The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[teaton]

Nice, Im really hoping to score some quality hatching eggs this spring!

 

[ejcrist]

Knoxville report- This is an important southern show and usually has more than 6000 birds displayed. This year, the Ohio National's return, following a year off due to the AI scare, came just 3 weeks earlier and this certainly knocked the numbers down for Knoxville's Dixie Classic. Still the Red numbers were large enough and of enough quality to make fine display of the breed.

Matt Ulrich not only won Best of Breed but also went on to take Champion American with a fine, fine male. Matt told me he is as proud of this cockerel as any bird he's ever bred, so that's saying a lot.



My grandson enjoyed the show, as always, as it is an annual tradition for him to attend.



He showed three LF pullets and was delighted to have #5 pullet, a bird that BlueBirdNanny bred. #1 Hen, I believe, was a female I bred and gave to my partner, Gary Fosmore to give him a jump in LF. Gary showed a marvelous young male, who unfortunately was just a bit out of condition.

In bantams, we also had
#2 Pullet
#3 Cock, a bird that Matt bred and gave to me. He is on loan over at Gary's. LOL
#4 Cockerel

It was fun.

On the very long drive home, Matt and I passed a few dozen miles chatting on the phone and among a myriad of things we talked about, we both discussed how you never, ever let the judge's opinion determine your upcoming breeding assignments. Why in heaven's name not? You might ask and so, here's why not.

The Ch Am cockerel that Matt likes so much (see above) would be a rookie's first choice as A pen male, but it might well be a big mistake. Instead, you need to ask yourself, "what made this male"? Do I still "have the molds to make some more?" If so, go back to what made him. Believe it not, that Ch Am male might not throw great offspring. It is yet unknown. He is untested. Go re-assemble the pen from which he came. Go back to the old cockbird and re-assemble the hens that were in that pen and do it again. That's the right approach.

My partner in bantams, Gary and I have had already decided weeks ago that we would do the same. By far and away, the bantam cockerel my grand daughter nicknamed "Crazy Horse" at the Ohio National is one of the finest bantam K's any place, anywhere, we believe, in the Red's world in 2016. Yet? while he will get a shot at a pen, yes, but it is much more important for us that we get the "old man", his sire, back to work this spring. We have the molds, let's make some more. Additionally, we are excited to get the Old Man's daughters in under him and see if we can improve the females this year. It's a funny thing how coming away from a show? All one can think about is next year's breeding.

That's some good info and points Fred. I'll be taking my first crack at breeding reds as soon as I finish my breeding pens in another month or so, so I pay close attention to everything I hear breeders say. Personally, my first thought to the scenario you gave above regarding Matt's winner was to do just what you recommended - break out the parents and make as many duplicates as I could since those molds are the winning combination. After that though I'd certainly want to pair the winner himself up with a complimentary couple of pullets/hens to see if they could be improved upon or duplicated as well. Looking at the picture above I don't know if there's much room for improvement - that's a truly fantastic red. I appreciate all the discussion because it's really been helpful for a rookie breeder like me.

 

[Fred's Hens]

That's some good info and points Fred. I'll be taking my first crack at breeding reds as soon as I finish my breeding pens in another month or so, so I pay close attention to everything I hear breeders say. Personally, my first thought to the scenario you gave above regarding Matt's winner was to do just what you recommended - break out the parents and make as many duplicates as I could since those molds are the winning combination. After that though I'd certainly want to pair the winner himself up with a complimentary couple of pullets/hens to see if they could be improved upon or duplicated as well. Looking at the picture above I don't know if there's much room for improvement - that's a truly fantastic red. I appreciate all the discussion because it's really been helpful for a rookie breeder like me.

Thanks, I'm glad if some of these posts stir some thoughts in folks, that's why we post here from time to time.

The pullet behind the boy in that photo, was given to a junior and her mom after the show. I had promised her a good pullet. They took that pullet to the North Caroline Cape Fear show the following week and she took Best of Breed in the open. Far less competition, but still nice to see.

I"ve put my birds into winter mode, very little egg laying as there is very little natural daylight. They can take their rest. Soon, it will be time to click on the lights and get them laying for the breeding pens. Large Fowl ?? Gotta get going in late January - early February. The Bantams can wait 'til later on.

 

[daxigait]

Merry Christmas everyone.

@Fred's Hens@Ur-ur-ur-urrr
I hope you guys are well. I hope your luck is better than mine. I just lost the best of my four pullets . Your two are fine Fred. I have no idea what caused it. She was point of lay, but not laying so I could not even save her genetics. She turned up with a poopy butt a week and a half ago. I cleaned her up and wormed her as a preventative. Four days ago she did not go in the coop. Thursday night she was in the coop, but laying down by the water. I picked her up to check her over again. She had dropped a ton of weight. There was no meat on her and her crop was empty. She are a little eggs when I brought her inside, and drank water with electrolytes and save a chick. The next day she drank a ton filling her crop. When I picked her up water ran out of her beak. I was grabbing her to take to my vet who I has not been able to reach the night before. She hel out no hope, but gave her a few shots and sent me home. She was dead this morning.

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Merry Christmas everyone.

Fred's Hens@Ur-ur-ur-urrr
I hope you guys are well. I hope your luck is better than mine. I just lost the best of my four pullets

. Your two are fine Fred. I have no idea what caused it. She was point of lay, but not laying so I could not even save her genetics. She turned up with a poopy butt a week and a half ago. I cleaned her up and wormed her as a preventative. Four days ago she did not go in the coop. Thursday night she was in the coop, but laying down by the water. I picked her up to check her over again. She had dropped a ton of weight. There was no meat on her and her crop was empty. She are a little eggs when I brought her inside, and drank water with electrolytes and save a chick. The next day she drank a ton filling her crop. When I picked her up water ran out of her beak. I was grabbing her to take to my vet who I has not been able to reach the night before. She hel out no hope, but gave her a few shots and sent me home. She was dead this morning.

And a very merry Christmas to you, too!!!

So sorry to hear this about your pullet, daxi. I wish I knew what was wrong with her, because I have a red sexlink with the same symptoms. She appears lethargic, usually just standing in one spot most of the day. When I picked her up a couple of days ago, water came out of her mouth. I massaged her crop, which felt squishy, and she spewed a copious amount of first green, then brown water. At the end of expelling the contents of her crop, there was a tiny bit of feed. I never see her eating, I only see her drinking. Her crop looks full, but I know it's mostly water. She doesn't seem to be getting any better or any worse. I don't expect her to pull out of it, but I'd like to know what's causing it so perhaps I can prevent it from happening in the future.

 

[cmom]

I made bread and Christmas cookies. No one to eat them but DH and I. I took some to a swap yesterday but still have a lot left. Was going to do more baking but can't eat it all so I guess I'll save the rest for New Years. I'll take some goodies to the Lake City show.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful

Merry Christmas

 

[daxigait]

I made bread and Christmas cookies. No one to eat them but DH and I. I took some to a swap yesterday but still have a lot left. Was going to do more baking but can't eat it all so I guess I'll save the rest for New Years. I'll take some goodies to the Lake City show.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful

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Merry Christmas

 

[teaton]

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and spent it with the ones you love!!!

 

[cmom]

I will be bringing some Rhode Island Red cockerels to the Lake City, Florida show as well as Rhode Island Whites and some White Leghorn cockerels. I am looking for a White Leghorn cockerel and a Dark Brown either Rose Comb or Single Comb Leghorn cockerels..

 

[cmom]

"Happy New Year"​