The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[kathyinmo]

I think we all discussed the issue of the yellow legs awhile back, also. You can refer to it beginning with post 180. Maybe that will help.

 

[iajewel]

Thanks I will look for post 180

 

[iajewel]

Found it.. and it says that judges don't care one way or the other.. which doesn't answer the question how did some get white legs to start with? And how can they be shown if they don't meet standard.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
I think It would be considered a minor fault, no bird is perfect.

 

[Pidgey104]

The birds I have posted have yellow legs with the red

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi

I also have been wondering about this, as few of the RIRs have legs as yellow as what I remember of our RIRs from years ago, some of the pics here its hard to say, the lighting makes some look a pastel yellow, this is something I notice right away as my grnadparents would say ''if it doesnt have a rose comb and yellow legs it isnt a RIR" .

Maybe some of the difference in coloring I am seeing is the diet, our RIRs free ranged, but the yellow I remember is fully ripened golden bantam corn yellow.

Anyhow, I will be getting some chicks this spring and looking to make sure this is on my chickens with the rose combs. I dont want my grandmother to swat me in the head some night.

Good thread, lot of very nice looking birds on it.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I just emailed a beginner who wants to get into Rhode Island Red bantams some pictures of my birds for 2011 and he did not have a idea what a good rhode island red should look like so I sent him a picture that Schiling did
back in the 1950s. You can see the color of the picture of the legs that Schilling painted.

In my pictures I think the leg color shows up somewhat yellow. I sent the single male in picture two to a family in the midwest to cross onto some Rose Comb Red Bantams to help improve thier type. Something I thought would be fun
to do as see if we could start some Mohawk rose comb bantams out of my single comb bantams. When I caught this male and put him in the shipping box I glanced at his legs and saw yellowish legs but the thing every buddy worrys about and that red line going up and down the leg. I looked at his pen brothers which where five more and they had red tinge on thier legs.

One think I can tell you about the standard and leg color what they want you sometimes may not be able to get. When you put the breeding presure on the surface color, the red in the wing color the quill color which should be blood red and the black in the tail, wings and the neck you may end up with more horn color in the legs loss of this red tinge or line and you may have more of a horn colored silver queen corn white color in your Reds. To me I dont worry about the yellow legs. If you want to fault my birds for it then cut me one point when you judge them. But I will beat the other birds with my flat top lines, brick shape near perfect five point combs and the color that will make you fall to your knees.

My Reds are getting so dark that some people think they are black rocks. That is the color you want in a Rhode Island Red not a bleached out rustic surface color. Even standard breed large fowl reds today are loosing thier surface color, thier black in the tails and the quill color is rustic which is a color cull.

I thought I would put in my two cents worth on leg color. I could care less about it but for some reason after 22 years of reducing down these large fowl to bantams I still have the old leg color hanging around but it could disapear in time to whitish color with heavy heavy horn color which is normal on great strains of Rhode Island Reds.

Like Walt says their are so many other factors in body type to worry about than leg color. Other folks will get caught up on wanting a perfect five point combs and not watch other items like lift in back, feather quality, and having a extended breast and overall body capacity for egg production . Also, you got to worry about lenth of body as many people have breed the backs right off thier reds and when they are two year olds they are not brick shaped but look like Wyandottes.

Keep it coming this year with more quesitons and pictures of good Reds as this is going to be a banner year for large fowl Reds. More people than ever have been asking me for a start. Just not enough breeders to supply the beginners demand. Maybe next year you see good Rhode Island Reds are very very rare. bob

 

[iajewel]

Im going to re-post these photos just for fun, as it shows you don't have to loose anything. If anyone has birds like this I would like to buy some as I need some new blood. These are from a rose comb LF RIR



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His comb is allot bigger now, but this will show its not split



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This is that same rooster a few days ago. ou can see he molted out of that funky lacing



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Young rose comb hen. Even in poor lighting you can see the color of her legs.



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[outback hatcher]

I'm looking to buy some Hertiage RIR's from a reputable breeder could some give me some names of people that will sell and ship day old chicks.
Thanks in advance,
Scott

 

[mothergoose]

This is not a real good picture of some of our RIR our kids show in 4H but it gives you the general idea of how they look. They are very large and dark. We have done very well showing them. They are very sweet. We have tried to cull hard for the best birds and are still working at it. They are a work in progress.

Christie