The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[YULickenthat]

This is just my info and others may disagree but this is my experience with these birds.  I have the Underwood RC birds.
If there is RC in the background at all, the possibility of getting RC out of SC is always there and visa versa. The longer you work with them keeping the different comb types separate the less chance of getting mix but it can happen.
I have mine separate and have yet to get a RC from my SC birds but I have had a SC pop up in the RC breeding/ I've always read that the RC is dominant. 
If you go back to the beginning of the thread and read Chris09 posts you will find that he talks all about this genetically. You will have to search a lot of his posts. 
Oh, yes, you can tell the difference at a very early age especially after you have worked with them for a while. The RC is a wider thicker comb with no rise in the center. 
Again, there are lots of pictures on my web page of chicks from day old on of both the SC and RC. 
Hope this helps. 
Once you cross anything in these birds, the blood is there and the chance of change will always be there. 

Thank you for the info, what you said actually makes perfect sense. I am a bit of a science nerd and genetics is an area that fascinates me the most. I have browsed through most of this thread and found it most helpful. I will go back and read up some more. I love your web page as well, by the way! Wish I had found it in the beginning of my RIR research. What is your opinion of mixing the lines? I read in another thread that Dick Horstman has Kittle lines, and I would assume that is still the case(?). I just got chicks from him yesterday. It seems impossible to get my hands on anything else at this point...

 

[RedRidge]

Rose comb is actually dominant over single comb. So a RC can be a SC carrier, but not visa versa. If you're into punnett squares, Rose Comb is is either RR or Rr, single comb is rr.
I have all RC except one SC pullet who I have used for 2 years now due to her superior type. Because several of my RC carry SC, I always get a handful of SC from her breeding pen each year.
Gary Underwood breeds both RC and SC (that is who my foundation stock originally came from) and every 3-4 years he crosses some SC into his RC lines for genetic diversity since he has closed flocks. He was the one who encouraged me to keep my SC after seeing her. I believe he said something similar to "don't throw the baby out with the bath water". LOL
Gary has proven to be an excellent mentor and had never steered me wrong. ;-)

 

[YULickenthat]

Rose comb is actually dominant over single comb. So a RC can be a SC carrier, but not visa versa. If you're into punnett squares, Rose Comb is is either RR or Rr, single comb is rr.
I have all RC except one SC pullet who I have used for 2 years now due to her superior type. Because several of my RC carry SC, I always get a handful of SC from her breeding pen each year.
Gary Underwood breeds both RC and SC (that is who my foundation stock originally came from) and every 3-4 years he crosses some SC into his RC lines for genetic diversity since he has closed flocks. He was the one who encouraged me to keep my SC after seeing her. I believe he said something similar to "don't throw the baby out with the bath water". LOL
Gary has proven to be an excellent mentor and had never steered me wrong. ;-)

Yep! Did that punnet square last night. Thank you for verifying my research!! I am pretty sure I have both RC and SC in my day olds. I just don't know their breeding history as far as how Dick separates types, so I was curious about the possibilities of what I may have for the future...hope that makes sense.

 

[immyjay54]

Thank you for the info, what you said actually makes perfect sense. I am a bit of a science nerd and genetics is an area that fascinates me the most. I have browsed through most of this thread and found it most helpful. I will go back and read up some more. I love your web page as well, by the way! Wish I had found it in the beginning of my RIR research. What is your opinion of mixing the lines? I read in another thread that Dick Horstman has Kittle lines, and I would assume that is still the case(?). I just got chicks from him yesterday. It seems impossible to get my hands on anything else at this point...

Hi,
First, thanks so much for your comment about my site. I really enjoy working on it and try to keep it up to date with info that I think may be helpful to others. There really is a lot of good info on there. Just have to search all the pages. lol
As for the mixing of the lines, this is really a personal thing. I personally feel this way. I will try my best to keep any/all my LINES separate because there are differences in each one of them that I have stated on my site. As for varieties (RC/SC) the combs can be effected. The more pure that you keep the RC, the nicer their combs will be. Gary Underwood told me that he crosses his (just a few) every 6 years to get the new blood back in. This is a lot of work because you have to keep a good many pens. lol

As for your birds being Kittle, I have read where the SC from Dick did come from Mr. Kittle but his original RC did not. To my knowledge Mr. Kittle did not work with the RC. I did know where Dick's RC originally came from and they were not Kittle but, I can't say anything about what he has now. He may have crossed them with something. I'm not saying he did, I'm just saying he could. Please don't think I am writing something wrong about any other breeders.

I will say this on mixing the lines. (IF) you are wanting to try something to improve/change something in your birds then go ahead and mix them BUT you may make a real mess.
The Nelson line is a mixture of other lines and I have them and they are some super good laying machines and I really like this line. I am working on a project right now with a few birds but I won't get into that right now. lol

You will find that there are a lot of different opinions on this sight pertaining to the bloodlines of these reds and I guess we are all entitled to that so you just have to read and make up your own mind which way you want to go.

Jimmy

Here is info on Dick's RC that I had

Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds are another breed that we have had for many years, the original stock coming from Tim Bowles and Rick Bond.

 

[YULickenthat]

Hi,
First, thanks so much for your comment about my site. I really enjoy working on it and try to keep it up to date with info that I think may be helpful to others. There really is a lot of good info on there. Just have to search all the pages. lol 

As for the mixing of the lines, this is really a personal thing. I personally feel this way. I will try my best to keep any/all my LINES separate because there are differences in each one of them that I have stated on my site. As for varieties (RC/SC) the combs can be effected. The more pure that you keep the RC, the nicer their combs will be. Gary Underwood told me that he crosses his (just a few) every 6 years to get the new blood back in. This is a lot of work because you have to keep a good many pens. lol 

As for your birds being Kittle, I have read where the SC from Dick did come from Mr. Kittle but his original RC did not. To my knowledge Mr. Kittle did not work with the RC. I did know where Dick's RC originally came from and they were not Kittle but, I can't say anything about what he has now. He may have crossed them with something. I'm not saying he did, I'm just saying he could. Please don't think I am writing something wrong about any other breeders. 

I will say this on mixing the lines.  (IF) you are wanting to try something to improve/change something in your birds then go ahead and mix them BUT you may make a real mess. 
The Nelson line is a mixture of other lines and I have them and they are some super good laying machines and I really like this line. I am working on a project right now with a few birds but I won't get into that right now. lol  

You will find that there are a lot of different opinions on this sight pertaining to the bloodlines of these reds and I guess we are all entitled to that so you just have to read and make up your own mind which way you want to go. 

Jimmy

Here is info on Dick's RC that I had

Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds are another breed that we have had for many years, the original stock coming from Tim Bowles and Rick Bond.

Thanks for your view point and info. I respect the info that comes from your real personal experience and knowledge. It's easy to "google" things and get false or skewed information. I have always been a little mentally OCD about keeping things certain ways, in this case, keeping the traits that make a line superior within that line...but my science brain is screaming "genetic variation!!"

My goal currently is to just educate myself. One thing I have found is that access to a reputable breeder within a few hours of where I live is nonexistent and those with nice birds are typically unwilling to share. I guess I can't blame them. ;-) When it comes rest of the people who claim they have RIRs, I take one look and silently think Nope...and I am FAR from an expert. Anyway, thank you for your comments.

 

[cmom]

I believe Dick Horstman's original RC RIR stock came from Tim Bowles and Rick Bond

 

[SallyinIndiana]

For the RIR eggs that I had in the incubator, I have 10 that made it, waiting on 2 and only lost 6. I've held off and candling the other sets of eggs til I'm sure about the final eggs that have pipped.

 

[immyjay54]

For the RIR eggs that I had in the incubator, I have 10 that made it, waiting on 2 and only lost 6. I've held off and candling the other sets of eggs til I'm sure about the final eggs that have pipped.

That's wonderful Sally. I am so happy for you. The chick god's were with you. lol Keep up the good work. Hoping the rest all turn out okay also.
Gotta run, off to church.
Later
Jimmy

 

[cmom]

I have a RC RIR male in with some RC RIW females. This is what I got for chicks

This is a male.




This is a female.



This is my male. He is young.

Some of these are his girls. This is the grow out coop and pen. I also have some SC RIW's for Sex-Links. This picture was taken last year. The RSL boys were processed and in the freezer. I did get a SC RIW male from my RC RIWs. My extra RC RIW males were also processed. I kept the best 2 for breeding.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

clear difference in chick color there.