The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[speckledhen]

Here are some I used to have. The hens were Amazon-hens! Such huge ladies, very quiet, minded their own business, non-aggressive, just fabulous ladies. Sold them to a friend for a project she was doing.

 

[Chris09]

Here is a old picture of a Rose Comb Red. For you that know your lines of Reds note the "Strain Name" at the bottom of the picture...

Chris

 

[lotzahenz]

Quote:
I have found that the color of eggs are going to vary from breeder to breeder as well as from hen to hen.
Here is a picture of some of my R.I. Red eggs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/33115_dsc_0025.jpg

Chris

Thanks Chris, they are darker than mine, as I thought they would be. The RIR does make an nice huge egg.

 

[stevin]

hey robert,
been a couple of days since bein online....
thanks!!! i truely love the heritage reds. i got mine from William Bennent aka;Pine Grove.
i cant wait to see how he turns out. again those pics were taken several weeks ago and there has been some good feather development since. thanks again....

 

[Robert Blosl]

Bennent

If you want to get a start of Rhode Island Reds and you live in Georgia I would go with Mr. Bill Bennent . Can someone help her loctate him or give out his email address on a private message. Looing at his pictures of his birds from others I think you will be happy with them and maybe you live close enough to go to his home and get some birds , or eggs when they are available. He would also be a great mentor for you as that is important when you get started. bob

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Hey Bob,

I found these pictures here on BYC.

Chris

 

[punky rooster]

are heritage RIR rare?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Here is a quote from Bob (Fist page first post)

Quote:
I find this very true because it is very hard to find anyone with good Heritage Red in the spring and summer and next to imposable in the winter. Now don't get me wrong the good breeders are out there it is just a bit hard to find them.. But I guess that is half the fun of having this great breed...

I am not a big breeder of Red but I try to breed more for quality and I will have only about 3 Rose Comb Roosters 2 Rose Comb Cockerels 5 Rose Comb Hens and 2 Rose Comb Pullets that I will winter over.

Chris

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

I can't get enough of these Heritage RIR threads. Thanks everyone for your input. I got mine as chicks from Pine Grove(William Bennett) exactly 6mos. ago. You will not be disappointed with his line. I have thoroughly enjoyed raising these. It's quite amazing how friendly and calm these birds are. Here are a few pics I took today of them. The cockerels didn't mind but the pullets thought the camera was a hand grenade or something, so excuse the not so good pics of them.

Chris09, thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge for this breed. It is always appreciated.

If anyone may be interested in getting eggs/chicks from Pine Grove you might better call and get on the list for next spring. I had to wait about a month as the list of buyers fill up quickly. I have his number if you need to contact him. Just PM me for it. I would rather not post it here. I made sure it was OK a while back to give it to anyone interested in his birds.

 

[Chris09]

ORIGIN OF THE RHODE ISLAND REDS
THE RESULT OF CAREFUL RESEARCH GIVEN—AUTHORITIES SEEM TO AGREE THAT
IT IS AN OUTCROSS BREED, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE VIGOR OF THE BIRDS
DR. N. B. ALDRICH

1911
( Editor's Note:—After exhaustive research and study for authentic information regarding the history of the origin of R.
I. Beds, we have decided the following article written in 1903 for the club book, "Red Hen Tales" by the late Dr. N. B. Aldrich,
Fall River, Mass., one of the most prominent Rhode Island Red breeders in America, is the most interesting and authentic ac account of the early history of the breed.—Ed. )
I am not one of those who is willing to say, "Never mind the origin of the 'Reds' or any other worthy variety of fowls." I have been breeding poultry for twenty odd years, and I am always interested in the origin of every breed. Go back in history with me fifty years, and we find that, at that time, 1846-1850, different Asiatic breeds were introduced into this country, especially in the neighborhoods
that were near the coast. One variety, the Shanghai fowl (yellow and white) was introduced, just after the Cochin China, and the two breeds for a time became confused, and "many farmers and poulterers declare, spite of feathers or no feathers (on their legs) that their fowls are Cochin Chinas or Shanghais, just as they please." At this time, Bennett, in his poultry book, says: "There are but few, if any, bona fide Shanghai fowls now for sale." These Shanghai fowls (Simon pure) were heavily feathered on the legs. Not so with the Cochin China. At this time the Cochin Chinas were bred extensively in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Dr. Alfred Baylies, of Taunton, Mass., imported in July, 1846, specimens of the yellow Cochin Chinas. "The cockerels were generally red."
These were not specimens of what were called the Royal Cochin Chinas, as bred by the Queen of England, but direct importations. "The Royal Cochin Chinas were one-third larger." The Shanghais were heavily feathered in the legs; these imported Cochin Chinas lightly feathered, if at all. The ship Huntress, in May 1847, direct from Cochin China brought a pair of this variety of fowl, and Mr. Taylor, in speaking of them, says: The imported cock was a peculiar red and yellowish Dominique, and the hen a bay or reddish brown;" that the young stock varied "only in shade of color."
Bennett says, "The|*,legs of both sexes are of reddish yellow, sometimes, especially in the cocks, decidedly red more so than in any other variety."
How many times I have called attention to the red pigment in a R. I. Red cock's legs. So much, then, for the Red Cochin China cock of fifty years ago. The sea captains brought home just such specimens
to Little Compton, R. I., but a little later came the great Malay fowl, with its knotty knob of a comb a comb that even today occasionally is to be seen on the R. I. Reds.
The Jersey Blues Bucks County and Boodies—were inferior varieties of Malays. These Malays were spoken of as "serpent headed." Their color was dark brown or reddish, streaked with
yellow; some varieties of Ma'ays'ran more red than others. In Little Compton was introduced what was spoken of as the Red Malay. The Red Cochin China cocks and the Red Malay cocks
were selected, and crossed with the flocks"of fowls in Little Compton, forty and fifty years ago, the same as today. Later, before the Wyandotte fever, the R. C. Brown Leghorn was introduced into many flocks in this neighborhood. Even at the time of the introduction of the Leghorn blood, the Red fowls were spoken of as R. I. Reds. In a certain section where the Leghorn blood was not used, today
old settlers speak of their fowls as Red Malays; in this section ten years ago, the Reds were all single combs, where as, ten or twelve miles further south were to be found rose combs in abundance.

The Red Malay Fowl
WILLIAM C. DENNY

1911
The Red Malay as it was called by many was also known as the Malay or Wild Indian fowl. It could not be said that this was a variety of, or that it was in any way related to, the breed now recognized as Black Breasted Red Malay Games. Recently Dr. P. T. Woods saw and photographed a specimen of this variety (the Red Malay) in the museum of the Peabody Academy of Science, East India Marine Hall, Salem, Mass. This specimen was brought alive to this country from Malay about the year 1846 by Captain Richard Wheatland. The illustration made from photos of this specimen proves that the Red Malay, or Wild Indian fowl, did exist and also that it was a distinct breed which could not possibly be confused with any other. This specimen had a short strong neck, a rather long slender body with a round full breast, a medium sized, well furnished tail, rather long thighs and shanks, a short round head with a cruel expression and a small pea comb. In color it was a rich red including solid red tail and wings, excepting the first two primary feathers on one wing which were part white. Under-color was slate and in some sections almost black. This Red Malay, in all probability, was also known as
the Buff Malay and was the breed that was largely responsible for fixing the color in Rhode Island Reds. It is generally conceded, however, that each one of the above five named breeds was a factor in mating the Reds. Evidence of this is found in many instances and includes the fact that time after time the three styles of combs have been found in flocks that have been kept for egg production or as
market fowl, the single comb showing its ancestry principally in the Cochin China, the rose comb in the Black Breasted Red Malay and the pea comb in the Chittagong and Wild Indian. Strong evidence of the use of Malay blood is also indicated in the wheaten color found in many Rhode Island Red females, even down to the present time. For a long time, evidence of the Cochin China was found in Rhode
Island Red females having pronounced cushions and loose Cochin feathering.