If you intend to become a breeder—as I have mentioned before—I really recommend going to poultry shows and talking to people. At one show, I met a fine fellow who showed me what a true pure Rhode Island Red should look like (he always places very well with his birds at shows). I fell in love with the breed! I made arrangements to get some birds from him at the next show. I bought a quad and that started my Rhode Island Red breeding flock.

I also talked to several top breeders and listened to what I should look for in a bird; some of these folks were also judges. If I ever wanted new blood, because I kept my birds pure, I would get birds from the same breeder I got my originals from. We would usually arrange to meet at a show.

Feed is one of the most important things. I do occasionally feed my birds layer feed, but through their growing period, I fed them special feed that some of the top breeders use. I started my chicks with a high 26% protein medicated starter crumble. Around 2 or 3 months old, I switched them to a 21% grower pellet. During breeding season, they got a 20% protein breeder feed so I raised very healthy chicks.

There’s always going to be an odd bird that probably needs to be culled. I did have a special bird that I should have culled but missed—maybe she was just meant to be. My goal was to be a good breeder and did the best by my birds.

[attachment=0]RIRMale.jpeg[/attachment]
[attachment=1]RIRFemale.jpeg[/attachment]

Here is a great link to a poultry site that list show dates as well as swap meets across most of the states.
https://www.poultryshowcentral.com
This is the American Poultry Association book of the Standard of Perfection for recognized breeds by the APA.
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I used to show my birds at poultry shows, and it was a wonderful experience that allowed me to make lasting friendships and swap tips with fellow enthusiasts.

I have used leg bands on the birds. I had a different color leg band for each coop.
[attachment=1]spiralplasticlegbands.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=0]BirdLegBand.jpeg[/attachment]


The [b]first tub[/b] of water contains shampoo for their initial wash.
The [b]second tub[/b] of water has about a cup of vinegar added, which helps remove soap from their feathers.
The [b]third tub[/b] is plain water for a final rinse.

After I bathe the birds, I like to wrap each one up like a burrito—it makes it much easier to work on them! This is when I check out their legs and feet, combs and wattles.
[b]Depending on the weather[/b], I usually put them in their show transport cages to dry. If it’s cool outside, I use a hair dryer on a low setting to make sure they’re warm and dry. I typically bathe them the day before the show to give them plenty of time to dry and settle in.