CHAPTER XXIV 

 RHODE ISLAND WHITES 



Origin, utility qualities and mating of this variety 



There are today two varieties of Rhode Island Whites. Single and 

 Rose Comb. 



Rhode Island Whites were originated by J. Alonzo Jocoy, who 

 lived in the state of Rhode Island, near Peacedale. He bought two 

 White Wyandotte cockerels in 1888. These birds were mated with 

 two Partridge Cochin hens. The pullets that resulted were a dirty 

 buff; they had rose combs and clean yellow legs, and for mongrels 

 they were said to have been an ideal lot of birds. 



These pullets were again mated with Cochin blood, as the Cochin 

 was a high-class roaster-producing fowl in that day. However, the 

 white fowl being the choice of Mr. Jocoy, because it made the better 

 dressed carcass, the pullets from the second Cochin cross were mated 

 with a Rose Comb White Leghorn male. From this mating he raised 

 over a hundred chicks, ten of which were pure white, and of the ten, 

 two were males and eight were females. They had rose combs and 

 clean yellow legs. In shape they resembled the Plymouth Rock. 

 The eight white pullets began laying before they were six months 

 old. The breed was then started from this foundation. Other blood 

 may have been added since; on this there are no authentic records. 



A dual purpose type. The Rhode Island White is a general pur- 

 pose fowl; it has both meat, and egg properties. One of the finest 

 flocks of growing youngsters we ever saw were Rhode Island Whites 

 in the yards of a Mr. Gough at Peacedale, Rhode Island. Eleven years 

 has not erased the memory of those robust, thrifty young chickens. 

 The birds of this breed have yellow skins and are sitters. The breed 

 is bred in two varieties, rose and single comb. 



Rhode Island Whites have been making records in the egg-laying 

 contents of the country since 1914. In 1918 a 291 egg hen was pro- 

 duced in the All-Northwest egg-laying contest at Pullman, Washing- 

 ton. In 1919, in this same contest, Rhode Island Whites made the 

 best breed average, and in the same year at the National egg-laying 

 contest at Mountain Grove, Missouri, they broke all previous egg 

 records. The two leading pens were Rhode Island Whites. One 

 pen of five birds laid 1,217 eggs, or an average of 243.4; the second 

 pen averaged 233 eggs. The leading hen in the contest, also a Rhode 

 Island White, laid 306 eggs for the year. A pen of Rhode Island 

 Whites was awarded the silver cup at the American Egg Laying 

 Contest, year ending Oct. 31, 1920, for the highest number of eggs 

 laid during the year. The pen of 5 pullets laid 1.208 eggs, each in- 

 dividual laying over 200, the highest record being 285. 



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