"Rhode Island Reds"
I keep reading (and hearing) about folks having "Rhode Island Reds".
May I please point out that most (I'd say 98%+) of "Rhode Island Reds" sold in the country are no such thing, but brown hybrid layers. The name of this breed is slapped on to any brown hen.
Real Rhodies are quite rare here. They are a very dark mahogany brown, have yellow legs, and are brick-shaped.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Reds/RCRIRP1.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Reds/RIRM.JPEG
Rhode Island Reds are a good old dual-purpose breed, whereas the brown hybrid layers are, well, just that. They lay for a year or two and are then more often than not "spent" and succumb to exhaustion, being egg-bound etc.
Being the turbo-layers that they are hybrid layers need very concentrated feed and lots of it and plenty of calcium, so as not to produce eggs at the expense of their body mass and health. They are bred for intensive indoor units and don't do quite as well outdoors.
Dual-purpose breeds have somewhat more moderate feed needs since they don't lay quite as much and they tend to be more long-lived. Male offspring makes good roasters, something that can't be said for hybrid offspring as these have been bred for laying and laying only. And needless to say, hybrids don't breed true.
chook
May I please point out that most (I'd say 98%+) of "Rhode Island Reds" sold in the country are no such thing, but brown hybrid layers. The name of this breed is slapped on to any brown hen.
Real Rhodies are quite rare here. They are a very dark mahogany brown, have yellow legs, and are brick-shaped.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Reds/RCRIRP1.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Reds/RIRM.JPEG
Rhode Island Reds are a good old dual-purpose breed, whereas the brown hybrid layers are, well, just that. They lay for a year or two and are then more often than not "spent" and succumb to exhaustion, being egg-bound etc.
Being the turbo-layers that they are hybrid layers need very concentrated feed and lots of it and plenty of calcium, so as not to produce eggs at the expense of their body mass and health. They are bred for intensive indoor units and don't do quite as well outdoors.
Dual-purpose breeds have somewhat more moderate feed needs since they don't lay quite as much and they tend to be more long-lived. Male offspring makes good roasters, something that can't be said for hybrid offspring as these have been bred for laying and laying only. And needless to say, hybrids don't breed true.
chook
Comments
I agree totally with all you have said. My personal experience has been when people see our Rhode Island Red pen they are surprised at "how dark and how big they are" and there is often a comment about "how different they look to the ordinary RIR". Each time we explain that the birds in this pen are RIR's and the others are commercial egg laying hybrids but I think it will take some time for the general public to differentiate.
The interest in poultry keeping as it has occured this year in Ireland is unprecedented, hopefully an awareness of breed characterisics will follow.
LRH