The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Angie16hearts]

I am still learning on the true bred, Standard bred Rhode Island Reds.  Kind of you to say good words, but that's honest the truth.
Your question rightly belongs on one of the generic threads on Flock Keeping, but I'll be glad to tell you that there isn't anything you are doing wrong.  

Even with hatchery based stock such as you have and no matter the hatchery label as to what they say they are, some birds, as individuals simply take forever to mature.  They can even take until 36 weeks to begin laying.

As a flock keeper who just wants backyard eggs, this is frustrating, but once such a bird begins to lay, you're happy.

As a breeder, any female who doesn't begin to lay until much, much later than her hatchmates?  That's a cull for breeding purposes, at least here on my farm.  I wouldn't want to pass on slower and slower and slower development.  That's not a positive trait here. 

Hope that helps.

Yes, makes sense to want to pass on good genetics and your birds are beautiful! I like her all three of them are loud a noisy. The strange thing is. The 3 rd hen who is not laying is a tad bit prettier then the other two. I for sure thought she would be my first. Haha, I'll keep her though. Thank you for your help. I'll just wait... I have enough producing right now. Thanks again Fred !

 

[RedRidge]

Also keep in mind... If what you want is eggs and you aren't breeding then pretty doesn't count. Correctness... Yes. But pretty? No.
Why? Because pullets tend to look their best right before they begin to lay - Then once they start laying they loose that luster. My best layers are usually my roughest looking hens. If I get one that looks like she curled her hair and put on makeup each morning you can bet she is not laying. ;-)

Same is true for most livestock. I can't tell you how many times I've had people come to pick up ewes at the end of lambing season and they always want the fat nice looking ewes. When they pick the rough looking thinner ones then I know they know what they're doing. Those ewes gave everything they've got to their lambs. The day ewes kept it all to themselves. ;-)

 

[Fred's Hens]

My best layers are usually my roughest looking hens. If I get one that looks like she curled her hair and put on makeup each morning you can bet she is not laying. ;-)

Yeeeup.

Folks often ask, "How is it that so-called exhibition lines, of whatever breed, often have far less laying than scraggly ol' backyard stock?"

Here's part of the answer. It's all what you breed toward and push for. After 10 generations of mostly ignoring laying and pushing for those girls that "look like she just curled her hair and put on makeup each morning" (to quote RedRidge) you get what you've selected for.

Had some folks stop by for some young K's the other day. As I loosed a couple of big ol' Red cockerels from their pen, these folks stood with jaws dropped as I fed them sweet corn off the cob. I could stroke them, handle them, and show them off to the visitors. They'd never seen anything like it. All they'd ever seen was flighty and nasty hatchery stock young males.

It's all what you breed for. The hatcheries tend to reward the aggressive males with more females in the flock breeding pen, whereas here? These males were selected by Don Nelson, Bill Post, Wilford Kittle, Rickey Bates, etc, etc for handling and temperament. They're more like puppies than anything else, really.

True bred, Standard bred Reds are joy and a half to own and work with. I am really enjoying them.

 

[RedRidge]

Which is frequently why the best all around birds never get shown. Most breeders who are really breeding toward that perfect standard bred bird keep their best at home and show their second string.
My Underwoods are pretty consistent relatively speaking but still I have some awesome layers who lay early and often. I also have a couple who are gorgeous but don't lay as well. It's all in the evaluation and what "you" want when it comes to breeding that next generation. I've got one that layed at 24 weeks (pretty unusual as most of mine are 26 weeks), but golly, if they only lay well for 60 days then fall off with no reasonable explanation, then that's not good either.
Document and cull... Then document and cull again.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Yeeeup.

Folks often ask, "How is it that so-called exhibition lines, of whatever breed, often have far less laying than scraggly ol' backyard stock?"

Here's part of the answer. It's all what you breed toward and push for. After 10 generations of mostly ignoring laying and pushing for those girls that "look like she just curled her hair and put on makeup each morning" (to quote RedRidge) you get what you've selected for.

Had some folks stop by for some young K's the other day. As I loosed a couple of big ol' Red cockerels from their pen, these folks stood with jaws dropped as I fed them sweet corn off the cob. I could stroke them, handle them, and show them off to the visitors. They'd never seen anything like it. All they'd ever seen was flighty and nasty hatchery stock young males.

It's all what you breed for. The hatcheries tend to reward the aggressive males with more females in the flock breeding pen, whereas here? These males were selected by Don Nelson, Bill Post, Wilford Kittle, Rickey Bates, etc, etc for handling and temperament. They're more like puppies than anything else, really.

True bred, Standard bred Reds are joy and a half to own and work with. I am really enjoying them.

Mine I had from Ron were the friendliest birds I had. They do go through that stage were if you pick them up they scream like your killing them. But once they are older laying and breeding age they mellow back out. If you have another aggressive rooster with them they can tend to be a bit wimpy. Just shows you how mellow they are.

When I fence my new area in still going to have the community rooster and hen sections for all breeds. But going to have 8x8 breeding areas where I'm thinking this time will keep my breeding roosters in those all the time. To keep them separate from the extras. Then I just have to add hens when it's time.

 

[Rancher3535]

Several of you have been asking me in PVT's about my new RC Reds. I have two lines at the moment of RC Reds...Underwood and Carlow. Don Nelson told me a few years back when I asked him at the APA National Show in CA, who had the best LF RC Reds? At that he thought Warren had some of the best RC Reds around. So far I am really impressed and happy with them. I am hoping to get some better pictures real soon of my Warren Carlow birds for everyone to see and look at. I just need to find the time to start culling and move them to a new pen. (I did snap a real quick pic a few minutes ago but not a good one)

My observations so far of the two lines and the only ones I have handled much are the Underwood so everything is by visual observations:

I have to keep reminding myself that Underwood birds in average are a month or more older than the Carlow line.

WC have feathered out by far faster than my Underwood. Not real sure what that means or if that is a good trait or not.

The Underwood males are a little wider, not as long or big as the WC line.

The WC females size wise in comparison are about the same maybe a little larger.

Color the WC's seem to be darker mahogany than the U line but that could be that the WC's have not been out in the sun as much. They are physically larger than my Underwood considering that they are at least a month behind my Underwood birds.

Thanks for letting me chat about them. Like I said i will get some better pictures soon so you can really see them or I will put a video clip on my face-book page which will let you see them better than in a still shot.

Rob

 

[Angie16hearts]

Also keep in mind... If what you want is eggs and you aren't breeding then pretty doesn't count. Correctness... Yes. But pretty? No.
Why? Because pullets tend to look their best right before they begin to lay - Then once they start laying they loose that luster. My best layers are usually my roughest looking hens. If I get one that looks like she curled her hair and put on makeup each morning you can bet she is not laying. ;-)

Same is true for most livestock. I can't tell you how many times I've had people come to pick up ewes at the end of lambing season and they always want the fat nice looking ewes. When they pick the rough looking thinner ones then I know they know what they're doing. Those ewes gave everything they've got to their lambs. The day ewes kept it all to themselves. ;-)

Which is frequently why the best all around birds never get shown. Most breeders who are really breeding toward that perfect standard bred bird keep their best at home and show their second string.
My Underwoods are pretty consistent relatively speaking but still I have some awesome layers who lay early and often. I also have a couple who are gorgeous but don't lay as well. It's all in the evaluation and what "you" want when it comes to breeding that next generation. I've got one that layed at 24 weeks (pretty unusual as most of mine are 26 weeks), but golly, if they only lay well for 60 days then fall off with no reasonable explanation, then that's not good either.
Document and cull... Then document and cull again.

Mine I had from Ron were the friendliest birds I had. They do go through that stage were if you pick them up they scream like your killing them. But once they are older laying and breeding age they mellow back out. If you have another aggressive rooster with them they can tend to be a bit wimpy. Just shows you how mellow they are. 

When I fence my new area in still going to have the community rooster and hen sections for all breeds. But going to have 8x8 breeding areas where I'm thinking this time will keep my breeding roosters in those all the time. To keep them separate from the extras. Then I just have to add hens when it's time.

I love reading everyone's info! As I read I think of my mixed flock and how my two dirty looking birds are my best layers. Plus a few others. I can relate to the roosters. I have purchased most of my flock, not all from feed stores. Exception being my two roosters. I did buy them both from a breeder. One passed , however both are GREAT gentle birds!!! I have one female mutt who started laying everyday and was trying to go broody. I let her try and make her mind up. Or get those hormones going... She had a couple good days. Then abandoned the clutch . I pulled 8 eggs and 2 golf balls and she has not laid since. Did I make a mistake ? Should I have left her clutch ? It's been 6-7 weeks now and nothing... Thanks for all the great info ! I really love this thread , you guys are have so much wonderful information and are so kind!

 

[cmom]

My SC Reese/Mohawk birds are very friendly birds and are very good layers. They don't start laying as soon as the other breeds do but are very good layers otherwise.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I love reading everyone's info! As I read I think of my mixed flock and how my two dirty looking birds are my best layers. Plus a few others. I can relate to the roosters. I have purchased most of my flock, not all from feed stores. Exception being my two roosters. I did buy them both from a breeder. One passed , however both are GREAT gentle birds!!! I have one female mutt who started laying everyday and was trying to go broody. I let her try and make her mind up. Or get those hormones going... She had a couple good days. Then abandoned the clutch . I pulled 8 eggs and 2 golf balls and she has not laid since. Did I make a mistake ? Should I have left her clutch ? It's been 6-7 weeks now and nothing... Thanks for all the great info ! I really love this thread , you guys are have so much wonderful information and are so kind!

6-7 weeks seems like a long time if she is not broody. Was she laying before? Could she be laying elsewhere besides the nesting box??

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. Maybe she has found another spot to lay eggs. Is She molting? Birds will sometimes stop laying when going through their molt and some molt longer than others. I have quite a few going through their molt right now so their egg production has gone down quite a bit.