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Uses: Utility - Eggs. Sex-linked hybrid production.
Eggs: 250+ light brown eggs per year in good utility strains. Origin: Rhode Island State, USA
Weight: Cock: 3.85 Kg Hen: 2.95 Kg.
Bantam Cock: 0.68-0.79 Kg Bantam Hen: 0.79-0.91 Kg
Colours: Dark Red almost Mahogany. A Rhode Island White does exist but is not very well known.
Useful to know: Rhode Island Reds (genetically 'gold' plumage) are used to create sex-linked hybrid layers, crossing with genetically 'silver' hens like the White Leghorn, White Wyandotte or Light Sussex. Chicks from such a cross can be identified at a day old by the colour of their plumage.
Photo: Not yet sorry!
The Rhode Island Red chickens (or RIR as they are often called for short) were developped in the early 1890's from and have often been described as 'bricks' due to their rectangular shape. Rhode Island Red chickens reached the UK in 1903 when Sidney Risdon brought some eggs back to Sommerset. They are one of the most well known around the World due to their use in hybrid hen production. Originally, the Rhode Island Red was created as a dual purpose utility bird but their use in hybrid layer production far outweighs their popularity as a meat bird. The light brown colour of their eggs has made them the most popular choice in the UK and Europe. Rhode Island Red hens are generally very placid and easily tamed, but some strains of cocks can be quite aggressive. If more than one cockerel is kept, they are better in a free range environment where they have plenty of space.
The Rhode Island Red enterend the American Standard of perfection in 1904 and the British Poultry Standards in 19??
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