The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Well bless your heart. When you go "shopping" for good breeding stock, do not use the "roo" word or the chances are pretty good that your phone messages or emails will go unanswered.

As far as I know, it's ilegal to import roos into the USA... unless you're a zoo keeper.

It's always best to use proper terminology when dealing with breeders.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

Well bless your heart.  When you go "shopping" for good breeding stock, do not use the "roo" word or the chances are pretty good that your phone messages or emails will go unanswered.  

Excellent!! I'm born and raised with fowl 43 yrs strong now. And I never heard such terminology as "roo" used for a brood cock, cockeral, stag etc till I visited these poultry sites on line.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I studied the lines and went to several shows as an observer. I did purchase some birds at a show and raised them but was not totally satisfied with them. When I did eventually find the birds I wanted to raise I sought out the breeder at a show. Both my fist purchase and my last purchase was from different breeders and all of the birds were from the same original line and were nice I just thought that Matt had the nicer birds than the first person I got birds from. Jim has some great information on the different lines. He has raised most of them. http://jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com/

 

[Fred's Hens]

I studied the lines and went to several shows as an observer. I did purchase some birds at a show and raised them but was not totally satisfied with them. When I did eventually find the birds I wanted to raise I sought out the breeder at a show. Both my fist purchase and my last purchase was from different breeders and all of the birds were from the same original line and were nice I just thought that Matt had the nicer birds than the first person I got birds from. Jim has some great information on the different lines. He has raised most of them. http://jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com/

You did the right thing!!! Go SEE THE BIRDS IN PERSON. Handle them, hang out with them for awhile and decide. There is far, far too much marketing silliness using name dropping of pseudo "famous" lines to sell stuff and a lot of people getting burned and thinking they really got something grand when in far too many cases, it didn't happen.


Reading about lines is all fine and good, for background information and education, but that's as far as it goes. You will never learn to do this by reading on the internet.

Without a proper mentoring, even a good start of birds will turned into junk in pretty short order in the wrong hands. This is not a new story. Folks just getting started really, really need to invest the time in nurturing relationships with experienced folks in the poultry world. A mentor is almost more important than the birds themselves when you first start.

 

[waddles99]

Alright, good to know about the terminology. Everyone around me says "rooster" or "roo" and says that "cock" is an outdated term. But these people are more backyard people than breeders. The same people who think I'm crazy for washing my birds for show, and for having a feeding regiment for my birds. But, above anything, I don't want to use improper terminology.

I have been attending smaller shows and asking the judges what they think about the birds. These birds needed a lot of work, however, and the judges werent too impressed with them. I'm trying to go to some larger shows but they are just so far away...I'm in NJ by the way. I would love to go to the Ohio show or at least Northeastern Poultry Congress to go and see some real reds. I feel as though everyone is so far from me!

 

[cmom]

Alright, good to know about the terminology. Everyone around me says "rooster" or "roo" and says that "cock" is an outdated term. But these people are more backyard people than breeders. The same people who think I'm crazy for washing my birds for show, and for having a feeding regiment for my birds. But, above anything, I don't want to use improper terminology.

I have been attending smaller shows and asking the judges what they think about the birds. These birds needed a lot of work, however, and the judges werent too impressed with them. I'm trying to go to some larger shows but they are just so far away...I'm in NJ by the way. I would love to go to the Ohio show or at least Northeastern Poultry Congress to go and see some real reds. I feel as though everyone is so far from me!

A lot of people call all female birds Hens and males Roos or Roosters. I am not too impressed when people don't know the differences between pullets and hens, cockerels, roosters or cocks. I understand for the most part to them chickens are for eggs.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Haven't settled "permanently" anywhere quite yet for our winter home.  Still RVing and searching. TX to SC and everywhere inbetween.  NOLA is our second "home" and where our heart is, but just love visiting almost annually, just not up for living there full time again. 

Oh I do NOT like seeing this Fred... you two can NOT think about taking my only mentor away from this area as I am not polished yet! Throwing a little tantrum here!!!!!!

I seem to lose friends to moves as fast as I can develop them. You are one of the few friends who understand why I want to do this. Not only for the eggs, meat, but to help myself AND keep them going all at the same time. I am not skilled yet.

My juvenile stock (born Mothers day weekend) are a little behind yours but near ready for the first evaluation help from you. The seven youngest chicks are finally taking on darker feathers.

Never had an egg eater before but soon as I catch it I'm having a chicken supper!!!! Can't have that!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

@bluebirdnanny Oh goodness. We've no intention of ditching our summer place Up North. Hot summers do not agree with me and could no longer take the heat/humidity of the deep south in summers, so you're stuck with me up here I guess.

I'll be over in a few weeks, when we can arrange a time. We'll do some sorting. Take care until then.

 

[Fred's Hens]

@bluebirdnanny I want to show you a photo I took today, sadly, it isn't very good, but there are 4 pullets in this photo I caught inside the shelter. Two are from "the other line", but two were sired by #3, your "Nipper" male. This is from the earlier hatch of early April.
I really hope you can see the two pullets on the right. They have extraordinary "horn" color on their legs, beak and face. Their feathering is blood red down to the skin. Good feather. They have absolutely flat backs, so pay no attention to the fact they're on alert in this photo.

Since you also hatched some off #3 male, you might look and find some birds with that predominate horn stain on the legs and beak. Look also for that dark, blood red feather. It has a unique webbing to it. The birds, both males and females, should have big, wide skulls as well. These are birds I believe we were looking for in that mating.

If you find some like that, keep a special eye on them. I saw them in the nursery, to be honest. They jumped right out at me as they had HUGE heads from the get go. So, there is your "homework" until we meet up. hahahaha

Meanwhile, I'll try to pose the birds for a better photo, but no promises.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

@bluebirdnanny I want to show you a photo I took today, sadly, it isn't very good, but there are 4 pullets in this photo I caught inside the shelter. Two are from "the other line", but two were sired by #3, your "Nipper" male. This is from the earlier hatch of early April.
I really hope you can see the two pullets on the right. They have extraordinary "horn" color on their legs, beak and face. Their feathering is blood red down to the skin. Good feather. They have absolutely flat backs, so pay no attention to the fact they're on alert in this photo.

Since you also hatched some off #3 male, you might look and find some birds with that predominate horn stain on the legs and beak. Look also for that dark, blood red feather. It has a unique webbing to it. The birds, both males and females, should have big, wide skulls as well. These are birds I believe we were looking for in that mating.

If you find some like that, keep a special eye on them. I saw them in the nursery, to be honest. They jumped right out at me as they had HUGE heads from the get go. So, there is your "homework" until we meet up. hahahaha

Meanwhile, I'll try to pose the birds for a better photo, but no promises.

@Fred's Hens I've studied this picture in original size on my 22" monitor... and even magnified (Windows 7&10: right click, open in new window or tab, and left click area to magnify). While I see great horn in the beaks, I can't see very much on the legs. Perhaps it's just the lighting? I took some pics of my pullet's legs a few moments ago, and this is what my 9 week olds look like. These are pics of the darkest legs, but the other pullets aren't very much lighter. Is this too much horn and something I need to work on? Thanks in advance...





PS: In the picture it looks like the pullet in the front/center is missing the end of her right toe on the left foot...