The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[cmom]

My birds get higher protein Show Gold Chick Grower Finisher pellets. I start my chicks on it now at between 3 and 4 months old. I only feed them the Show Gold. My older girls have been getting the Show Gold mixed with their regular layer except when they are starting to go through their molts. I have also given the older birds Game Bird feed breeder pellets which is higher in protein. My Heritage birds were started on the chick crumbles then switched over to the Show Gold and have been on it ever since.

 

[Chris09]

This is what I feed.
Hatch to 6 weeks old they get a 30% game bird starter
6 weeks to laying they get a 20% water fowl feed

Birds in the breeding pen get a 20% game bird breeder
Non-breeders in pens stay on/ go back on the 20% water fowl feed

Free range birds get a 12% game bird maintenance

All birds that are of laying/ breeding age get 10% of there diet of a mix of soaked oats and pigeon grain mix along with free choice grit.
All birds that are laying get free choice oyster shells.

 

[RedRidge]

Well in used to my SC going broody but now I have a RC who is broody. Go figure.

 

[Tripp16]

I am looking for SHOW QUALITY to SOP Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. I know the chicks may not hatch as show quality but I want the parents they come from to be. The dark red color. Thanks!

 

[RedRidge]

I am looking for SHOW QUALITY to SOP Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. I know the chicks may not hatch as show quality but I want the parents they come from to be. The dark red color. Thanks! 

I think your best bet is to get on someone's list for spring eggs. You'll find that's when most people have their breeding pens set up.
That said, you may be able to find some trios or young birds this time of year if you were hoping to have birds prior to next hatching season.

I just noticed you are in NC. I bet you will have some nice birds to see at the Knoxville show this Dec. Just another option.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You may also find sellers of excess stock this time of year. As fall approaches, lots of culling takes place. It doesn't mean the birds are defective, just that lots of birds simply do not meet the breeders plans and won't be carrying all these birds through the winter.

The RIR Club of America breeder list, the APA YearBook and other sources are worth working through and making contact for some folks. Even if you get a No, ask if you can directed to someone else.


Getting eggs this time of year is almost impossible as the breeding pens are simply not together.

 

[cmom]

I am looking for SHOW QUALITY to SOP Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. I know the chicks may not hatch as show quality but I want the parents they come from to be. The dark red color. Thanks!

I agree with the other posts. Most breeders do their breeding in the spring. If there is a show you can go to, you will probably find someone with Heritage RIRs for sale. Some people will also sell the birds they are showing. I will be taking birds to our local show in October and have asked a friend who has my same line to bring some birds for me to buy. His birds and mine are all descendants of the same original line but by introducing his birds into my flock I will be breeding the same line but from a different family so I will not be breeding siblings as I'm trying to keep my birds pure.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

you MIGHT be able to find a contact with a good breeder by asking the 4H extension too. Sometimes the breeders have children or grandchildren in the shows. If the breeder has grandchildren in the show, odds are that they had children in the show first. Meaning that the extension office might even know the names of the winning breeders right off the tops of their heads.

 

[Matt1616]

I am looking for SHOW QUALITY to SOP Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. I know the chicks may not hatch as show quality but I want the parents they come from to be. The dark red color. Thanks!

Most of the top breeders do not sell hatching eggs. You may want to look for chicks this coming spring or started birds this fall like has already been mentioned.

Matt

 

[ninny]

We are going to be trying to get some RIR this fall/spring. Has anyone found these birds to do better in one set up over the other? I will be slowly reading through this thread just wanting to get working on my run. Is there any difference between these birds and the hatchery ones temperaments. Are the roosters as nasty?