The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[RedRidge]

Quote: I've toyed with this... no one close here though.
I may have to talk to Gary about it... I'm sure he has thoughts.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

When the time comes to select your keepers, you may consider finding a partner within driving distance of you. Send your two next best cockerels and pullets to them.
You never know when you may need them back.
I lost one of my males this last week to what appeared to be a snake bite. Copperheads have been very active here this spring, both of my dogs have been bitten also. They recovered.
Thankfully I have a very nice male loaned to a trusted friend.
If you only keep the bare minimum something is bound to happen. Try to have a few in reserve.

Ron

One of my big 3 month old LB eat a copperhead the other day. Was about 9" long. So a small one.

 

[cmom]

Opps,

double post

 

[cmom]

Quote: I have my birds set up in an A pen and a B pen. My show birds are in my A pen and the birds I am watching go into my B pen. Not long ago I lost several show birds to some predators out of my A pen and a nice promising young cockerel out of my B pen and some birds out of my general population pen. The problem has since been fixed but I'm glad I had separated the birds and I have some nice potential show birds and breeders.

 

[RedRidge]

I have my birds set up in an A pen and a B pen. My show birds are in my A pen and the birds I am watching go into my B pen. Not long ago I lost several show birds to some predators out of my A pen and a nice promising young cockerel out of my B pen and some birds out of my general population pen.

Out of the 20 chicks I have who are almost two weeks old I think I have a huge learning curve ahead of me...
Am so grateful for technology so you who are experienced can help with those decisions.

I'm still at the..." they are all so cute stage".
Although one or two stand out to me, I haven't put tiny zip ties on them because my confidence isn't there beyond identifying those I think have that "look at me, aren't I cool" look. Which I'm assuming will be an important factor eventually, but type is what I need to learn.

 

[Eggcessive]

They are beautiful! Good pictures. I really like this one.


I hope my bunch keep getting darker like yours. Each week that goes by they get better and better. I also noticed the big chests on these chicks. Your lucky to just get a couple males. I've got a hunch 3/4 of my chicks are male.

My Fogle HRIR chicks are 5 weeks old, and I'm thinking I have 3 cockerels and 5 pullets, but I'm still not sure yet. They are very easily handled, sweet, and calm compared to the German New Hampshire and black copper marans they were brooded with who are a bit lees so. The New Hamps appear to be 7 out of 8 male unfortuanately.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I just hatched a lot of birds out. I will watch them and keep the promising ones and sell the rest. The people that will be buying the chicks aren't looking for show quality. I have one very good looking chick that Robert Blosl named Hollywood. I hope Hollywood, he/she (he I think), lives up to its name.

 

[Mumsy]

When the time comes to select your keepers, you may consider finding a partner within driving distance of you. Send your two next best cockerels and pullets to them.
You never know when you may need them back.
I lost one of my males this last week to what appeared to be a snake bite. Copperheads have been very active here this spring, both of my dogs have been bitten also. They recovered.
Thankfully I have a very nice male loaned to a trusted friend.
If you only keep the bare minimum something is bound to happen. Try to have a few in reserve.

Ron

Living on an island makes travel expensive and difficult. So far, anyone I've talked to locally rambles on about Production Reds when I tell them I am raising Heritage RIR. They are clueless. There is no shortage of people that would be thrilled to take any pullets but finding safe homes for any of my best cockerels will be a huge challenge. Of all the people I know personally raising chickens, my setup is the safest. I may have to keep four best cockerels and set up a bachelor run just for them. It will be two more years before I have pens A, B, and other for breeding.
SNAKES? *gah!* I can't even wrap my head around that! No poisonous snakes on Whidbey Island. Biggest threat for my flock has and always will be big birds of prey. No losses this year. I don't make it easy pickings for them.

This does bring up a question I've been mulling over. I've read some folks raise cockerels and pullets separate. My group is one big happy family at nine weeks old. Is it advisable to separate the sexes soon? And if so, why?...other than the hormone thing that may kick in down the road.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
As an outsider, I raise my pullets and cockerels together, then when I put the cockerels in the bachelor pen, when they get a little older, there is less fighting. If I introduce one new cockerel to the bachelor pen then they are apt to fight more. Usually that is when one will want to display more dominance.

 

[FOGELLY]

Most everything you read will tell you to seperate your males and females as soon as you can tell them apart.
The thought with this is the cockerels will bully the pullets out of food.
This may be true for many breeds and strains, I have not found this true for my RIR.
I leave them all together until the cockerels start trying to crow. They are then seperated. All the cockerels go together, and there are very few real fights when there are more than 2 or 3 in the pen.

Ron