UTILITY VALUE OF RHODE ISLAND REDS 



ORIGIN OF THE REDS— THEY POSSESS REMARKABLE UTILITY QUALITIES-LINE BREEDING 

 IS ADVISABLE ONLY TO A LIMITED EXTENT— IT IS A GREAT ADVANTAGE TO THE BREED 

 THAT DOUBLE MATING IS UNNECESSARY— CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO USE CORRECT MAT- 

 INGS AS EXTREMES IN COLOR WILL PRODUCE MANY DIFFERENT SHADES IN THE CHICKS 



LESTER TOMPKINS, MASSACHUSETTS 



FOR more than forty years I have known the Rhode 

 Island Reds in Little Compton, their original home. 

 In speaking of the new breed, or as I know them, 

 the new old breed, I am carried back to boyhood 

 days. This was about the only fowl we saw on the farm in 

 our town, which at that time, and today, produced more 

 poultry than any place of its size to be found. 



The Reds were found to be so hardy that nearly every- 

 one used Red males even if he had different colored females, 

 until the flocks became practically all red. Changing males 

 and out-crossing, with occa- 

 sionally putting in a bird ^ 

 brought home from sea by 

 sailors living in that region, 

 strengthened the flocks won- 

 derfully. If someone was 

 so fortunate as to secure a 

 new male from over the sea, 

 the fact quickly became 

 known and that year he 

 found ready sale for all the 

 cockerels he could raise. 



While many farmers 

 bred only for eggs and meat, 

 and introduced new males 

 simply to keep up vigor, a 

 few took more paing and 

 selected and bred carefully a 

 few each -year, thereby build- 

 ing up some fine flocks that 

 would reproduce. It was 

 from some of those flocks 

 that selections were made 

 and exhibited as Rhode Is- 

 land Reds, when first intro- 

 duced to the fancy. They 

 have since been, and are to- 

 day, growing in popularity. 

 From this you can readily see 

 that the , farmer ' who had 



taken no pains; in fact, no care in breeding, found 

 a ready market for his stock, as .anything red must be a 

 Rhode Island Red, while there was. really a great difference 

 in the stock. 



Line breeding is all right to a certain extent, but it is 

 of great danger to the Reds, as the breed was made up by 

 out-crossing, and to keep- them at their best, I believe this 

 must be continued. While it may be well to line-breed in 

 order to establish lines, it is the .union- of these lines that 

 gives best results, when the lines nick properly. .. 



Another point we hear spoken of "My pullets^ run light 

 —I need a dark male to strengthen my females." '^^'' '= 



rraST.BBlztn.cm.ll'n^eBCQQK AT: M/iDISON SqUAHE e/fl^DP-N N.'*; rSQB- 

 LE5TER tOMPH INS CONCORD MASS. 0«,e>-An*^r«i.f/ : 



This is 



disappointing, usually, as the extremes in color will produce 

 a great variety of shades in the chicks. 



Better not go quite so fast but secure better results in 

 the end. Also use a little care and select a breeder with 

 strong undercolor (not so dark in surface) if it shows a trifle 

 smut, which so many are afraid of. The tendency is for 

 females to fade from laying, and I believe ■ we must overdo 

 the shade a little in order to keep a good color after fading. 

 There is mention occasionally, that Reds do not breed 

 true. I have claimed, and still claim, that, they will breed 



as true as any breed we 

 have, if properly mated. The 

 great trouble is the craze 

 of fanciers to produce a 

 crackerjacki They resort to 

 extremes and of course get 

 a variety of shades and styles 

 of colors in' spite of which 

 well bred flocks can be mated 

 to breed a uniform lot in 

 males and females of good 

 quality without the "double 

 mating" we hear so much 

 about. . 



Double mating I do 

 not consider necessary in 

 Rhode Island Reds, as males 

 and females can be produced 

 from same mating, that is, 

 from same male and females. 

 There is not the least doubt 

 but the best flocks of Reds 

 in the country are descend- 

 ed from as pure a race of 

 fowls as any breed in the 

 world. 



This talk of Reds com- 

 ing from mongrels, has no 

 foundation, only as above 

 mentioned, when pushed by 

 fakers for personal gain. Many of those sold as Reds 

 were not true Rhode Island Reds to start with— they sim- 

 ply happened to resemble the purer flocks in color, and so 

 deceived a lot of innocent people. While the best flocks 

 vary some in shade, a, slight difference in the shade of red 

 is more conspicuous than in colors that are not so bright, 

 the culls are so readily noticed that a novice -can easily 

 pick them out without the aid of an expert. 



A flock of good specimens of Rhode Island Reds is 

 certainly grand to look upon and they are surely coming 

 to the .front as a fancier's breed, and as the 'greatest utility 

 , fowl of the day. 



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