The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[mopargal1972]

Wow look who made it on the Red page. I was talking about you last night with my friend Chuck from Arkansas and told him I sent you ten chicks and Ihoped I did not shoot my self in the foot sending them to you as some of these may turn out to be great show birds and breeders. I told him I trusted you that if I sent a bird that I could breed from that I could send you a box and you could send them back to me to breed from and then return them back to you. You are the first person to receive chicks from me who is not a master breeder who I partnered with two years ago. I have a fellow in Ohio, South Carolina and Chuck in Arkansas who I trusted my blood lines with. You can not cross these bantams with other Red Bantams as they came down from a cross 25 years ago from a Large fowl MOHAWK Red male and a Lee Roy Jones bantam female. I breed these birds down for 20 years till I got the to be small in size or to a bantam weight. I did not loose the large fowl look or type. Most Rhode Island Red Bantams were crossed with Cochin's and old English in the 1930s to make the bantam gene shrink down the large fowl bird. however, we also go the long and drooped down wing car rage from the old English and the wide Cochin feathers which today haunt us with Red Bantams that have backs like a Plymouth rock.

I have a new line of red bantams and if you get one that is super small do not get rid of this chick. I think I have a female a pullet from last year that is producing chicks the size of a leghorn bantam chick and these chicks will grow up to be below standard weight. I also have a line where the males look skinny when they are seven months old but when they molt back as a cock bird they fill out and look like a male in the black and white standard of perfection so dont get rid of a male that looks slim.

They are mixed ages five to two weeks of age. Had a hard time hatching this year.

Glad you like them and protect them from varmints and cats ect. I will help you mate them up this fall. bob

I feel very fortunate that you trusted me with these beautiful little birds. I am definitely not a master breeder. But I do have a passion for the breeds that I do have. Heck, I even have a Phoenix bantam tattoo...lol. I do have a question though. About the rooster that I got from you last year. Should I sell him? Is he from the same line as these chicks? I also have a pair of RC bantams that I got from Matt Johns. What should I do with them? I intend to keep them completely separate from your birds. I wish I knew where I could get some good RC bantams. I bought these in the fall of 2010 because they are so hard to find. What should I do with them? Thank you again for all of your help. I have learned so much from reading this thread and articles that you have posted.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Bobby I sure would like to teach two or three of you guys how to breed R I Reds for color befor i unplug my incubator as I have interviewed the last top 10 Rhode Island Red Breeders 25 years ago befor they died and read all the Rhode Island Red Journals and Red Chronicles from 1912 to 1970. I have articles on my web site that you can read from this vast reading and interviews.
I think with a decline in the current Large Fowl in the USA today and having at least three good strains of Rhode Island Red Large fowl we can improve and breed them up to the level they will win and get on Champion Row at many shows. There are secrets to breeding them and rules you must follow but if you obey them you will have success. The number one secret is do not cross good strains. The nest type then in thing is to learn how to master breeding type then in your fifth year you will understand how to breed for color.

I hope to put together all my stuff in a book format on Breeding Rhode Island Reds this fall.
Its then up to the new person to follow it or do like most people do and screw up and fail.

The most important thing I learned from these interviews and it was stamped again into my mind was Many are called but few are Chosen. Only 1 out of 100 will make it to be considered a master breeder of Rhode Island Reds.
bob

 

[jaman4]

Bob Thanks for any knowledge you might offer.I have been to your website and read many of the articles there.I do read as many of the old publications I can find on RIR's.I like talking to successful breeders about the care and breeding of them.Mostly I like being out there watching and hanging out with them.Maybe if I stick with it for a few years even I might learn a little something about breeding this great old breed.
Bobby

 

[monnie662]

I have two Don Nelson RIR, a rooster and a hen. The hen is humpbacked and I have been seeing that is a no-no. Have 16 Don Nelson line eggs in incubator. I am new at these Heritage RIRs, fell in love with the two I have and will not be happy until I have a flock of them. Will then sell my hatchery RIRs and have only heritage. I'm learning from each one of you that writes something, so I hope I will be worthy of raising the old breed.

 

[ronott1]

Where do you live?

Ron

I have two Don Nelson RIR, a rooster and a hen. The hen is humpbacked and I have been seeing that is a no-no. Have 16 Don Nelson line eggs in incubator. I am new at these Heritage RIRs, fell in love with the two I have and will not be happy until I have a flock of them. Will then sell my hatchery RIRs and have only heritage. I'm learning from each one of you that writes something, so I hope I will be worthy of raising the old breed.

 

[monnie662]

I am in Mississippi

 

[ronott1]

I hope you have some local BYCErs there.

Post some pictures of your adult RIRs. When do the eggs hatch?

Ron

I am in Mississippi

 

[immyjay54]

I have two Don Nelson RIR, a rooster and a hen. The hen is humpbacked and I have been seeing that is a no-no. Have 16 Don Nelson line eggs in incubator. I am new at these Heritage RIRs, fell in love with the two I have and will not be happy until I have a flock of them. Will then sell my hatchery RIRs and have only heritage. I'm learning from each one of you that writes something, so I hope I will be worthy of raising the old breed.

I will tell you this much, IF you have the good luck with your eggs that I did, you will be well pleased. I received 13 Don Nelson eggs and 3 were clear when I got ready to put them in lock down and I hatched 10 of the sweetest RIR chicks that I've had yet. I still have all 10 of them and they are now 3 weeks old and I love them do pieces. The are just adorable. I got my eggs from Dinahmoe on here. She just posted a couple pictures back a few pages of the daddies of my chicks. I can't say enough about them. I truly do wish you the best of luck with your hatch. Keep us updated of how it goes. Oh, mine were shipped eggs also. The chicken god must have protected my eggs from harm. lol Sometimes shipped eggs are hard to get a good hatch rate with. These are my first Don Nelson line biddies.
Jim

 

[Robert Blosl]

Mohawk V 1927


This is what you want to strive for in shape of your Reds. This is I think a picture from the German Standard
note the legs are longer from the ground up but thats what they want over there.

There large fowl are the very close to standard
and have super long legs but boy are they brick shaped.

While you are talking about your Reds and your reds with a female with not so good of a back or top line here is a picture of one of my favorite all time Reds Mohawk V breed by Maurice Wallace and sold to Mrs. Donaldson in 1929 for $150. when you here people talk about my old line Mohawks large fowl this is who made it happen. I have this line in my Red Bantams and he is still working in the large fowl. Your female may produce chicks with correct top lines. Don Nelsons females always have good top lines so have faith the old ancestors from this pair are still working for you.

Bob

 

[monnie662]

My chicks should hatch next Sunday. I received in the mail 27, 4 broken, 2 cracked, candled them after a week and threw out 5, so I'm optimistic on the rest. Faithfully watch the thermometer to keep temp accurate. And to think all I wanted was some RIR didn't even know there were the "oldies" out there. My boy and girl have great temperments compared to the Production Red rooster I had. You see I said "had". Someone from the old school told me to dunk him in the horse trough when he jumped on me well it worked the first time, but I drowned him the second time, with blood running down my arm and hand. So everyone that knows me gets a real laugh about me and that rooster. He whipped anybody that showed up including my carpenter and also my other friend who came to borrow the tractor. So I'm "gun shy" when it comes to roosters but this one is working out great. I'll try to post a pic of the pair I have. Will post pics of babies hopefully.