The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[immyjay54]

Is it normal for the Mohawk strain to be so skiddish or stand offish?

I think it would depend on how long you personally have had them, how old they are and if they had been messed with a lot or not. Many variables can cause this. Mine are as good as gold with me but if a stranger comes around they get a little skittish. I'm the only one around them most of the time.
Jim

 

[Yup44]

I've had them around a week and they vary in age by a week or so. For the most part the majority are 3 weeks give or take a day and I try to hold them daily

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hey Jim, so good to hear from you.

We ended up with the two males, as you may remember. One matured so very much faster than his brother. I know these birds from Don Nelson have been through NYREDS, and Dinah Moe and you and everyone did a super great job with them. They're more like big red puppies than cockerels. Friendly and smart as can be. They are a treasure. Their feathering is beyond compare.

Stay well, old buddy.

 

[immyjay54]

I've had them around a week and they vary in age by a week or so. For the most part the majority are 3 weeks give or take a day and I try to hold them daily

Oh my yes, I think with you just getting them and at that age they can be a little skittish. If you work with them a little they should calm down. Patience, patience, patience. ha, ha, ha. and of course TLC
Jim

 

[immyjay54]

Hey Jim, so good to hear from you.

We ended up with the two males, as you may remember. One matured so very much faster than his brother. I know these birds from Don Nelson have been through NYREDS, and Dinah Moe and you and everyone did a super great job with them. They're more like big red puppies than cockerels. Friendly and smart as can be. They are a treasure. Their feathering is beyond compare.

Stay well, old buddy.

Hey Fred,
You don't have to tell me about the temperament of the Nelsons. I don't know if they are all like that or if it was the cross that I made with the two families. I was just telling someone else about these the other day. I have lots of reds but none are quite as tame as the Nelson birds. I've only hatched out a few of them this year. Haven't done much of anything with the birds. The fall I took past November really is catching up with me I really hit my back on the cement steps. Taking a long time to get over. lol The old bones don't heal as good as they did when I was younger.
Will try to keep up with things a little better.
Jim

 

[NYREDS]

Hey Fred,
You don't have to tell me about the temperament of the Nelsons. I don't know if they are all like that or if it was the cross that I made with the two families. I was just telling someone else about these the other day. I have lots of reds but none are quite as tame as the Nelson birds. I've only hatched out a few of them this year. Haven't done much of anything with the birds. The fall I took past November really is catching up with me I really hit my back on the cement steps. Taking a long time to get over. lol The old bones don't heal as good as they did when I was younger.
Will try to keep up with things a little better.
Jim

Sometimes they could be annoying. I remember trying to get through grow out pens of 50 or 60 of them trying to feed & water. They wouldn't even move out of the way-I had to push them to the side with my foot to get through.

 

[immyjay54]

Sometimes they could be annoying. I remember trying to get through grow out pens of 50 or 60 of them trying to feed & water. They wouldn't even move out of the way-I had to push them to the side with my foot to get through.

Hi Bill,
You sure aren't kidding. I can remember last year when I would go down and try to get a picture of a couple of these girls to post on my site and they would not get far enough away for me to get a decent shot. I have said many times on here and different places how I can go down and open the door to the coop which is about a foot off the ground and sit down in the doorway and the girls would come over and walk right up on my lap and just talk away to me. lol If anyone is wanting a beautiful good laying pet chicken then the Nelson is the way to go. Each of the different lines that I have have particular things that I always tell folks about that line and the biggest thing that I tell folks about the Nelson is the temperament just can't be beat. Others come close but none are exact.
I'm hoping to get to feeling a little better this summer and raise a few more. I just haven't felt good enough this year to do much of anything with my birds yet this year.
Jim

 

[Fred's Hens]

Sometimes they could be annoying. I remember trying to get through grow out pens of 50 or 60 of them trying to feed & water. They wouldn't even move out of the way-I had to push them to the side with my foot to get through.

Bill I know you worked hard on putting tails on them and just so you know, they're spectacular.

I've got a couple other strains, but these are my drop dead favorite Reds ever.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Mine too!

 

[ronott1]

I realize it may be considered BYC blasphemy, but I wash every egg I set. Hatched 13 of 14 last Sunday. The 14th was infertile, so I'm counting that a 100%. You might be surprised how many breeders sanitize their setting eggs.

Sally, these are Fogles. You remember the sire(s) I used.

I have been washing them with mana pro egg wash. It has instructions for cleaning hatching eggs on the bottle. I have had no issues with it and the eggs hatch fine. It is better than using muddy poopy eggs to hatch.

If they are clean I would not wash them. Lots of literature on hatching eggs says to fumigate them.