The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[RedRidge]

Quote: curious what do we need to feed them and what kind of soil is best. I'm thinking I won't be changing the soil but the feed maybe.

This is one of several reasons why alfalfa meal is part of my ration.
I don't believe dirt is an issue if your ration is balanced properly.

That said... many production reds have white legs.... think about it... with leghorn bred in. I have some production reds crossed with buff orpingtons... heavy layers, pure white legs. And they are being fed the same ration as the HRIR. So, genetics first, but yet if the genetics is there, a balanced ration will bring out the qualities you want.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Do you think the surface color of the Heritage Rhode Island Red and its quill color has a factor to the leg color of some strains of Rhode Island Reds? That is prettier the yellow in the legs the lighter the color of the females when they are hens and more yellow in the pigment of the legs. Also, does the neck color of the female have a factor of the yellow in the leg color.


What is more important yellow in the legs or ticking in the female neck section.

Which is the bug a boo in breeding color 104.? That is why so many people who breed Rhode Island Reds to the five year level get messed up is color. That's why I don't tell people to worry about color the first three years and focus on type only . However, people will do what they want to do and not follow the history of the breed and the owners who try to breed them I have watched people come and go for over 25 years. They got caught in the faddism of color and don't understand the make up of the color pattern. That is why we only have maybe four or five breeders to supply good stock to beginners over a ten year period. Just want you to know the history of the breed and the breeders who have carried this old breed along over the last 100 years. However, if you just have a back yard flock and don't keep pushing them upward do not worry about these issues. Preservationist of this breed the few of them understand the laws of color of Rhode Island Reds if they don't learn they will become the members of the club I talk about. KISS

 

[immyjay54]

Do you think the surface color of the Heritage Rhode Island Red and its quill color has a factor to the leg color of some strains of Rhode Island Reds? That is prettier the yellow in the legs the lighter the color of the females when they are hens and more yellow in the pigment of the legs. Also, does the neck color of the female have a factor of the yellow in the leg color.


What is more important yellow in the legs or ticking in the female neck section.

Which is the bug a boo in breeding color 104.? That is why so many people who breed Rhode Island Reds to the five year level get messed up is color. That's why I don't tell people to worry about color the first three years and focus on type only . However, people will do what they want to do and not follow the history of the breed and the owners who try to breed them I have watched people come and go for over 25 years. They got caught in the faddism of color and don't understand the make up of the color pattern. That is why we only have maybe four or five breeders to supply good stock to beginners over a ten year period. Just want you to know the history of the breed and the breeders who have carried this old breed along over the last 100 years. However, if you just have a back yard flock and don't keep pushing them upward do not worry about these issues. Preservationist of this breed the few of them understand the laws of color of Rhode Island Reds if they don't learn they will become the members of the club I talk about. KISS

I'm only going to say this on the leg color. I bred, raised and sold American Singer Canaries for quite a few years. There is one variety of the Canary they call the Red Factor. In order to get the red in them they fed them a certain product in their feed and it caused their feathers after a molt to come in red. This product worked fine on the feather color but it worked on their liver.
With this said, if the RIR is to have yellow legs, don't you think they will have them. I think that feed has a lot to do with the outcome of anything. If carrots work then I think that would be fine. Different grasses, I also agree with BUT I think if these feed companies that spend millions of dollars on research SHOULD know what is important. Maybe some of this other stuff is what effects the egg laying ability. I don't know but I can say that after showing horses for many years that folks will do many things in order to win that ribbon at the shows. I feed my birds their regular feed, throw out some scraps, let them have plenty of room to pick bugs etc and if they don't have yellow legs, maybe I'll paint them. I have quite a few different lines of reds and a few different breeds for egg production and none of them have white legs. Some are darker yellow then others, some have darker horn on them some have a brownish orange color leg. I honestly do think that some of the colors come from the different areas in which we live. Gosh, I'm not moving to Alabama just to get the leg color that Matt has on his birds. lol Neither am I digging up my field just to plant Alfalfa. My birds from Matt have been fed the exact same feed as all my other lines of reds and they have the darker legs and more horn on them then any other bird on my place. Now that just makes me think that it is something to do with this line. Not what I feed. Some of my Nelson line have lots of horn on the front of the leg and toes and some have very little. They are in the same pen, eat the same etc. Maybe it is like humans that 6 children can come from the same parents and have different color hair, eyes etc. Some are taller then either parent some are heavy some are skinny. Gene's are a funny thing.
Like Bob said, I look at many other things before I worry about leg color. If it pops out at me like most of the ones from Matt, I'll mention it but what good is yellow legs on a bird with no length or width to their back, no brick shape. floppy combs etc. lol Just my way of thinking. If I'm able to carry my camera to the coops in the next 20 years I post a picture or two and see where mine are. ha,ha. I don't know if I could carry oxygen, a cane or walker and a camera at the same time.
Jim

 

[catdaddyfro]

This is one of several reasons why alfalfa meal is part of my ration.
I don't believe dirt is an issue if your ration is balanced properly.

That said... many production reds have white legs.... think about it... with leghorn bred in. I have some production reds crossed with buff orpingtons... heavy layers, pure white legs. And they are being fed the same ration as the HRIR. So, genetics first, but yet if the genetics is there, a balanced ration will bring out the qualities you want.

Production reds have yellow legs or should and Leghorns do too. but with that said, any hen producing 300+ eggs a year is not going to show much yellow in the legs or anywhere on their body as this is due to the bleaching of the yellow pigment from their systems. You can't feed them enough to keep it all yellow. The egg production comes first in the genetic make up of these types. The "H" types that only lay 180-200 eggs a year will bleach out some too, but it is easier to keep it replaced in their systems though dietary supplements such as posted above.

Jeff

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Production reds have yellow legs or should and Leghorns do too. but with that said, any hen producing 300+ eggs a year is not going to show much yellow in the legs or anywhere on their body as this is due to the bleaching of the yellow pigment from their systems. You can't feed them enough to keep it all yellow. The egg production comes first in the genetic make up of these types. The "H" types that only lay 180-200 eggs a year will bleach out some too, but it is easier to keep it replaced in their systems though dietary supplements such as posted above.

Jeff

Very true. I have Leghorns I breed also. They are very yellow, until they start laying. Then it goes away very quickly. For instance:





The hens legs were just as yellow as the cockerels until she started laying. Like over night it all goes away. I guess in HRIR theory, if your showing hens you will never have yellow legs.

 

[Matt1616]

This is one of several reasons why alfalfa meal is part of my ration.
I don't believe dirt is an issue if your ration is balanced properly.

That said... many production reds have white legs.... think about it... with leghorn bred in.  I have some production reds crossed with buff orpingtons... heavy layers, pure white legs.  And they are being fed the same ration as the HRIR.  So, genetics first, but yet if the genetics is there, a balanced ration will bring out the qualities you want.

RedRidge, maybe I should explain what I'm talking about as far as "soil". If you are able to free range your chickens and they can eat plenty of grass they will exhibit more yellow on the legs but if you live where I do which is with in 10 miles of the Gulf of Mexico and your soil is sand then the grass that they are eating doesn't have near as many of the nutrients that makes their legs yellow as it would in an area with better soil. Sand retains no nutrients...it drain right through.

 

[FOGELLY]

RedRidge, maybe I should explain what I'm talking about as far as "soil". If you are able to free range your chickens and they can eat plenty of grass they will exhibit more yellow on the legs but if you live where I do which is with in 10 miles of the Gulf of Mexico and your soil is sand then the grass that they are eating doesn't have near as many of the nutrients that makes their legs yellow as it would in an area with better soil. Sand retains no nutrients...it drain right through.

This makes sense to me. When my birds are allowed daily access to pasture their legs have much more yellow to them than when they have been confined to a bare ground run for a while.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: Understood... which is why balancing a ration to your particular conditions is so important.
I balance rations all over the country and environment is everything... one ration does not fit all.
I would think you would need to add limestone as well as forage to their diet then... correct?
And raising BSF is also quite easy in the southeast... high is calcium and protein... free... easy to harvest...

Curious though... with sandy soil do you have a problem with mites?

 

[Matt1616]

Understood... which is why balancing a ration to your particular conditions is so important.
I balance rations all over the country and environment is everything... one ration does not fit all.
I would think you would need to add limestone as well as forage to their diet then... correct?
And raising BSF is also quite easy in the southeast... high is calcium and protein... free... easy to harvest...

Curious though... with sandy soil do you have a problem with mites?

What is BSF? The only time I ever see mites is during show season.

 

[catdaddyfro]

I'd say Black Soldier Fly larva, Matt is what I got from BSF.

Jeff