Rhode Island Red
 Rhode Island Red rooster | |
| Conservation status | Livestock Conservancy: recovering[1] |
|---|---|
| Other names | Rhode Islands |
| Nicknames | RIR |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Use | Dual purpose layer breed |
| Traits | |
| Weight | Male: 8.7 pounds (3.9 kg) |
| Female: 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg) | |
| Skin color | Yellow |
| Egg color | Brown |
| Comb type | Single |
| Classification | |
| APA | American |
| PCGB | Soft Feather: Heavy[2] |
|
Chicken Gallus gallus domesticus | |
The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). It is a utility bird, raised for meat and eggs, and also as a show bird. It is a popular choice for backyard flocks because of its egg laying abilities and hardiness. Non-industrial strains of the Rhode Island Red are listed as "recovering" by The Livestock Conservancy.[1] The Rhode Island Red is the state bird of Rhode Island.[3][4] It is one of only three state birds that is not a species native to the United States.
History
Developed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, early flocks often had both single and rose combed individuals. It was from the Malay that the Rhode Island Red got its deep color, strong constitution, and relatively hard feathers.[5]
Dr. N.B. Aldrich first named the birds Rhode Island Red. Before this they were known as "Red Malays."
The Rhode Island Red were originally bred in Adamsville, a village which is part of Little Compton, Rhode Island. One of the foundation sires of the breed was a black-breasted red Malay cock which was imported from England. This cock is on display at the Smithsonian Institution as the father of the Rhode Island Red breed.
In 1925, the Rhode Island Red Club of America donated funds for an elegant monument to the Rhode Island Red in Adamsville. (The monument is now on the National Register of Historic Places.) A competing monument to the Rhode Island Red, claiming its creation not for the poultry fanciers, but for the farmers who grew them commercially in great numbers in Little Compton, was erected by the state in 1954 a mile or so (about two kilometers) south of Adamsville.[6]
Rhode Island Reds are used in the creation of many modern hybrid breeds, mainly due to the prolific egg laying abilities of the Rhode Island Red.
Characteristics
The bird's feathers are rust-colored, however darker shades are known, including maroon bordering on black. Rhode Island Reds have red-orange eyes, reddish-brown beaks, and yellow feet and legs, often with a bit of reddish hue on the toes and sides of the shanks. Chicks are a light red to tan color. The roosters usually weigh in at about 8.7 pounds (3.9 kg), the hens average slightly less at 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg).[5]
Use
Rhode Island Reds are good layers of brown eggs. Hens lay 5–7 eggs per week. The hens lay approximately 312 eggs in their first laying season and 223 in the second.[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 Conservation Priority List. The Livestock Conservancy. Accessed August 2014.
- ↑ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Accessed August 2014.
- ↑ "Rhode Island State Bird - Rhode Island Red". 50states.com. 1954-05-03. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
- ↑ "Rhode Island Red's Success". The Sydney Morning Herald. April 1, 1938. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- 1 2 "Poultry Breeds - Rhode Island Red Chickens". Ansi.okstate.edu. 1997-06-26. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
- ↑ "Statues Honor Doughnuts, Chickens". Toledo Blade. Feb 25, 1959. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ↑ Mallia Azzopardi, 2014.
Further reading
- Raymond, Francine (2001). The Big Book of Garden Hens. Kitchen Garden Books. ISBN 0-9532857-3-1. OCLC 650414762.
- Damerow, Gail (1995). Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. Pownal, Vt.: Storey Books. ISBN 978-1580173254 (paperback). OCLC 43913153.
Media related to Rhode Island Red at Wikimedia Commons