Rhode Island Red
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 A Rhode Island Red
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Domesticated
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| '''Gallus gallus''' |
The Rhode Island Red (Gallus gallus) is a very popular breed of chicken. They are a utility bird, raised for meat and eggs, and also as show birds.
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[edit] Appearance
Its feathers are a Mahogany dark red/brown lustre, bordering on black. Some have purple spots or green stripes. They have red/orange eyes and yellow feet. Chicks are a light red to tan color with two dark brown bars running down their backs.
[edit] History
The Rhode Island Red was originally bred in Adamsville, a small village which is part of Little Compton, Rhode Island. In 1925 the Rhode Island Red Club of America donated funds for an elegant monument to the Rhode Island Red in Adamsville, near the baseball field and across the street from what used to be Abraham Manchester's restaurant. (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 south of Adamsville.
[edit] Characteristics
Rhode Island Reds are tough birds, resistant to illness, good at foraging and free ranging, and are typically docile, quiet and friendly. Though males can be considerably aggressive. Though they are widely known as good layers through cold periods, if the coop temperature drops below freezing their output drops considerably and they may frostbite the tips of their combs.
[edit] Eggs
Rhode Island Reds are excellent egg layers, producing up to 250 to 300 large, light brown eggs per year. When free ranged their first year eggs can frequently get too large to fit comfortably in a standard egg carton.
[edit] Meat
Rhode Island Reds are also bred for meat, with Cockerels weighing in at around 9 pounds (4 kilograms), and Hens slightly less. Cock-8-1/2 pounds; hen-6-1/2 pounds; cockerel-7-1/2 pounds; pullet-5-1/2 pounds.
[edit] History
Rhode Island Reds were originally bred from chickens in Little Compton, Rhode Island around 1900, and is now the state bird of Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Reds and Sussex are also used for many modern hybrid breeds.
[edit] References
- Raymond, Francine (2001). The Big Book of Garden Hens. Kitchen Garden Books, ISBN 0-9532857-3-1
- Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities (Paperback)ISBN-13: 978-1580173254
