Rhode island red chickens
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Rhode island red chickens* »

Are rhode island red chickens good as pets?

ive bought a chicken ark, now i was thinking of buying r.i.r. chickens as pets and to produce eggs for my small baking business:)
however,in springtime i would like some baby chickens as well.
i am willing to buy a rooster and keep him in a separate coop,then introduce him to one of my females when i wanted him to fertilize the eggs. but i am wondering
a) will this breed of chicken go broody?
b)if she does, will other females mind the chicks being in the same coop as them?
c)at any point in their lives,are chickens eggs unhealthy to eat?[the health board in ireland doesn't allow eggs to be sold if the layer is over a certain age ,66 days i think]
that’s all really, and i also wonder what the lifespan of a Rhode Island Red chicken is?

=D Please Help Me
Thanks


4 Responses to “Are rhode island red chickens good as pets?”

  1. eyJude on
    June 22nd, 2010 8:35 am

    no the rooster is with the chickens all the time… you can use fertilized eggs as long as they are fresh. THEN when you want chicks let them set.
    I think Barred rocks are better chickens though.
    Eggs are ok to eat at any age of the chicken… she only has so many inside her and when they are gone she will stop laying… it’s really old though.
    good luck
    e-mail me if you have more Q’s

  2. B!nd! on
    June 22nd, 2010 8:35 am

    I have had plenty of Rhode Island Reds and think they are just about the best breed of chook.
    Mine have always been much friendlier than the other breeds, they look beautiful, and they lay lovely brown eggs.
    You shouldnt have a problem keeping your Rooster with the hens all year ’round- it can be difficult to introduce new chooks and roosters are usually the head of the pecking order- they will breed when they choose to but usually they will only really start to be interested in reproducing when it starts to get warm and after they molt.
    a) Yes they will go broody- they are pretty easy to breed.
    b) You are probably going to have to keep the hen with the chicks seperate, she will protect them when they are a bit older- but it is dangerous for them when they are very young- I would keep them seperate for at least the first 2-4 weeks. If you can, seperate an area in their pen so the others can see them and get used to them, but wont be able to hurt them.
    c) Not that I am aware of- we have kept the same chickens for years (brought them P.O.L. in 1998 when we brought our house, they stayed with the house when we sold it in 2007) and we always ate the eggs. Layers will stop making as many eggs when they start to get older which is probably why they stop using them for commercial use.
    The lifespan? Well- some of ours have made it past the 9 year mark, but I think about 8 years is the norm.

  3. Jess on
    June 22nd, 2010 8:35 am

    i like Australorps, and Americanas.

  4. Elim on
    June 22nd, 2010 8:35 am

    a) RiRs are bred to not be broody. so will not brood very easily. People want them to lay and lay only because they have been used as commercial egg layers. Out of 50 RiRs only 7 will go broody if you are lucky. I had RiRs for about 3 years now and non of them has every gone broody.
    b)If the Rir go broody and does hypothetically have chicks, it will protect the chicks from being bullied by other chickens. Unless she was a runt of the flock, the chicks will be fine.
    c) Eggs can be eaten at whatever age they lay. I think ireland does that because their first couple of eggs are pretty small. Like quail egg size.
    Average life span of chickens is about 8-12 years.

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