Good Morning 2024

[WLLady]

I think it the case of RIR there are the heritage RIR (dark mahogany) and the commercial RIR (lighter red egg laying machines....) and they likely mean the heritage RIR. it does seem pretty correct with what little i know about poultry in canada....

[Killerbunny]

@lolotsung A heritage RIR looks absolutely nothong like the production lines. They are stunning and the first time I saw one I gasped at the difference. If you get a local poultry show check it out to see the difference. @thegawd had these.

[Happy]

@lolotsung A heritage RIR looks absolutely nothong like the production lines. They are stunning and the first time I saw one I gasped at the difference. If you get a local poultry show check it out to see the difference. @thegawd had these.

I had the exact same response the first time I saw a REAL RIR rooster. He literally stopped me in my tracks. Stunning is the right word.

[lolotsung]

Wow, I must see one at a show now! IN REAL LIFE I'm absolutely sure I've only seen production lines because they seem kind of scraggly. I heard the roosters were mean so I steered clear of them.

[WLLady]

oh the heritage lines are incredible....the deepest richest mahogany colour....just beautiful! the productions always look washed out, or even sun-bleached to me!

[lolotsung]

https://youtu.be/3T9K4A3xFdo?feature=shared

I found a video on Rhode Island Reds. See link above.

- he was having trouble with longevity with his males (heart attacks before 2 years old), he said that the feed (16 - 18% layer) did not have all the B vitamins required so he added wheat to their feed
- he said that they need to go outside, growth rate is better and let them get rained on and they don't mind getting wet so their feather quality is better
- challenge is getting the colour correct, difficult to get a solid black tail in the females
- the darker the red the harder to get good feather quality
- very calm, very docile, they are like puppy dogs, they follow you around, he has had hundreds of roosters over 20 years and only one was aggressive, and he didn't pass it on, some production lines can be very aggressive
- breeding pens put together in Jan, unheated barn, no light in barn, so he ended up having birds that laid well in Feb, best birds are hatched in late Feb to end of March
Separate males and females as soon as you can, males get along, if they start tussling, put a cock in and he sets the rules.

[lolotsung]

I'm at the Fire and Ice festival, Alton Mills Arts Centre

Reinier's chickens, acrylic, on sale at Alton Mills

[Killerbunny]

Love the chickens, that's difficult to capture!

[lolotsung]

Is there an upload photo limit? I remember reading something but forgot where I found it...

[Killerbunny]

@lolotsung I don't remember. I'd just try and see what happens.