How I raised my Rhode Island Red Chickens here in the Philippines

I have 11 Rhode Island red chickens!

My dad and I wanted to raise Rhode Island red chickens as pets. Last February 27, 2021, we went to buy chicks from a supplier at Consolacion, Cebu. When we got there we saw different breeds of chicken. The Rhode Island red chickens were very different from our native chickens because they were bigger. We bought the required minimum of purchase which is at least ten Rhode Island chicks.

We got home and placed them temporarily inside a box. We fed them with a local brand called Thunderbird for baby stag. We also provided them water with a teaspoon of brown sugar on their first day at home.

When they got a little bigger, we placed them in a small cage. Their wings started to show pigments and it was much easier to recognize their genders.

March 17, 2021, weeks before they turn one month, the chicks already grew so much. The male chicks were starting to grow small tails. They were also starting to have bigger appetite. However, we noticed that their feathers began to shed.

When they reached 1 month, we changed their food from baby stag feeds to stag developer feeds. Unfortunately we lost two chickens because of dog attacks. Three months later, The chickens were bigger and heavier. Male chickens have already developed their comb. Their appearance shocked us because local chickens were very petite and small.

After six months, they continued to grow and they increased in weight. We were advised that the female chickens would start to lay their eggs at six months. So, we switched their food to laying mash.

They had very good appetite and it was too much for our budget. Every time we had occasions, we would slaughter and cook some of the male chickens. Their meat was very tender and fresh because they were still young.

Not later than seven months, we started receiving eggs from the females. They lay eggs six times a week for two years. The eggs were so fresh and the color of the yolks were red orange. We cooked the eggs in different dishes.

Since Rhode Island red chickens can't incubate their eggs, we asked a friend of my dad to incubate them in an oven. It took ten days for the eggs to hatch. And just like that, we got a new batch of Rhode Island red chickens!

Would you like to raise Rhode Island Red Chickens too? They sure are very fun to raise!