The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[desertmarcy]

Hey everyone....I found out a couple years ago that my great-grandfather bred RIR's in what is now Burien, WA for years. In the 50s, he shot a couple guys who were trying to steal some of his prize hens! LOL I must admit that I was hesitant to get reds because I'd heard the roosters had nasty temperaments.

Yes, they do, and I believe it is because of the hatchery reds. The big hatcheries, as I understand, breed large numbers of birds with goals toward volume and production but no regard for temperament or SOP. I had one of those hatchery RIR roosters a long time ago and he lived up to the reputation. Spurred me right on the ankle bone. It hurt so bad, I had to use a cane to limp along. My heritage RIRs (I have the Reese aka Mohawk line) are not like that at all. They will check me out when I go in the pens with them and their hens, but that is all. I can turn my back on them, no problems.

 

[RedRidge]

Same here. .. I had a bad experience with a hatchery roo years ago. All of my Underwood cocks are exceptionally easy to deal with. I enter their pens daily this time of year and they free range the remainder of the year and I have never had one do anything he shouldn't. I love them as much for their temperament as I do for their true dual purpose usefulness and beauty.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Agreed. Whenever we see posts on BYC of a mean Barred Rock or supposed RIR there is an overwhelming tendency to wince. It is so disappointing. Our Barred Rock cocks are big babies and gentle giants. Our Red cocks are the same way, more like puppies as cockerels.

It is a shame make assumptions in favor of or decide against a certain breed's temperament when really? They've never actually owned the breed. In far too many cases, they own a poser, an impostor sold as that breed and only vaguely similar to it.

 

[732phil]

Same here. .. I had a bad experience with a hatchery roo years ago. All of my Underwood cocks are exceptionally easy to deal with. I enter their pens daily this time of year and they free range the remainder of the year and I have never had one do anything he shouldn't. I love them as much for their temperament as I do for their true dual purpose usefulness and beauty.

The dual purpose thing is what gets me. I keep thinking cross them with a Cornish. What I really want is one breed that does good at both and then if I can't resist I think I'll go to another breed or maybe just another line. I am also trying to keep my cow herd headed in one direction instead of crossing them. I like throwing a white face on my black calves.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Well, I'm not set on keeping either of these roos...I just thought since I already had them and can't seem to have give them away--why bother? LOL I really cannot keep anything with a single comb here (without great time/effort and even then, it gets me in the end)....so let me rephrase that--I'm looking for RC RIR's which are from show-lines. Ideally, just a trio or a quad to begin with.

Thanks!

 

[732phil]

Well, I'm not set on keeping either of these roos...I just thought since I already had them and can't seem to have give them away--why bother? LOL I really cannot keep anything with a single comb here (without great time/effort and even then, it gets me in the end)....so let me rephrase that--I'm looking for RC RIR's which are from show-lines. Ideally, just a trio or a quad to begin with.

Thanks!

My being new and inexperienced is one if my reasonings. I want to let my grandkids show chickens. Some people have lots of breeds and probably can stay closer to SOP than I can.

 

[RedRidge]

Same here. .. I had a bad experience with a hatchery roo years ago. All of my Underwood cocks are exceptionally easy to deal with. I enter their pens daily this time of year and they free range the remainder of the year and I have never had one do anything he shouldn't. I love them as much for their temperament as I do for their true dual purpose usefulness and beauty.

The dual purpose thing is what gets me. I keep thinking cross them with a Cornish. What I really want is one breed that does good at both and then if I can't resist I think I'll go to another breed or maybe just another line. I am also trying to keep my cow herd headed in one direction instead of crossing them. I like throwing a white face on my black calves.

We butcher HRIR cockerels last weekend. .. Great size and flavor. .. very pleased wuth the results andi don't say that lightly since I have raised Cornish crosses each fall in the past four meat birds since we have never found a good dual purpose. We finally found that with these Underwoods. They won't new butcher size in 8-10 weeks but they free range well and the flavor is excellent at 6 and even 10 months.
As far as dual purpose cattle, that's why i raise Dexters. A 62% carcass with less than half the feed of an Angus and I still get an extra 1.5-2 gallons of milk a day above the calf's needs. ;-)

 

[732phil]

I w

We butcher HRIR cockerels last weekend. .. Great size and flavor. .. very pleased wuth the results andi don't say that lightly since I have raised Cornish crosses each fall in the past four meat birds since we have never found a good dual purpose. We finally found that with these Underwoods. They won't new butcher size in 8-10 weeks but they free range well and the flavor is excellent at 6 and even 10 months.
As far as dual purpose cattle, that's why i raise Dexters. A 62% carcass with less than half the feed of an Angus and I still get an extra 1.5-2 gallons of milk a day above the calf's needs. ;-)

I will google Dexters I might want to cross them with mine I'm trying to be funny !

Phil

 

[732phil]

I

We butcher HRIR cockerels last weekend. .. Great size and flavor. .. very pleased wuth the results andi don't say that lightly since I have raised Cornish crosses each fall in the past four meat birds since we have never found a good dual purpose. We finally found that with these Underwoods. They won't new butcher size in 8-10 weeks but they free range well and the flavor is excellent at 6 and even 10 months.
As far as dual purpose cattle, that's why i raise Dexters. A 62% carcass with less than half the feed of an Angus and I still get an extra 1.5-2 gallons of milk a day above the calf's needs. ;-)

I went to your home page I liked the dexter cattle. How much does those cows weigh?
I figure I could make a nurse cow out of them till the domesday dill goes down

 

[Yup44]

Thanks to Mr. McMillan I now have the Heritage Reds I have wanted and if my birds turn out like the adult birds he has I'm sure to be amazed .