The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Chris Herzog]

Hey Chris,
How old is this fella? Just took a picture of my pick of my oldest Don Nelson line. This guy is just 5 months old today. This is my mini tank. ha,ha. One shot was with flash (top) bottom was without it. His tail isn't in yet either.

Jim,
Yes he is nice looking indeed. Mine is right at 4 months now, still very young.

Chris

 

[Chris Herzog]

Bob,
I have a question about breeding for you....I bought birds from Paul and ended up with 5 cockerels and two pullets. I then got the crossed birds from Matt and ended up with 5 pullets and 1 cockerel.

My thought was to pick the two best cockerels from Paul and put them over the 4 best pullets from Matt. Then take the 1 cockerel from Matt and place him over the two pullets than came from Paul and start from there with my rotational breeding program. Then I thought that I might do better to keep the two families separate and slowly work one bird in over time when I need to.....What would you suggest I do with my Mohawks?

Chris

 

[immyjay54]

Super question Chris, I'm waiting for the answer on this because I've been wondering the same thing with my Nelson line. I have from dinahmoe and NYREDS. lol I'm hoping to be able to get to one pen of Nelson and one pen of Mohawks soon. lol As long as they don't loose their bands, I'll be in pretty good shape with them. I can always take a few pullets and put with a certain cock bird when the time comes. lol As BOB says, I don't want to cross any of the blood lines so as long as I keep them separate I guess I'll be okay.
Jim

 

[Robert Blosl]

In regards to Pauls line you could take say one or two of his best typed females and cross them onto one of the cockerels that are half and half. Then pick the best leveled flat back male their sons and mate back to Paul's then next year hens. This will give you fresh blood good vigor and should not have to many faults.

If you have two half and half pullets they have nice type mate a good or the best typed male from Paul to these females then mate the best pullet back to the male from Paul next year.

You want to blend some of the new blood back to your favorite line of birds. Check the birds for quill color. We found the females from Florida had darker black quill color and the females and males from Illinois had a less darker hue in quill color. Your strength in your color is to try to get black Bing cherry red almost black quill colors. That is a goal not to cut the heads off of your good birds if you don't have it is not the end of the world.

Also, make sure your males when you cross them have dead center leg placement. Some of the birds from Florida seem to not have dead center leg placement than the Illinois birds. The Illinois reds all had great leg placement or what I call Plum when standing in a pen or on the ground. You want to make sure your birds do not have what is called rainy day backs or sloping backs like a Miniorca has. If you get this in your line it is very hard to breed out. Just keep your eye on this for type.

Hope this helps. I would like to get the fresh blood from the Florida Reds, the great color and quill color from the Florida birds but have the leg placement in the legs like the Illinois Reds. They are still my old line but these are some of the little things I have noticed. The goal is to get some fresh blood into the Florida line. It looks like they have been breed way into a corner and need fresh blood badly. The Illinois line are still hatching pretty well and do not look like they are as badly inbreed. Remember no one has added in new blood into this line since 1954. I did not do it nor did Mr. Reese.

A great strain of birds just needs some fresh new blood from a pair of fellows who have kept my strain pure for over 15 years.

 

[catdaddyfro]

First I want to say, "Please, don't anyone think that I'm trying to be smart with this post." I took a few pictures of one of the cockerels from the bunch that I hatched from dinahmoe (Don Nelson lines) and am putting them here so you can see that there is NO black what so ever in his neck. This is the same bird that I have pictured above in the post to Chris. His tail is as green as can be with not a touch of black that I can see. Of course, he doesn't have his full tail yet, he just turned 5 months old today. Also am posting a few of my young Mohawks from Paul Gingerich. Click on picture to enlarge. When the sun shines on him he as deep dark mahogany as can be. Other than his tail not being in yet, he is one gorgeous fella. I put the picture of the pullet so you can see the black lacing on her neck.














This last picture is for Jeff. ha,ha. I told you how mean I thought my RC's look. Now if this fella doesn't take the award for the best looking RIR on this forum I think someone is voting against me just to be dirty. lol This is the meanest looking bird I think I have on the place. Sure do hope that things change like you said yours did. Oh my gosh. I think everyone should have a bunch like this guy.

Hey there Jim, yeah I see what you're saying LOL just keep in mind the ugly duckling story thats about the best assurance I could give at the moment and too I see he was alsoa little uncooperative or bad camera shy, so it's not all bad LOL

PS. also too I'd like for one or more of the Red experts to comment on the pullet with the neck lacing not trying to single out your bird there Jim but this is an example here that needs a comment on I believe


Jeff

 

[immyjay54]

Hey there Jim, yeah I see what you're saying LOL just keep in mind the ugly duckling story thats about the best assurance I could give at the moment and too I see he was alsoa little uncooperative or bad camera shy, so it's not all bad LOL

PS. also too I'd like for one or more of the Red experts to comment on the pullet with the neck lacing not trying to single out your bird there Jim but this is an example here that needs a comment on I believe


Jeff

Oh my Jeff, don't you ever worry about hurting my feelings. I'm new at all this heritage stuff and whether I like what is said or not, I just swallow hard and go on. lol
I haven't heard much about the lacing either so I'll be waiting an answer also.
On the RC, the only thing I can say in his favor is that it was terribly hot here today and he had his wings out etc. I really sit here laughing wondering how hard it was for you to come up with something nice to say about him. ha,ha.

 

[Chris Herzog]

In regards to Pauls line you could take say one or two of his best typed females and cross them onto one of the cockerels that are half and half. Then pick the best leveled flat back male their sons and mate back to Paul's then next year hens. This will give you fresh blood good vigor and should not have to many faults.

If you have two half and half pullets they have nice type mate a good or the best typed male from Paul to these females then mate the best pullet back to the male from Paul next year.

You want to blend some of the new blood back to your favorite line of birds. Check the birds for quill color. We found the females from Florida had darker black quill color and the females and males from Illinois had a less darker hue in quill color. Your strength in your color is to try to get black Bing cherry red almost black quill colors. That is a goal not to cut the heads off of your good birds if you don't have it is not the end of the world.

Also, make sure your males when you cross them have dead center leg placement. Some of the birds from Florida seem to not have dead center leg placement than the Illinois birds. The Illinois reds all had great leg placement or what I call Plum when standing in a pen or on the ground. You want to make sure your birds do not have what is called rainy day backs or sloping backs like a Miniorca has. If you get this in your line it is very hard to breed out. Just keep your eye on this for type.

Hope this helps. I would like to get the fresh blood from the Florida Reds, the great color and quill color from the Florida birds but have the leg placement in the legs like the Illinois Reds. They are still my old line but these are some of the little things I have noticed. The goal is to get some fresh blood into the Florida line. It looks like they have been breed way into a corner and need fresh blood badly. The Illinois line are still hatching pretty well and do not look like they are as badly inbreed. Remember no one has added in new blood into this line since 1954. I did not do it nor did Mr. Reese.

A great strain of birds just needs some fresh new blood from a pair of fellows who have kept my strain pure for over 15 years.

Thanks for the guidance on this Bob. I copied and pasted your info to my desktop to copy tomorrow at work and keep in my notebook for when I start putting birds together next year in the early spring. I may do a little playing around in the Fall but I want to give the birds enough time to do a fair evaluation of them before anyone gets culled.

Chris

 

[stefanfarms]

See a few of you are getting ready to cull your birds, we are still looking for a SC RIR roo, did 2 hatches this spring (one from pidgley and another from a guy in Mass that has the old breed rir's) and have 9 hens, not perfect birds but its our start and we are happy with it. However the only roo we have hatched is not even close in color or form. I would almost call him a hatchery bird if i didnt know where he came from. So if u have one that is on the borderline to the AH/broiler let us know, we are located in CT and willing to buy and ship as the weather has cooled. tks

 

[catdaddyfro]

See a few of you are getting ready to cull your birds, we are still looking for a SC RIR roo, did 2 hatches this spring (one from pidgley and another from a guy in Mass that has the old breed rir's) and have 9 hens, not perfect birds but its our start and we are happy with it. However the only roo we have hatched is not even close in color or form. I would almost call him a hatchery bird if i didnt know where he came from. So if u have one that is on the borderline to the AH/broiler let us know, we are located in CT and willing to buy and ship as the weather has cooled. tks

NYReds is located in your neck of the woods and Dick Horstman in Penn. other than that I don't recollect anybody closer to you in the New England area maybe someone will chime in here and let you know more the closer to you the better shipping big birds is "ruff" on them no matter the temps. I remember Bob telling someone on here that was in your vicinity, there are numerous breeders of Reds in NY state.

Maybe this'll get you somewhere closer to locating a nice male for you gals. LOL

Jeff

Jim

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Express Mail is one day shipping from many points.

But definitely check with NYReds or Dick Hortsman before shipping.