The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[RedRidge]

For you beginners can you see the oblong brick shape on this young female. This is what you are looking for in a young red. Don't worry about color she will molt these out when she gets her final crop of adult feathers. Look at her beak color see the nice horn color? She should be nice and even in color. So nice to see such nice looking Rose Comb Red large fowl on this thread. One thing is for sure our friends who have hundreds of the so called R I Reds they get from the feed store cant buy this kind of fowl with a rose comb from the feed store. Congratulation's to you. What strain of Rose Combs do you own.?

For you who are thinking of getting Rose Comb Reds for your back yard project these are very nice true to breed birds. bob

Thanks Bob. These are Underwood line.
I am really anxious to see what they look like this fall.
The pullet above has had my eye from the beginning... which is why she is double banded.
Several weeks ago I wasn't even certain she was a pullet... she matured a little sooner and larger than the others.
She is actually much darker than she appears, it was storming yesterday so I was using a flash.

It's funny, I thought they all looked pretty identical until just the last week or so.
The cream is starting to rise to the top, and there obvious non-breeders at the bottom.
So fascinating and educational to watch them grow and change.
I have banded about half of them in different ways simply to learn if my eye is correct as they continue to develop and to confirm what I may or may not have thought about them at a young age.
There are a couple of SC in the mix... a runt... and possibly a no comb?
Everyone has excellent color in both feathering, legs and beak.
Some are more brick shape than others, have straighter backs, and are more rectangular than triangular from tip to tail. I am getting more confident in my evaluation of them, but am anxious to have my thoughts confirmed and further evaluated. Steven Gribble is going to attempt to get this way this fall and help me with that.


I am so enjoying them and learning so much.

 

[Jake Levi]

That is a beautiful pullet Sheri, I have seen a few of the Underwoods on here, and want to see what other good lines that there are of the RCs. You sure have some nice ones.

I will be looking for hatching eggs or chicks come March 2014. Seeing all of this eye candy here really makes me wish the chicken houses were both built now.

Thanks Bob for starting this thread and all of your guidance you have posted. If any of us have poor stock its sure they'er not paying attention or just not knowing the information is right here.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I can tell you the Underwood line is I think the top line right now. So if you get your Rose Comb chicks next year from Gary or his customers who have shown their birds on this tread you cant go wrong. Contact him and get on his list or some of the good folks who will share their birds with you.

In regards to length of body this is Paramount in Rose Comb Reds. I want to paint you a picture of ten Rose Comb Rhode Island Red pullets all have top lines flat as can be with a lift we hope. We put these pullets in a big house and let them go through a molt and then a year from now we look at them and pick the three best ones who maintained that oblong brick shape length.

We breed to them a cock bird who he and his brothers went through the same test. They all have maybe a inch longer body length than the others. We keep putting breeding pressure on length of body and then in three years we have a Rose Comb flock of large fowl that are at least 27 maybe 28 inches in length of body in the males from beak to end of tail. Their backs are even with width no tapers to the oil gland area. Then all we have to do is work hard on the Rose Combs and try to get them real true Rose Combs on their heads. The single Comb Cross has hurt this variety over the years but that has been the history of this Varity for over 75 years. Keep up the good work how many of you on this tread have Rose Comb Large Fowl four or five? Thanks again for educating all of us with your fine birds.

Don't you agree lurkers? Now lurkers you need to get you some next year.

 

[muffi]

Greetings all. I am in Ayer, Massachusetts, looking for a nice dark Rhode Island Red cockerel/rooster. I would also buy one or two females to go with him, if available, but mostly I need the male. If anyone nearby can help me out, please message me! Thanks.

 

[Fentress]

Some pics of the kids... just shy of 15 weeks old...










YOurs are only about 2 weeks ahead of mine. They look very similar; however I can tell that yours have a better brick shape, more consistent throughout the flock. Mine is more hit and miss. Mine are also SC.I never did hear back from Sand Hill Preservation Center. They told me that there might have been some "bad genes" in this years batch of RIR, I sent pictures and they never would respond. At this age I can see better type in the pullets than the cockerels. Is that normal? I got some dark ones, that's for sure. I hope they turn out OK.
Congratulations.

Mark

 

[ronott1]

Greetings all. I am in Ayer, Massachusetts, looking for a nice dark Rhode Island Red cockerel/rooster. I would also buy one or two females to go with him, if available, but mostly I need the male. If anyone nearby can help me out, please message me! Thanks.

Check to see if anyone is going to a Poultry show close to you and make arrangements to get some HRIRs from them.

If not, then get on a list for next Spring for either hatching eggs or chicks.

 

[cmom]

Here is my chick pen, some of my HRIR. Some are chicks from birds I got from Matt1616.









Here are some of the older juveniles. They are now in a grow out pen.

 

[immyjay54]

Greetings all. I am in Ayer, Massachusetts, looking for a nice dark Rhode Island Red cockerel/rooster. I would also buy one or two females to go with him, if available, but mostly I need the male. If anyone nearby can help me out, please message me! Thank

There is a fella that lives in Mass. ( Dave Bosworth ) that sold eggs on a couple of the sites, I don't know if he still sell them or if you could contact him maybe you aren't to far apart. He has the Nelson line of RIR's. This may help you. I'll see if I can find his email He went by chickenman but there were some numbers after that and I just don't remember it off the top of my head. lol I try and find something and either put it here or PM you.
Jim
If you PM dinahmoe on here, she would possibly help you out or tell you how to get in touch with David. She is who I got my first Nelson birds from and her's came from David who got his directly from Don Nelson. Hope this helps.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hey Jimmy. Our little Nelson line boy you bred is doing great!! He's really a sharp young cockerel. Love him to death. The other is a dog, bow wow!!! LOL Just the way it is. Anyhow, I'll get a glamour shot of him one of these days.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

On the leg color, about what age does the dark red line really just pop out at you? I have noticed that the line is getting darker on my birds that are about 20 weeks old but I'm thinking it will keep getting darker as they mature. I have some birds that are only 16 weeks old and the line while somewhat there is not nearly as striking.