The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

For those looking for some of the very best, young birds to get a good start, send me a message. Some young birds just became available. I can give you the details in private messaging. These are some of the finest birds in the land.

If you're looking and have been wantiing some special birds to get started, shoot me a private message. Thanks.

 

[hadouglas]

A breeders wife sold us his heritage Rhode Island red check along with a cream legbar. Apparently he does not sell his rir's, but said we can keep it if we want...

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

For those looking for some of the very best, young birds to get a good start, send me a message. Some young birds just became available. I can give you the details in private messaging. These are some of the finest birds in the land.

If you're looking and have been wantiing some special birds to get started, shoot me a private message. Thanks.

You're just teasing me now, Fred. Tsk... tsk.

A breeders wife sold us his heritage Rhode Island red check along with a cream legbar. Apparently he does not sell his rir's, but said we can keep it if we want...

Cool! Nice to score a bonus, especially a good red!!! Would be nice of him to throw in a mate for it once you figure out the gender...

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

I finally got my birds moved into their new home. I waited until just before dusk, and while there was a good bit of confusion and nervous clucking just before dark, they settled down for the night on their new roost. Of course, I had to pick each bird up, one by one, and put them on the roost... but they didn't move once they were there. I checked on them later and found them bedded down for the night.



I know most folks coop their birds up for a few days to allow them to familiarize themselves with their new living arrangements, but I'll let them out into the run tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll have to round them up late in the evening, but that's okay. I did the same thing with my BR's, and it only took 3 days to train them to go back into the coop in the evenings. Besides, it's too freaking hot to keep them cooped up all day for several days. They should enjoy the cool(er), shaded grass underneath the coop...

 

[cmom]

I used to keep the birds in a different coop for a couple of days when I moved them before I'd let them out of the coop but not anymore. Now I change them around a couple times of the year so they get used to the coops after a few day then I let them out of their pens into the pasture, so I do keep them in their pens for a few days to get used to them so they will go back to that particular one. Once in awhile some will go back to their old coop but when the treats come out they're where the treats are. I just emptied one of the coops and pens and will start moving some of the young males in and it will be used as a bachelor coop and pen. All of the coops except one grow-out coop has nest boxes so I'll block off the nest boxes. The end of the year I'll move birds around to set up the breeding coops and pens and put the females I want with each male to bring out the certain traits each possess for the best possible chicks for next season. Two of the coops I use that are in with the other coops are grow-out coops in the spring and breeding coops in the winter. I now have 12 coops of which 4 I use as grow-out.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

I finally got my birds moved into their new home. I waited until just before dusk, and while there was a good bit of confusion and nervous clucking just before dark, they settled down for the night on their new roost. Of course, I had to pick each bird up, one by one, and put them on the roost... but they didn't move once they were there. I checked on them later and found them bedded down for the night.



I know most folks coop their birds up for a few days to allow them to familiarize themselves with their new living arrangements, but I'll let them out into the run tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll have to round them up late in the evening, but that's okay. I did the same thing with my BR's, and it only took 3 days to train them to go back into the coop in the evenings. Besides, it's too freaking hot to keep them cooped up all day for several days. They should enjoy the cool(er), shaded grass underneath the coop...

Well... it only took ONE TIME to show them where the pop door is, and where to sleep. The very next night they used the ramp, went through the pop door, and put themselves to sleep on the top roost. Awesome!!!

 

[Deasunja]

Dear Fred,

Thanks for the great information and answer. Not sure how I missed your response until now. Also, your sharing about what dual purpose does and does not mean these days is very interesting and educational as well. Thank you.

What I'm after actually is a hearty bird in the high desert who can lay very well and has decent meat when her production wanes.

I am looking to help feed around 120 people currently and someday thousands more.

All in a sustainable system where we do not have to purchase anything from outside our eco-village.

We harvest grain and can grow lots of things.

I want to learn more about permaculture systems where large amounts of poultry can exist well.

Any suggestions besides doing it?

I will post this on the main sight and look for other resources as well.

Thank you very much.

DeAsUnJa
Avalon Gardens
Arizona

 

[waddles99]

Since this thread has been pretty inactive these past few days I figure I'll post a pic of one of my RIR hens. Im really happy with how she is turning out. She just molted so her tail needs to grow out some more. But I'm really happy with how she is looking otherwise. The molt hit her pretty hard so I couldn't take her to any shows. But now that she is finally starting to look decent, I'm going to take her to some shows. Hopefully her tail grows out a little more. But other than that, I am very proud to how well conditioned she is. I think she is showing very nice type. Compared to when I got her she is so much larger and full. Her breast is so much bigger and more pronounced. Her feathers are nice and shiny and rich and consistent in color. And maybe its just my imagination, but I think that her leg color has improved a bit. You can't really tell in the pics, but they are a nice yellow, a bit light maybe, with a nice horn color. I have been feeding her my own mixture of crumble, 22% conditioner, whole oats, and black oil sun flower seeds. She is doing well on it.

 

[cmom]

Since this thread has been pretty inactive these past few days I figure I'll post a pic of one of my RIR hens. Im really happy with how she is turning out. She just molted so her tail needs to grow out some more. But I'm really happy with how she is looking otherwise. The molt hit her pretty hard so I couldn't take her to any shows. But now that she is finally starting to look decent, I'm going to take her to some shows. Hopefully her tail grows out a little more. But other than that, I am very proud to how well conditioned she is. I think she is showing very nice type. Compared to when I got her she is so much larger and full. Her breast is so much bigger and more pronounced. Her feathers are nice and shiny and rich and consistent in color. And maybe its just my imagination, but I think that her leg color has improved a bit. You can't really tell in the pics, but they are a nice yellow, a bit light maybe, with a nice horn color. I have been feeding her my own mixture of crumble, 22% conditioner, whole oats, and black oil sun flower seeds. She is doing well on it.

I had a young female whose legs were as bit light and had some horn color but not like some of my others. Other than that she was gorgeous and won, so good luck and have fun...

 

[RCleghorn]

Anybody ever seen this wing defect before? Not sure exactly what it is. Its almost like the end of the wing is "loose" and will not fold right. Regardless he will be culled just curious if anyone knows what it is. Its a shame too because i really liked this cockerels potential until i saw this.