The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[cmom]

This is my best Kittle pullet so far. She's making the final selection group. She kinda snuck into this photo. But that's her nature. She's very human friendly and curious.



I've already given away quite a few to friends who just want some good laying red birds.

They have nice barring from the pic. Nice and crisp not smutty looking.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

I've been spending some time evaluating the Kittle birds this week. Out of the 12 or 13 I have, I'd say one is really sharp and one is OK. The rest will be good egg layers or good with noodles. I've never been afraid of culling hard on these birds. The improvement is good, and will be better next year, if, if we push for improvement. I see a pullet in that one photo that is VERY handsome. Keep your eye on her. The others? They'll lay eggs. LOL Not so sure about the other 3.... they ACT like cockerels and one even challenged their father when he came around the first time I let them come out for grass... others ran in... stuck my staff between the father/son neck flare and the little one went on after Bigbie when I pushed him away so I had to reverse the push on the staff to push it back in and shut the pen door until later. The one on the far right. Look at the horn down her legs. She's probably the one to keep an eye on.

Yes she is the ONE of that group I am sure is a pullet. They all four have the horn down the legs. Just not good angles and lighting (or photographer) to show. Will see after a molt I guess if they do one before winter. But yes she WILL stay the winter for sure and graduate to the big coop.

 

[Chris09]

Suspected Cockerel #1

Suspect #2

Suspect #3

Where did these birds come from?
What are your goals with these birds?
Are you going to be breeding to show?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chris,

Let me jump in. 4 years ago, we got a small collection of birds down in KY that had been run into the ground. Really, really run down. I took the birds and have worked with them now for 4 years. Progress has been very slow, as they are off type, for certain. However, in hatching out a bunch of the chicks, they will pop one or two that are quite nice.

I gave Nanny some of the birds. Mostly for the eggs they lay and they do lay good eggs. She put a Nelson cockerel over them this year as that's what she had. Her lone Nelson pullet needed the company anyhow. Nanny is pretty careful keep good records and to incubate the eggs separately.

Most of the time, I feel work on the old line should just be abandoned as the work has proved difficult. I've been stubborn enough to keep at it. Out of the 40 chicks I hatched out of this line, there are 2 or 3 that feel are worth moving forward. They are a project, indeed.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here is a pullet out of those hatches this year. I used a different C over a few females I still have.
This pullet may be one the better chicks hatched out of the project line, we'll see.

9 weeks old.



Now at 12 weeks.

 

[Chris09]

Chris,

Let me jump in. 4 years ago, we got a small collection of birds down in KY that had been run into the ground. Really, really run down. I took the birds and have worked with them now for 4 years. Progress has been very slow, as they are off type, for certain. However, in hatching out a bunch of the chicks, they will pop one or two that are quite nice.

I gave Nanny some of the birds. Mostly for the eggs they lay and they do lay good eggs. She put a Nelson cockerel over them this year as that's what she had. Her lone Nelson pullet needed the company anyhow. Nanny is pretty careful keep good records and to incubate the eggs separately.

Most of the time, I feel work on the old line should just be abandoned as the work has proved difficult. I've been stubborn enough to keep at it. Out of the 40 chicks I hatched out of this line, there are 2 or 3 that feel are worth moving forward. They are a project, indeed.

The reason I ask is, if trying to improve the line then those three birds should not be used in a breeding pen.
They will cause a ton of head aches down the line.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Absolutely right, Chris. Photos are not an easy way to judge anything, but even given the limitations of pictures, it is plain to see that all three of those K's coming out of Nanny's pen, in that one photo are headed for freezer camp, as she puts it. She's well aware. LOL.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I WOULD however, like to see a glamor shot of that pullet in the right setting, however. That shot doesn't show her well enough to draw many conclusions.

 

[Chris09]

Absolutely right, Chris. Photos are not an easy way to judge anything, but even given the limitations of pictures, it is plain to see that all three of those K's coming out of Nanny's pen, in that one photo are headed for freezer camp, as she puts it. She's well aware. LOL.

Now a little test for you, lol
Do you know the reason why I said not to use them in the breading pen?

*Hint it has nothing to do with type.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Ooooh, I like quizzes.. LOL