The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

Unless you source your hatching eggs/chicks/juveniles/adult stock from a faithful breeder, you cannot really get true bred RI Reds. The hatcheries, feedstores and auctions don't have them.

A breed isn't a breed just because people call them a RI Red or Barred Rock or whatever. No one is going to arrest them for selling false goods. So, 99% of the birds sold, called whatever they're called, are seldom what they're purported to be. A RI Red is a true Red when it is a good example of the breed, according the Standard written for the Red.

To help identify a true bred Red, before his passing, Bob Blosl, the starter of this thread, used to teach folks to look for the true, rectangular body shape. The lateral "brick shape" that a Red must have. Look for dark horn color on the beak and on the front of the legs. Look for deep, dark, rich, shiny mahogany colored feathers. The color should also be even. The tail should have dark, black/green feathers.

Wanna be production reds will not have the right feather, will not have the right body shape, will not usually have adequate tail color, nor adequate horn on the beak or leg fronts. First and foremost? The oblong body shape. That is primary and without which, the bird is not said to have proper "type".

A lot of folks on this thread waited a long time and worked patiently to secure their true RI Reds and are so glad they finally got some.

 

[Fred's Hens]

These are true bred RI Reds.

 

[Rancher3535]

Unless you source your hatching eggs/chicks/juveniles/adult stock from a faithful breeder, you cannot really get true bred RI Reds. The hatcheries, feedstores and auctions don't have them.

A breed isn't a breed just because people call them a RI Red or Barred Rock or whatever. No one is going to arrest them for selling false goods. So, 99% of the birds sold, called whatever they're called, are seldom what they're purported to be. A RI Red is a true Red when it is a good example of the breed, according the Standard written for the Red.

To help identify a true bred Red, before his passing, Bob Blosl, the starter of this thread, used to teach folks to look for the true, rectangular body shape. The lateral "brick shape" that a Red must have. Look for dark horn color on the beak and on the front of the legs. Look for deep, dark, rich, shiny mahogany colored feathers. The color should also be even. The tail should have dark, black/green feathers.

Wanna be production reds will not have the right feather, will not have the right body shape, will not usually have adequate tail color, nor adequate horn on the beak or leg fronts. First and foremost? The oblong body shape. That is primary and without which, the bird is not said to have proper "type".

A lot of folks on this thread waited a long time and worked patiently to secure their true RI Reds and are so glad they finally got some.

Thank You Fred !!!!! I have gone over this and over this with people about the purity of a breed. when teaching my Back Yard Poultry class I bring in both commercial and APA type of birds so the people can see the real difference. They are totally amazed by not only the color but also the confirmation and size of the birds. One of the commercial guys got on me about saying that a SC Rhode Island White is not a true Rhode Island White. His comment is that the only one who does not accept the SC RIW's is the APA. My comment back was that the original breeder made them RC not SC. The SC to me are just a glorified White Rock.

Rob

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, it is a difficult conversation because folks think that if they want to call the bird a XXXXX that they can. They think because a hatchery or feed store calls some birds XXXXX then it must be so.

Fact is, there is no breed police running around handing out fines for "fraud". Shrug. But it is pretty much just chaos in the Wild Wild West of the non-sanctioned poultry world what with backyard hatchers and hatcheries calling birds by "breed" names and making up all kind of "names" for their mixed birds and people, not knowing any better, most anything goes. The good news is they have chickens; Gallus gallus domesticus. All chickens are of one species.

For 90% of the people out there? It doesn't matter. Let chaos reign. Call these various birds whatever you wish. In that world 3 plus 4 can equal most any number imaginable. In the APA/ABA sanctioned world, a world where breeds are clearly and carefully defined and only those breeds that are defined and standard is written is it a breed at all.

In the APA/ABA world 3 plus 4 must equal 7 or it isn't a breed.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Alright, lets get this thread back on track.

How about photos of potential 2015 breeders? (stressing potential here) Wanna say why you chose the bird(s) for the breeding pen?

I'll start. This was the last little K hatched last year. He's got some serious finishing to do, but he very well might make the cut. He won't be ready until March, so he won't be a "Starting Pitcher" but maybe he'll come in from the bullpen for some work in the later innings, perhaps.







That tail is non-existent right now, but in my experience, that tail will bloom and blossom next month.

 

[Feathyr]

I apologize for temporarily de-railing the conversation here... but I've noticed abbreviations such as RC, SC, and LF showing up frequently. What do they mean, and are these from the APA Standard book?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Short hand from the Coop tags and entry forms used at the exhibitions.

LF is Large Fowl
SC is single comb
RC is rose comb

P is pullet
K is cockerel
C is cock
H is hen

RV is reserve variety
BV is best variety
BB is best of breed
RB is reserve of breed

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Alright, lets get this thread back on track.

How about photos of potential 2015 breeders? (stressing potential here) Wanna say why you chose the bird(s) for the breeding pen?

I'll start. This was the last little K hatched last year. He's got some serious finishing to do, but he very well might make the cut. He won't be ready until March, so he won't be a "Starting Pitcher" but maybe he'll come in from the bullpen for some work in the later innings, perhaps.







That tail is non-existent right now, but in my experience, that tail will bloom and blossom next month.

I have 1 rooster about at his stage of development. Fogle line. I was just thinking to myself that in the next week or two I'll walk out and see a majestic tail. I like his comb, no frostbite. I noticed one of my roosters that had made it so far, got a bit of frostbite last night. He was also less active today. He is the only young rooster I ended up keeping. I kept 2 other breeding age roosters and 2 backups. Then I culled (sold) one of the backups as the other backup was so much better in type.

My young guy is mating a few hens so if you wanted to gamble on him being a breeder, I'm sure you could get fertile eggs.

 

[Fred's Hens]

SallyinIndiana, Well, we've still got that better Fogle male (of the two) I got from you a couple years ago for our one line. He's been a good one, and In fact, the boys down in KY have already hatched a batch out of him already this year. (actually New Year's eve).


We've also still got my Nelson male from last year, the Admiral, and the boys have already hatched out a batch from him too.



BlueBirdNanny has the brother to my Nelson who she calls Big Bee. He's an all-business cockbird and Nanny will be using him over some of his daughters, up at her place.

Finally, there is a couple of last year's better K's getting already penned up down in TN. So, there's lots going on, for sure.

The youngster I showed really, really needs more time and growth. He's gonna have to earn his place, I reckon. We'll see.
For certain, 2015 promises to be a very Red year.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I'm getting a few eggs from my hens right now. My biggest issue is the eggs are getting cold and not growing. At first I thought it was a winter fertility issue. So I tested a few eggs in my reds pens. They all looked fertile enough. It is the cold. So instead of every 3 hours, I'm at every 2 hours going out to get the eggs.
I have 2 RIR chicks from new year's eve and new year's day. So far every indication is pointing to them being roosters. They are growing up nicely though. I just got 4 more RIR chicks this morning. It might have been more if I had not tested and eaten those fertile eggs.