The Rhodebar thread!

[RedRidge]

Sheri are the tail noticeably longer? Watch those ones, they should be your females. None of my lighter striped ones have as long of tails as my dark striped ones.

Your hens are split R/r that is why you are getting SC. That is why I am not breeding my RC with any of my SC because he is split. I am not sure if my hen is split or not but if she is then I could end up with some SC as well (in my Reds).

Penny

Yes, I know who is split and who isn't according to toe punches. Gary outcrossed one of the two pens I got my RC from that year... so I knew what I was getting.
I actually have a SC from that same pen... I had two roos from that pen two but they are history.
So... I am basically just not paying attention to comb type for several generations.

I find it interesting that three of my darkest do not have tails... I have marked them... we will see... I took more pics today of all six that had more tail... feather shots and head shots. Didn't want to bore the list with those, but they went into my documentation file.

 

[melroseladi]

Yes, I know who is split and who isn't according to toe punches. Gary outcrossed one of the two pens I got my RC from that year... so I knew what I was getting.
I actually have a SC from that same pen... I had two roos from that pen two but they are history.
So... I am basically just not paying attention to comb type for several generations.

I find it interesting that three of my darkest do not have tails... I have marked them... we will see... I took more pics today of all six that had more tail... feather shots and head shots. Didn't want to bore the list with those, but they went into my documentation file.

Yeah Gary did his cross last year and I ended up with SC's with really crappie combs but they will straighten out in the future. My RC is not directly from Gary's farm and I knew the eggs were from a mixed pen. I love my RC rooster and hen. He is so easy, well except towards other roosters, lol. I have him in a pen with my RC and a SC want-a-be HRIR, since I can tell their eggs apart and won't be hatching any of hers. That one is a good mama though so I keep her around.

Pics are never boring, that is how we learn, or at least how I learn, I am a visual learner, lol. Besides your pics are always good.

Penny

 

[Joshua G]

Do Rhodebars lay as well as RIRs and how much do they lay?
Also, are they docile like Barred Rocks?

 

[melroseladi]

In case you are curious Penny... here is the oddball... a lighter chick but with more tail....

That's looks like a dark to me, look how dark her head line is. Also in your 3a /3b group I see 5 that look dark to me, dark stripes not dark ground color. LOL, confused yet?

Penny

 

[melroseladi]

Do Rhodebars lay as well as RIRs and how much do they lay?
Also, are they docile like Barred Rocks?

They are supposed to be good layers. I have a RB rooster that is not human aggressive at all. I don't have BR so not sure how docile they are. I have Heritage Rhode Island Reds that are not aggressive but many of the hatchery Reds are aggressive.

Penny

 

[RedRidge]

Do Rhodebars lay as well as RIRs and how much do they lay?
Also, are they docile like Barred Rocks?

I am keeping laying records but suspect they have not been in the US long enough for anyone to really know how well they lay.

My RIR that are hatchery birds lay VERY well... but they are flash in the pan, not great layers after the first 2-4 yrs, and have a terrible carcass. Not to mention the cocks are very mean.

Now my HRIR... they lay very well (not over 300/yr like the production birds though), but they will lay for years and years. And they have a nice carcass. And... and this is important to me... the cocks are very easy going and gentle. They will protect their ladies, but I've never had one look crossways at a human.

The Rhodebar... mine are laying almost daily, but they are young, only a year old. Temperaments seem fine so far... both my roos are easy to get along with. Not quite as laid back as the HRIR, but very few are. Neither has ever made an aggressive move, but like all roos I don't turn my back on em if they are with their ladies. IOW... the verdict is still out on the Rhodebar temperments... I am planning to cull for poor temperament should that become an issue... and the insertion of my HRIR will for sure be a plus temperament wise too.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote:
I think I should have divided up my group 3 more... apparently... but then again... their sex will sort them out.
I have another 20 due to hatch tonight... I had set 2 more batches of 20 not knowing if the snow/ice power outages would affect my hatches. I may be overrun with F1's.

In a few weeks I will begin to divide into sexes so I can concentrate on how the females develop. Otherwise I'll go crazy trying to track them all.

 

[Joshua G]

Quote:

Quote: Ok, Thanks. What is the price range?

 

[melroseladi]

I think I should have divided up my group 3 more... apparently... but then again... their sex will sort them out.
I have another 20 due to hatch tonight... I had set 2 more batches of 20 not knowing if the snow/ice power outages would affect my hatches. I may be overrun with F1's.

In a few weeks I will begin to divide into sexes so I can concentrate on how the females develop. Otherwise I'll go crazy trying to track them all.

LOL, I am going by how dark (and consistent) the head/back line is not so much base color. Lines that are black more so then the brown and reddish brown lines. I am not hatching any more
F1's at this point. I like to do selective breeding so I think I should have enough females to cross back to RB and to cross back to HRIR, and enough males for freezer camp, if they make it that long, lol.

I am hoping (still) to finish this dang brooder but if we keep getting these cold spells I may never get the chicks in it. Premier is back ordered on their heat plates and I am not putting a heat light out there, risk of fire is just to high. I think in another week these older ones will be okay out there if I load it up with hay. I also figured out that I can enclose the area under the brooder to grow out the cockerels (if they make it that long). I like to separate my males and females as soon as possible so that the females don't have to fight for feed.

Once I get these F1's situated I am going to start working on my SC HRIR and hopefully I will get a decent cockerel to use for next season.

Penny

 

[melroseladi]

Ok, Thanks. What is the price range?

I don't know about prices this season. I am working on a RB improvement project using my HRIR so I won't have any for sale for awhile.

Penny