RC and SC. My SC's do seem to lay a little better but I am satisfied with my RC's for being young. I will try to keep posting their egg production for a while and you can see how it goes. Right now I only have 3 of the RC's and 6 of the SC's Underwood lines. They started to lay just a day or two past 6 months.
I had 7 Nelson hens to start with but I lost one a month or so ago so only 6 now and they are doing really well. They seem to slow down a little on the super hot days. Our summers for the past couple of years are really changing and getting extremely hot here in SW Pa. It's really hard on my birds.
If you need to ask question about any of my birds, feel free to email me. The email etc is on my site.
Just click my user name and you'll see my site address.
Jim

 

[bruceh]

Each line and its owners are different. You may say you have my old Mohawk line but did the owners who got their birds from me push egg production like I did?

If not they will revert back to a normal pattern that I got from Mr. Reese. Is 175 eggs per year average. Did I hit about 200 per year average with the fast feathering and early development push I put on using the Hogan method?
Is that enough eggs for the back yarder production convert to Standard Breed Fowl. If not don't get these birds and stay with your production egg layers.

Getting Standard Breed Rhode Island Reds is just not about egg production its about PRESERVATION of the breed. All the things you know about feed store reds is out the window they are not the same breed of chicken.

They are what is called a Dual Purpose breed. Some eggs, good meat properties and very pretty to look at and if you show them they can win big for you.

Rose Combs have never been breed for egg production. They have never been popular as Single Combs. So its hard to tell how they will lay.compaired to the single comb strains.

The most important thing is to get your birds to start laying around Thanks Giving time turn the lights on them for a total of say 15 hours of light stimulation to their eyes and try to start hatching them in Jan to March. Then in a few years your strain will be doing this and you should be just fine. bob