The cock bird on the left is one of the birds I hatched out in 2011 from shipped eggs. I didn't use him but used his half brother as my 2013 breeder. The cock bird on the right is the one that I will be using as my breeder for 2014. He has a much longer, wider back, 5 point comb, nicer keel, really I think a pretty nice bird. I'm hoping for some really nice young from him.
5/13/2013 My first cross of two Nelson families. NYREDS and dinahmoe. Pure Nelson of course. 6 weeks old yesterday. My dinahmoe girls have black bands and the NYREDS have white bands so I will put both colors on these young females (one on each leg) and will probably use the white numbered bands on the boys. lol
4/27/2013 New babies from the two female families are hatching today. One popped out last night just before midnight and had 6 this morning. I'm done hatching for this spring/summer. With the 4 from the 4/1 hatch and whatever I get in these, I should have enough to pick a really nice cockerel or two and the nicest hens with go in breeding pen and the others will go to layer flock.
4/28/2013 The babies below were just hatched yesterday. Gee whiz, they sure are cuties. lol
4/29/2013 The 2 pictures below show the little chipmunk stripes that I haven't seen for years and years in the RIR chicks. I am really confused with this. Maybe I have the hen that lays the golden egg. I will have to band these and make sure to watch them grow. When I was a kid we always said that the little RIR's looked like chipmunks and now a days none of them have this anymore. I don't know if I should be glad or disappointed. lol
Below are pictures of the Don Nelson birds that I will be picking from to use as my breeders for 2013. The Cock birds will all be from dinahmoe (BYC) who got them from a man in Maine who got his birds directly from Don. The hens will be from both dinahmoe and NYREDS. I am glad to have from both these breeders, this way I should not have to worry about any new blood for quite a few years. The dinahmoe birds were hatched 4/5/12 and the NYREDS pullets hatched out 6/6/12. Will have 8 breeder hens in this group to start working with 2013. Should be able to get a pretty nice start with them.
This is a question that was asked by a BYC member on the forum and answered by Robert Blosl. I'm really glad this question was asked and answered by a knowledgeable RIR person.
Question: Forgive me for my ignorance but what line did the Don Nelson line originate from?
Answer: He has had them for about thirty years. He told me they came out of some stock out of Penn. I dont know if they are some of Mr. Wards old birds. They are classic New England Reds. One of the top three strains left in the country and ready for anyone who lives in the cold climates of the North. He does not breed them much anymore he has sold many to others and has someone near him who has these birds.
Question: Forgive me for my ignorance but what line did the Don Nelson line originate from?
Answer: He has had them for about thirty years. He told me they came out of some stock out of Penn. I dont know if they are some of Mr. Wards old birds. They are classic New England Reds. One of the top three strains left in the country and ready for anyone who lives in the cold climates of the North. He does not breed them much anymore he has sold many to others and has someone near him who has these birds.
The two pictures were at 6 weeks 1 day old. The comments made me feel very proud. I just had to copy/paste them below the pictures. These are a couple guys that I really respect their opinions. Thanks Bill and Bob.
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Look at that one in the front left of the first picture. You can see the brick shape already. You should see it that young. If it's not apparent when they're young it will never be there. I see type on birds from this strain when they go from the incubator to the brooder.
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Notice the color in the beak and leg on these chicks. This is a good example for lurkers who come to this thread to see the difference to Heritage Standard Breed Chicks and the Production Reds you get at the feed stores. One thing I was reading yesterday in a old 1923 Rhode Island Red Journal and it made me think of some of those who want high egg production in Reds was lack of hatchability in high egg laying reds. Leghorns can lay lots of eggs and yet there eggs hatch very well the reason they are breed that way as Leghorns. High egg lay ing strains of Reds in the 1920s had poor fertility but more than anything else poor hatchability. If you where a farmer you made money on eggs but took a beating if you sold chicks. That is why fellows who had strains that averaged about 200 eggs per year had the best all around strains. The ended up with more profit with less loss of females dieing with ruptured ova ducks and hatched more chicks because the female was not stressed out. Glad to see the Don Nelson Strain out their and remember if you get a chance enter them in a poultry show. Show off your birds and you may end up on champion row. Bob
Next shots taken 6/13. I am absolutely thrilled to death with these birds. These Don Nelson and my Mohawk lines that I've acquired is such a dream come true. Some of these chicks have chests like the Cornish breed. lol The younguns are 10 weeks 1 day on these photos and were just put in their new coop. I think that I have 7 pullets and 3 cockerels in this group. As of right now I think these are the nicest young juveniles that I've ever had. They are so friendly, happy and healthy. I am so proud to think that I hatched 10 of these from 13 shipped eggs and have raised every one so far. They are having a ball in their new coop.
Oh my gosh, I lost one of these beautiful birds 6/17 10 weeks 3 days old. Found her dead in their new coop. Don't really know what happened. No marks at all and she was just fine the night before. Nothing could get in her pen. Maybe broke her neck somehow. Sure do hate this.
This group is having a pumpkin treat. They sure seem to like it. lol Pic taken 11/10/2012
Next group of pic's taken 11/18/12 These will be my breeders for 2013 chicks. These are two different cock birds. 7 1/2 months old. I feel very proud to have this line and that they have turned out as nice as they have to have something to start with for next year.
Just wanted to add that I sold the cock bird in the bottom row of these pictures. I used the one in the top row because he is so much broader across width of his back and a wider breast and hoping to throw this into the next generation. My hens are all nice size and all are pretty long and wide. Hoping for some really nice babies this year. I still have the brother of these two boys (pictured in top picture). I didn't use him this year but I figured I'd use him next round then go with males from the cross from then on.
Just wanted to add that I sold the cock bird in the bottom row of these pictures. I used the one in the top row because he is so much broader across width of his back and a wider breast and hoping to throw this into the next generation. My hens are all nice size and all are pretty long and wide. Hoping for some really nice babies this year. I still have the brother of these two boys (pictured in top picture). I didn't use him this year but I figured I'd use him next round then go with males from the cross from then on.
WOW !!!!!!!!! Talk about being excited about a purchase. I was on BYC Rhode Island Red forum today 5/2/12 and came across post by NYREDS saying that he was done hatching and was going to break up his breeding pens but decided to see if anyone would be interested in some eggs. I am so glad that I came across that post. I feel so honored and privileged to be getting some hatching eggs from him. He and Don Nelson are friends and he got his foundation stock directly from Don. I wasn't going to hatch any more eggs this year but how can anyone pass up on these lines.
Thank you sooooo much Bill (NYREDS) for selling these to me. Will be posting when I get these and they hatch.
Thank you sooooo much Bill (NYREDS) for selling these to me. Will be posting when I get these and they hatch.
Below photo's are Nelson line from NYREDS taken 11/10/2012 5 month old pullets.
Nelson pullets from NYREDS 12/16/2012
These are the 3 pullets I got from William Post. They are sure getting nice. They are in with my other Nelson birds that came from dinahmoe. Sure do wish that I would have had at least 1 cock bird from this group. Oh well maybe I will be able to get some more next year. If not I'll raise some from these girls and my dinahmoe cock bird. They are pure Nelson also.
1/28/2013 Below photo's taken today, These girls are really special to me. What birds they are.
2/20/2013 Well I have been getting 1 - 2 eggs every few day from these girls (dinahmoe ones) and all of a sudden today I got 5 eggs. Going by this, the girls from NYREDS had to start laying. I have 4 from dinahmoe and 3 from NYREDS so they all have to be starting. The NYREDS are 8 months old. I am so tickled with this. I will be saving eggs and incubating some of these now. Of all the lines so far, these hens are absolutely top of the line in my book. They are super calm, very friendly, beautiful color and great size. I will know in a few months how they are on the laying end.
3/27/2013 For the past couple of weeks, I have been getting 3-6 eggs per day from these 7 girls. I am very satisfied with their laying.
11/6/2013 The birds below just turned 6 months old the end of October and today 11/6/13 I got the first egg from them. I will be anxious to see young from these next spring. The two cock birds that I raised this year have much nicer width to their backs then the ones I had last year. Must be doing something right with them. lol I only kept this one cockerel pictured below. The other one had a little roach in his back.
3/18/2014 I copied/pasted this from a post on BYC. Made me feel pretty good about my Nelson line birds. I'm hoping to get some nice ones this year. I kept 5 from what I raised last year so I really need to get some this year. The Nelson line birds we got from immyjay54 have feathering quality that simply takes your breath away. Just sayin'.
3/27/2014 I just took a couple of shots of the Older Nelson girls. The one on the left is from NYREDS, the one on the right is from Dinahmoe. They went through a really rough winter here in PA.
5/6/2014 Below is my Nelson group that I used for 2014. I have 3 chicks now and 16 eggs in the bator. Just wanted to set a few to get me a couple good boys for next year. This is one really nice boy. Good color, nice straight/wide/long back and really nice keel. These chicks should be nice from this little quad. Should have some nice boys to put back over the grandmothers next year. Put 10 of these into lock down 5/7 and starting to pip right now 5/9. Sure hope I get a decent hatch with these.
5/11/2014 Small group of chicks hatched from above group. These were hatched 5/10 Last hatch for this spring. Keeping these.
5/18/2014 Above chicks at 1 week old. Really growing fast.
I've had the Nelson line of birds now for 3-4 years and got a nice surprise just this week. One of the older Nelson girls decided to go broody. I have 8 eggs under her so we''ll see how this goes. lol 6/13 Set her Set her 6/10 Due to hatch 7/1