The Rhodebar thread!

[RedRidge]

Victor is now 22 weeks old...he is one of the two cockerels who will be breeding this coming season...
One to current Rhodebar hens, the other to a group of excellent HRIR hens to create the first generation of what I hope will be some vast improvement to the Rhodebar genetics.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

We finally have 2 Rhodebars laying and confirmed fertility. So so happy. Now waiting on the next hen in our other pair to start laying.

 

[RedRidge]

Make sure you take pics of the eggs before incubation and weekly pics of each chick to document feathering.
I have found this documentation critical and too many people aren't paying attention to what they look like as chicks. The look at only the end result with no consideration to the down color when considering their breeders.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

We have 4 Rhodebars coming out tonight 2 pullets and 2 cockerels. We will get pictures.

 

[DMRippy]

Victor is now 22 weeks old...he is one of the two cockerels who will be breeding this coming season... One to current Rhodebar hens, the other to a group of excellent HRIR hens to create the first generation of what I hope will be some vast improvement to the Rhodebar genetics.

redridge what exactly are you wanting to improve with the RIR. I think (new to this breed so learning) color and type. I ask because my rhodebars roo is much more red than your guy. my pullets are pretty dark too. I am culling for autosexing colors at hatch most chicks are the right chipmunk color so hoping by doing that cull with off color chicks it will get better next year. what type are the rhodebars supposed to have? like a rir? that flat brick look? or a higher tail? does someone have a link to a good type and color roo and pullet?

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Here is some info I found when researching Rhodebars, we are new to these also DMRippy. We have only hatched a few, so far the autosexing is looking good but would like to see a little darker feathering on my cockerels.


The Rhodebar has a full breast and a deep, broad body with a long back. They are a deep reddish colour with fine buff barring. They have a single upright comb, rounded wattles and a short beak. Legs and feet are yellow and they have 4 toes. The tail is small with a black tip to the feathers. Sexing day old Rhodebar chicks is fairly straightforward. Yellow chicks are the males and the females should have dark stripes or barring down their backs. Adult Rhodebar birds look very similar to Rhode Island Reds in shape and colouring but have a black tip to the tail.
Breeding Hints

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

I also found this and while of course for me auto sexing is first and for most, type would be second or maybe a close third behind egg production. which would make what they are saying here make sense. Obviously if you inect new blood from a heritage strain that is not great layers then you will probable lower egg production and I sure don't want thatbut neither do I want an ugly off type bird either. So I will be looking for a Heritage line that has great egg laying abilities.


If egg numbers are low, fresh blood can be introduced into your Rhodebar strain if you find some good utility Rhode Island Red hens and you can put your Rhodebar cockerel over these hens. The offspring from this mating will give you pure Rhodebar hens but the cockerels will not breed true. Next, put your Rhodebar cockerel over these pure Rhodebar hens. The offspring will now all be pure and you can continue with your line, hopefully now with increased egg numbers.

 

[RedRidge]

redridge what exactly are you wanting to improve with the RIR. I think (new to this breed so learning) color and type. I ask because my rhodebars roo is much more red than your guy. my pullets are pretty dark too. I am culling for autosexing colors at hatch most chicks are the right chipmunk color so hoping by doing that cull with off color chicks it will get better next year.

what type are the rhodebars supposed to have? like a rir? that flat brick look? or a higher tail?

does someone have a link to a good type and color roo and pullet?

EVERYTHING! They need improvement in type certainly... also in autosexing consistency... leg color... tail set...
If you are having to cull chicks out of 2 true autosexed rhodebars then obviously the autosexing consistency is not there.
Now... culling deeply for crossing new blood in is required... yes... but you have to wonder about your foundation stock if you are having trouble autosexing from the get go.
So... perpetuating the autosexing while eliminating those who aren't easily autosexed... while maintaining proper barring (which is required since it is linked to the autosex gene), while improving type... that's the goal.
Keep in mind that while the dark red color is what you want... in the roos you want double barring.
Doesn't matter how dark they are if they are not double barred.

Rhodebars should be a barred (single barred in females, double in males), autosexed HRIR.
The HRIR sop will tell you everything else you need to know.

Because the pullets are single barred they will be darker than the double.
Also note that in some other countries breeders use the double barred roos for breeding (because a single barred wouldn't not guarantee all auto sexed, properly barred offspring), but they frequently show the single barred roos because they are more striking.

As far as new blood... I am using the Underwood line of HRIR to improve... well... everything.
They need improvement in type very badly... they need more horning on the legs and beak, tail sets in Rhodebars I've seen are awful... etc....
They need improvement all the way around.
I am starting with type... and chose pairs and trios on this basis.
As far as egg laying... the Rhodebars do not produce more eggs than a good quality egg laying line of HRIR... about 180/yr.
Maintaining egg laying shouldn't be a problem if your new blood is a line which will encourage this.
Combs will be my last concern...

There are a LOT of opinions out there (and many pictures) of Rhodebar roos which are either darker because they are single barred... or darker because they have a lot of black.
I have a cockerel who has grown out to have too much black in my opinion... he is going in the freezer next week.
I will take pics of him along with my top two cockerels before #3 goes to freezer camp.
Most of the others are already in the freezer.
I will get some shots of some pullets also.
Seeing them side by side my HRIR pullets make it's easy to tell where the improvement is needed.

 

[RedRidge]

I also found this and while of course for me auto sexing is first and for most, type would be second or maybe a close third behind egg production. which would make what they are saying here make sense. Obviously if you inect new blood from a heritage strain that is not great layers then you will probable lower egg production and I sure don't want thatbut neither do I want an ugly off type bird either. So I will be looking for a Heritage line that has great egg laying abilities.


If egg numbers are low, fresh blood can be introduced into your Rhodebar strain if you find some good utility Rhode Island Red hens and you can put your Rhodebar cockerel over these hens. The offspring from this mating will give you pure Rhodebar hens but the cockerels will not breed true. Next, put your Rhodebar cockerel over these pure Rhodebar hens. The offspring will now all be pure and you can continue with your line, hopefully now with increased egg numbers.

This is NOT the whole story...
yes the cockerels in the F1 need to be culled, but you also have to consider that not all the pullets will necessarily be easily autosexed.
So... I would question the word "pure" here... because remember... a Rhodebar is an autosexed, barred HRIR...
Just because it is properly barred does NOT mean it is autosexed.

Concerning barring... for those who are curious for the basis of the original comment... the reason you can put a Rhodebar cockerel over RIR hens and get "some" Rhodebar pullets is because Rhodebar cockerels should be double barred (they have to carry TWO barring genes). Pullets only carry one barring gene, so breeding a Rhodebar cock to a HRIR hen will also pass a barred gene to the females.

 

[DMRippy]

ok so he is older now and bigger. my pullets are too small in my opinion. I am not havingbany trouble sexing them at hatch. I am cull for darker pullets and roos so it will be more distinct.