The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

Emphasis mine obviously, but I think (and hopefully you agree) that's a minimum. And that number is birds to select from for yourself. If you hatch 100 and sell 75 of them and only raise out 25, that doesn't cut it either if you want to make progress. The more you hatch the faster progress you'll make that year too.

Matt, all I can comment on is my own experience. Last year we did put roughly 100 chicks on the ground, for each breed, roughly 200 chicks total. From the very beginning, we culled those who were "not right" or injured or deformed. Then, as time goes along, you cull those which are obviously not what you're looking for. The numbers keep dwindling. Great meals are eaten!!

The layer flock begins fill for first year pullet layers (non breeders). A good thing come next winter.

As summer draws to a close, we may be down to maybe 20 birds of the original hatches. By Halloween, that's it. The winds are blowing colder and winter is surely coming, once again. We make our final commitments to maybe, maybe 3 or 4 pullets and those 3 cockerels. Three cockerels, not because we're thrilled about all three, but the Peter Principle of "sure as heck, one will die, one will get killed or whatever" and we really just want ONE to make it to spring. As the three pullets winter over and dagnab it, one of them will mature with a poor looking cushion or something. Sigh. Stuff happens.

Suddenly, those 100 chicks from last spring are reduced to just 2 or perhaps 3 birds, plus the 4 or 5 older adults and off you go, on another year of making matchups. That's it. Just my experience, for what it's worth, which isn't much. Folks can glean what they want and just leave the rest.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

You left off stolen for things that can happen to a great looking rooster. We are thinking that one of our breeder roosters was stolen on 12/31.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Rancher Hicks- I do not have the space or funds to do all this either. There are three farms involved. This next year, new partners are joining the effort as well. I did my "share" in hatching and raising 60 of the chicks here, but that's my limit. Without a cooperative such as this? I couldn't do it either. My barn's only so big, my runs only so large and my pockets only so deep. Actually, not very deep at all.

 

[rancher hicks]

Matt, all I can comment on is my own experience. Last year we did put roughly 100 chicks on the ground, for each breed, roughly 200 chicks total. From the very beginning, we culled those who were "not right" or injured or deformed. Then, as time goes along, you cull those which are obviously not what you're looking for. The numbers keep dwindling. Great meals are eaten!!

The layer flock begins fill for first year pullet layers (non breeders). A good thing come next winter.

As summer draws to a close, we may be down to maybe 20 birds of the original hatches. By Halloween, that's it. The winds are blowing colder and winter is surely coming, once again. We make our final commitments to maybe, maybe 3 or 4 pullets and those 3 cockerels. Three cockerels, not because we're thrilled about all three, but the Peter Principle of "sure as heck, one will die, one will get killed or whatever" and we really just want ONE to make it to spring. As the three pullets winter over and dagnab it, one of them will mature with a poor looking cushion or something. Sigh. Stuff happens.

Suddenly, those 100 chicks from last spring are reduced to just 2 or perhaps 3 birds, plus the 4 or 5 older adults and off you go, on another year of making matchups. That's it. Just my experience, for what it's worth, which isn't much. Folks can glean what they want and just leave the rest.

It's worth quite a bit to those who want to breed and improve their birds.

How does one know who to keep and who to cull? Are we talking appearance or performance or both?

 

[ronniewayne]

Do you do anything special to keep those tiny toe punch holes free of chick residue (poo, wet feed, shavings)? I have only toe punched one chick but its foot is getting a bath every night and sometimes in the morning too.

I just toe punch mine and never worry about it again. they seem to do fine.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

There is a standard out there for breeding most breeds. Here is a vast amount of information if you don't want to buy the Standard book.
http://jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com/rhode-island-red-information.html
http://jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com/rhode-island-red-information-page-2.html

 

[BGMatt]

Matt, all I can comment on is my own experience. Last year we did put roughly 100 chicks on the ground, for each breed, roughly 200 chicks total. From the very beginning, we culled those who were "not right" or injured or deformed. Then, as time goes along, you cull those which are obviously not what you're looking for. The numbers keep dwindling. Great meals are eaten!!

The layer flock begins fill for first year pullet layers (non breeders). A good thing come next winter.

As summer draws to a close, we may be down to maybe 20 birds of the original hatches. By Halloween, that's it. The winds are blowing colder and winter is surely coming, once again. We make our final commitments to maybe, maybe 3 or 4 pullets and those 3 cockerels. Three cockerels, not because we're thrilled about all three, but the Peter Principle of "sure as heck, one will die, one will get killed or whatever" and we really just want ONE to make it to spring. As the three pullets winter over and dagnab it, one of them will mature with a poor looking cushion or something. Sigh. Stuff happens.

Suddenly, those 100 chicks from last spring are reduced to just 2 or perhaps 3 birds, plus the 4 or 5 older adults and off you go, on another year of making matchups. That's it. Just my experience, for what it's worth, which isn't much. Folks can glean what they want and just leave the rest.

Yup! I was agreeing with you. Sorry if sounded otherwise, sometimes what I type doesn't come out quite right. I was just saying you (generic you) could make faster improvements by hatching even more. If you hatch 300 birds and only keep 3 or 4 of those Odds are in your favor of getting even better birds to use the following year. That's all. My OEGB buddy hatches about 200-300+ of most varieties he raises each year (I think he said this year he hatched about 1200 or so chicks total, maybe more) , certainly wins a lot...but it takes its toll on the pocketbook.

 

[Fred's Hens]

That fabric pattern you see is the arm of my easy chair.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Matt, as you see from my other posts, those kinds of numbers will take more participants in the breed co-operative. None of the participants can handle those kinds of numbers individually. Collectively, we're doing pretty good.

PS- Don't worry about how things come across. I don't have any axes to grind and seldom take offense at much of anything. It's just internet chatting amongst folks who care about birds. Important to us, but hardly world peace or a cure for cancer. Just my way of keeping perspective.

 

[chixmix]

Matt, all I can comment on is my own experience. Last year we did put roughly 100 chicks on the ground, for each breed, roughly 200 chicks total. From the very beginning, we culled those who were "not right" or injured or deformed. Then, as time goes along, you cull those which are obviously not what you're looking for. The numbers keep dwindling. Great meals are eaten!!

The layer flock begins fill for first year pullet layers (non breeders). A good thing come next winter.

As summer draws to a close, we may be down to maybe 20 birds of the original hatches. By Halloween, that's it. The winds are blowing colder and winter is surely coming, once again. We make our final commitments to maybe, maybe 3 or 4 pullets and those 3 cockerels. Three cockerels, not because we're thrilled about all three, but the Peter Principle of "sure as heck, one will die, one will get killed or whatever" and we really just want ONE to make it to spring. As the three pullets winter over and dagnab it, one of them will mature with a poor looking cushion or something. Sigh. Stuff happens.

Suddenly, those 100 chicks from last spring are reduced to just 2 or perhaps 3 birds, plus the 4 or 5 older adults and off you go, on another year of making matchups. That's it. Just my experience, for what it's worth, which isn't much. Folks can glean what they want and just leave the rest.

That sounds like a good routine. Meals, eggs, and next generation stock