The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

There was a lot of barn yard scrubs used in the making of this breed in the later 1800s. They would cross the red mayla looking males that survived the trips on the Whaling ships onto these old hens. They thoght the red was some type of magic bird of vigor or something. Lester Tompkins, father John Tompkins had a idea. Why not get some of the females that these fighting red rooster they bought and bring them back to America. He had a Cousin I think John Tompkins who was a Capt on a ship who did this. Then John stared line breeding these females to the males and started their strain of Rhode Island Reds. Lester came along born in about 1860 and started pushing them and was the leading breeder in the 1920s with his line of Reds. They where lighter in color or more of a bay horse color. Then one day one of the greatest stories ever told to me from a old judge from New York. It goes like this:

Harold Tompkins Lester's son asked his dad for some R I Reds. He wanted to start his own line in Concord Mass. Harold was told no but H...l no.

Why father Harold asked. Because you want to ruin the Rhode Island Red and make them darker. Father its because when your females become hens they are five shades of color the standard calls for a even color of Red.

Nope you not getting any.

One day Mrs. Tom kins Harold's mother said. Harold go down by the road next to the old gate and their is a basket for you. Yes Mother Harold said.

He took his buggy down there and Lord and Behold there was a basket with about six dozen eggs in it. Harold put these eggs under his sitting hens and he was in the R I Red business.

This was about 1912. By 1917 Harold was offered $1,000 at a Madison Sq Garden show for a male that was best R I Red. The judge said Boys this is the color you want on your R I Reds. IF you have this color your hens will not be faded after they molt.

Harold turned down the $1,000 offer. However, after they left the site of the judge people pulled out $100. bills and said Harold I want one of his sons. Then another and after a hour Harold had $1,700. in his coat pocket. Thats a lot of money for a 1917 Rhode Island framer. He then became the greatest R I Red Breeder in history and his R I Reds where dark and lay ed lots of eggs. He put all his kids through college from farming in Mass with his Rhode Island Reds. I told the old judge on the phone 30 years ago I thought Harold Got his start from his dad as he said he started out with two trios. Harold said he bought two trios in 1912 from some of Lesters customers but he kept this a secret after Lester died in 1924. That how I know as I was present as a young man whe he told the story to a few of the Old Timers at a Madisos Square Garden Show in the 1940s.

I think the judg was a John Rinner Jr. he had
Rose Comb Reds and I contacted him if he had any old Red Journals. He sent me a few things and then I called him up on the phone and thats when he told me this fantstic story. Also, another neat thing Lester died in his sleep in 1924 and Harold died in his sleep I think in 1954.

Now the story about the leghorn blood. If it is true a fellow by the name of Perrimiter or some ting like this was en trying his reds in ROP egg laying contest and winning big with his birds. The ROP contests where about to the end of the road and his birds where allowed in. He was getting 220 to 240 eggs per pullet out of ten pullets in a building in the contest. Harold was getting about 195 eggs out of ten pullets. Perimeter birds was told had leghorn blood in them brown leghorn blood. Who knows or who cares.

This was the beginning of the product on egg laying house chicken. Then came Ken Bowles with his New Hampshire Reds. They took over and the Original Rhode Island Red and the club went down in popularity and the toilet..

So thats all I know. I dont want any Leghorn blood in my Reds. I try to do what Harold did. He breed form hens and cock birds. They where dual purpose bird and the females would lay about 190 eggs per year and would live to be five years old or more. The Peri miter Reds like we have today in the feed stores would have ova duct blow outs and be dead at three years of age. Many found in the long run they would make more profit with Harold Tompkins Reds than the commerical kind.

There you have it. The Greates stry Ever Told about Harold Tompkins and his father and mother. Never told or printed by me be for.

How do you like that??????????????
 
Last edited:
Chris09, I wasn't questioning anything you said. I just thought it was funny and ironic that this person was asking for a RIR historian to justify Bob's post when Bob is probably the biggest RIR historian on this website. Surely they didn't realize that so I was just clarifying.

Little defensive aren't you....
 
Chris09, I wasn't questioning anything you said. I just thought it was funny and ironic that this person was asking for a RIR historian to justify Bob's post when Bob is probably the biggest RIR historian on this website. Surely they didn't realize that so I was just clarifying.

Little defensive aren't you....


Quote: Not defensive, No
wink.png


Chris
 
At one time Malay was commonly used as a generic name for a variety of Orientals. I had read somewhere that the Malays used to make the RIRs were single combed hens descended from the cross-bred Oriental stock used for eggs and meat aboard ship.
John Kriner Jr. from PA ? Tom
 
Can you put up a couple pictures of your rosecomb cockerels.
Charlie
Click on picture and it will open in new window and will be larger size.

Two RC Cockerels and two RC Pullets from Horstman line. These are about 6 1/2 months. Pic's taken today. Not my best pictures
but you can at least see color etc. Some shots were in shade and some in full sun.










Next two pullets from NYREDS 5 1/2 months




Next is 2 different Cockerels and 1 Pullet (Mohawk) from Paul Gingerich 6 months tomorrow.





 
Last edited:
At one time Malay was commonly used as a generic name for a variety of Orientals. I had read somewhere that the Malays used to make the RIRs were single combed hens descended from the cross-bred Oriental stock used for eggs and meat aboard ship.
John Kriner Jr. from PA ? Tom
Tom I am going from memory and I thought John Kriner was from New York but it might have been some other guy. I would have to get out some of my 40 year old poultry presses and look at the judges section and I may be wrong. All I remember is I sent out about 20 letters 30 years ago and asked these old timers if they had any old Rhode Island Red Journals or Chronicles they would give me for the Red Club. I got four who gave me there stuff and I bought Jerry Keefers collection of books that he had when he got them from Billobern Farms.

No big deal on the leghorn blood. I will send you a picture of the Red Maylays that where used in the old days. Dr. Prince Woods took pictures of the stuff birds at the Peabody Institute Museum.

Who knows those chickens back then where scrubs on the most part. In fact the Red Journals I got or saw from 1912 to 1917 where not much to read or look at.

The big progress came in the 1920s and 30s.

I tell you Tom would you like to ask Alex Duffy about these old days. He was there and knew all of these old time breeders we are talking about.

Hope you all have a great week. Also I am working on a project with a friend about R I Reds and will let you know about it soon. Its all educational. bob
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom