Rhode Island Reds
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Copyright 2012 The Hillbilly Bride. All Rights Reserved.
We have chosen the Rode Island Red to raise on our farm. Like raising any other type of animal, there are a lot of factors in finding what breed best fits your situation. The RIR was an easy choice for us. They are very good layers as well as a good meat bird. They aren't aggressive, though I have read a few blogs that would make me question that. They are easily contained, even if you want them to free range.
A free range bird is not only a happier bird but it also produces larger eggs as well as more of them. We use electric fence to set up boundary lines as well as keep predators out. This only works as long as you give the birds more room than they require. There feathers insulate them slightly from the shock so if their area is too small they will definately cross the fence. If the area is large enough and they are provided shelter and clean water, they will remain content to stay where you want them. We keep our turkeys in with the chickens as well as our dog to help keep the hawks from getting interested.
After our chicks stay inside for a week they get moved outside to these brooding pens on the side of the chicken house. Here they are fed an all natural, soy-free, non-gmo, organic feed.
Once they start getting their wings in and start to develop tail feathers we move them to a larger room so that they can have a larger area to fly around in. until they are big enough to free range with the big birds.
