The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Aamanda]

aamanda

Well, as we said when you showed us these birds as juveniles, these are your standard, run of the mill, hatchery grade, production reds. They look to be in great condition and you'll love the eggs they lay, as that is what they are bred for.


Here's your cockerel



Can you see that he is a "V" body shape? It isn't just the shiny dark mahogony color that makes a Red a Red. It is the long, oblong, brick turned long ways body that makes the breed. Without that body shape, a bird isn't a Red.

Can you see the long body on this cockerel below?





Your pullets are also rusty colored, are also V shaped and have pinched tails, typical of a production red, a bird bred to lay lots and lots of eggs.

Enjoy your healthy birds. You'll learn a lot and you surely enjoy the eggs.

Thank you. And yes I know what they are lol. Just using them to learn more. They are a joy to have and get a lot of eggs. You statements are what I am looking for. I have a few hens with the longer back and some of them I got after seven of my "pullet" order were roos lol. Can you explain what you mean by "Pinched tail" I understand but do you have a pic? Thank you all so much for all the help you have handed out over that last few months.

 

[Aamanda]

YES!!! LOTS N LOTS of eggs lol. which is good as I sell eating eggs. They may not be what I had thought I bought to begin with but I have learned a lot. And they are a joy to have in the yard.

 

[Aamanda]

Thank you. And yes I know what they are lol. Just using them to learn more. They are a joy to have and get a lot of eggs. You statements are what I am looking for. I have a few hens with the longer back and some of them I got after seven of my "pullet" order were roos lol. Can you explain what you mean by "Pinched tail" I understand but do you have a pic? Thank you all so much for all the help you have handed out over that last few months.

Also after a lot of research and checking the hatchery and finding the place that actually has the birds I was able to determine that they are not Production reds...just ill bred RIR bred for egg instead of looks but not mixed. The hatchery also sells production reds and you can visually see the difference. For whatever difference that makes lol.

 

[Fred's Hens]

One of the best things to study is simply the Standard of Perfection SOP, the standard book of the American Poultry Association. A heritage bird must be bred to the Standard for the breed, or it isn't a heritage bird. We sometimes shorten that to SOP.

The photos above show an view from above. A pinched tail is the result of the body not maintaining width from the shoulders all the way through to the tail.

Then, there is the tent view of the females. The view from the rear. The tail should be wide and form a very wide, 4" wide Tee Pee or tent. On hatchery stock, the tails are virtually always pinched from just about every view.

Finally, the feathering on that tail, of the production red female never shows the correct feathering. The tail may have a dark feather or two, but it should be a dark black, beetle green color. Perhaps Jimmy or someone has some good educational photos of proper female tail, shot from different angles to compare.

On a production red, the tail is also too high, in most cases. It's pinched from the top view, narrow tented from the rear view, missing the correct tail feather coloration and from the profile ( side) the tail points skyward.

 

[Cydney83]

Hi. I was thinking of ordering some RIR chicks from Mr. Urch. Can anyone tell are these nice birds. I do have Rhodebars and hope to use this to improve on them. Thanks so much.

 

[Aamanda]

One of the best things to study is simply the Standard of Perfection SOP, the standard book of the American Poultry Association. A heritage bird must be bred to the Standard for the breed, or it isn't a heritage bird. We sometimes shorten that to SOP.

The photos above show an view from above. A pinched tail is the result of the body not maintaining width from the shoulders all the way through to the tail.

Then, there is the tent view of the females. The view from the rear. The tail should be wide and form a very wide, 4" wide Tee Pee or tent. On hatchery stock, the tails are virtually always pinched from just about every view.

Finally, the feathering on that tail, of the production red female never shows the correct feathering. The tail may have a dark feather or two, but it should be a dark black, beetle green color. Perhaps Jimmy or someone has some good educational photos of proper female tail, shot from different angles to compare.

On a production red, the tail is also too high, in most cases. It's pinched from the top view, narrow tented from the rear view, missing the correct tail feather coloration and from the profile ( side) the tail points skyward.

One of the best things to study is simply the Standard of Perfection SOP, the standard book of the American Poultry Association. A heritage bird must be bred to the Standard for the breed, or it isn't a heritage bird. We sometimes shorten that to SOP.

The photos above show an view from above. A pinched tail is the result of the body not maintaining width from the shoulders all the way through to the tail.

Then, there is the tent view of the females. The view from the rear. The tail should be wide and form a very wide, 4" wide Tee Pee or tent. On hatchery stock, the tails are virtually always pinched from just about every view.

Finally, the feathering on that tail, of the production red female never shows the correct feathering. The tail may have a dark feather or two, but it should be a dark black, beetle green color. Perhaps Jimmy or someone has some good educational photos of proper female tail, shot from different angles to compare.

On a production red, the tail is also too high, in most cases. It's pinched from the top view, narrow tented from the rear view, missing the correct tail feather coloration and from the profile ( side) the tail points skyward.

THANK YOU!!

 

[Laingcroft]

The Reds are here, the Reds are here!

Fourteen little red balls of fluff survived the trip through frigid temps.

8 rose comb and 6 straight/single comb, all large fowl.

 

[cmom]

The Reds are here, the Reds are here!

Fourteen little red balls of fluff survived the trip through frigid temps.

8 rose comb and 6 straight/single comb, all large fowl.

Where did they come from?

 

[bluebirdnanny]

The transition is made! No more productions in my coop. Now all the red ones are true RIR. Then two white rocks which may be going to a guy who will help me get the airflow/ light source monitor window up.

I promised them to him AFTER as part of payment for getting that monitor system up there. So since I told him the Oldest white one is the one who has been laying the last three weeks while the others molted... now he wants her. So be it. He is getting back in it just for the eggs.

Who knows though.. his wife and I talked about the Pureness and that they can and do win the Standard of Perfection ribbons at Poultry shows.... I could see the wheels turning. Her daughter has had poultry in the 4 H fairs and wants to show..

I may convert another in due time! If I end up with too many culls in an egg laying group then maybe I will begin to share them. Or too many roosters from a hatching if other true fanciers don't want him. All 'culls' from a breeding standpoint will be eating/selling eggs.

Remember those Nelsons Fred posted photos of? I'm the PROUD new owner and breeding in training partner with him. Can't wait to expand the flock! I want them all to be RIR tried and true!

 

[cmom]

I have Reese/Mohawk descendants. My birds are now 9 months old and just recently started laying. Not all are laying yet but several are. I love them all. My older Reese/Mohawk descendent girls stopped for awhile but lately I have been getting a few eggs from them. In a couple of months I will fire up the incubator.