The Rhodebar thread!

[HerbGir1972]

Here's our boy Olaf
at about 15 weeks

here's Anna we'll have to pull a pic of Elsa off the phone

very active birds very hard to get good images...lol
we just thought we'd get an opinion on them, Hoping to show them in October if the look good enough

 

[RedRidge]

Here's our boy Olaf
at about 15 weeks

here's Anna we'll have to pull a pic of Elsa off the phone

very active birds very hard to get good images...lol
we just thought we'd get an opinion on them, Hoping to show them in October if the look good enough

That's great! Ask the show chairman if you can have a meet. That way we'll have documentation for another show. We'll get you a draft of the standard before Oct so you can provide it to the judges.

 

[HerbGir1972]

We got our trio into their own space today.

 

[HerbGir1972]

We lost Elsa today, she was just laying in the pen this a.m. No marks I could see almost looked like she fell asleep.
She was perfectly fine yesterday, even free ranged in the run.

 

[nicalandia]

Michael F1 Pullets, these are the result of Quality Rhodebars crossed to High Quality RIR, so not pure Rhodebar females but only because they lack only one gene and thats the other pair of e+, you see pure rhodebars are e+/e+ but these females are e+/eWh

as chicks


grown pullets

 

[rc50]

Hi hope all are good.... Question.... is A.L. Hagedoorn's work with autosexing breeds outdated.. ?

have a great one thanks for any and all info...


Keith

 

[nicalandia]

Hi hope all are good.... Question.... is A.L. Hagedoorn's work with autosexing breeds outdated.. ?

have a great one thanks for any and all info...


Keith

no, I think his work is still relevant

 

[nicalandia]

Guys you need to meet the Rhodebar long lost Silver Based Brother, the SBRIR, or Silver Barred RIR an Autosexing breed created long ago by Martin Silverudd, the work is being done in Sweeden, I dont think someone is working with them in the USA, maybe Autosexing Delawares but not SBRIR

here is the Link of the thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959227/autosexing-silver-barred-rir

 

[hillfloweranch]

I am somewhat disenchanted...
Going to vent...

I'm down to fewer than 20 original Rhodebars as I am working on my breed improvement project. I am the Queen of cull... with all my livestock. I believe most people do not cull deep enough. I pick my favorite and the rest get eaten unless someone else wants one.
I suspect when I finally get my first BC1 and F2 on the ground this fall I will be hesitant to part with many given that I suspect most people will not understand what they are. That isn't meant to sound snotty. I will sell any bird i have. I simply want them to go to people who appreciate them and understand them.

I am now the moderator for the Rhodebar fb page and realizing how others are disenchanted too is really a shame.

I have what I call 2 lines... Unimproved and improved. I should have chosen different names because I have learned that the name unimproved has certain negative implications associated with it. My unimproved Rhodebars are the result of very heavy culling for generations to assure 100% autosexing and 100% correct barring with the best type I could get (which isn't great). But they are 100% Rhodebars.
I have since discovered that that is more than can be said for most people selling Rhodebars over the last few years. Although if you are reading this I am likely preaching to the choir. People are getting hatches that are not all easily autosexed or the barring is incorrect - just to name 2 of the many problems being perpetuated. So while my "unimproved" Rhodebars do not have the type I want, they have been culled deep and are Rhodebars as opposed to "a gamble".
I have sold only a few trios and only to people who really took an interest in them. And I sold them cheap. It isn't about the money. But i will say this... There are folks selling for 4 times what I sell mine for and yet they really have no idea what their birds genetic makeup is. A high priced bird is not guaranteed genetics. No wonder folks are disenchanted with the breed.

So... I made up my mind last spring that I was no longer going to advertise Rhodebars. If someone wants some they will do research and know where to find some. And if they want quality they will research even deeper. In the meantime I have no problem eating what we produce here. Selling Rhodebars that are, in fact, Rhodebars is no longer a goal here. We are a self sustaining farm and raise cattle, sheep, rabbits, and poultry. Feeding our family is the first priority. The only requirement each breed of livestock has is that they may be "valuable enough" to earn their keep. Meaning... they must feed our family and earn enough to pay to keep them.
I love the Rhodebars. And I love my HRIR. But I make more money selling eggs than I ever will from selling breeding stock. I guess I have serious concerns over the direction the Rhodebars have been going here in the US and feel helpless to stop the bad snowball and overwhelmed at trying to help people understand why the solid yellow chick they just hatched that they paid a ton of money for is not really a Rhodebar. People want your help and advice until you tell them something they don't want to hear.
There are those who have an interest in the breed and I'm more than willing to share genetics with those who share the same passion. But for the most part I am not sure there is a place and a market for the type of Rhodebar I am attempting to produce. I have decided it doesn't matter, the project will continue regardless. But i have changed my goal from hoping to provide many poultry fanciers with excellent Rhodebars to simply a project for myself.
I just reread my post and yes it does sound discouraging and snotty. It also sounds like I am more knowledgeable than what I am. I am not. I am simply a breeder who wishes to continue to learn more and more about genetics to further attempt to contribute to a wonderful breed. I applaud those of you who are trying to do the same.
Thanks for the vent.

On a more positive note... The F1s I have are reddening up... I anticipate eggs any time.

Well said and not snotty at all. Your efforts are truly appreciated by those of us that want the correct genetics. Keep up the good work.

 

[hillfloweranch]

My rhodebar roo. The lone survivor of the gff chicks. His pose worthy of any runway model! LOL