RHODE ISLAND WHITE CHICKEN

The Rhode Island White originated in 1888. It was developed by John Alonzo Jocoy of Peacedale, Rhode Island by crossing White Wyandottes with Partridge Cochins and Rose Comb White Leghorns.

In 1903, he introduced the breed to the public. Development and improvement continued to make the bird more closely resembled the Rhode Island Red’s brick-like body shape. This distinctive shape and its rose comb helped to distinguish the breed from other white dual-purpose chickens.

In 1922, the Rose Comb Rhode Island White was admitted to the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection during its national conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. (The Single Comb Rhode Island White was never standardized by the APA.)

Early on, the Rhode Island White had a strong following in its home state. An article in the Poultry Tribune in 1928 describes a flock of 400 Rhode Island Whites kept on the roof of the most posh hotel in Providence, The Biltmore, to provide the freshest and highest quality eggs possible for their guests. The hotel also served meat from freshly butchered birds in their restaurant. Publicity from their “aerial chicken ranch” combined with word-of-mouth rave reviews from customers lucky enough to enjoy the meat and eggs resulted in great financial success for the hotel’s chicken venture.

The Rhode Island White had some popularity in the US until the 1960s when their numbers began to decline. The breed never came close to the overwhelming popularity of the Rhode Island Red.

The Rhode Island White is a moderately-sized, completely white bird with the males weighing 8.5 pounds and females 6.5 pounds. They have long, broad, and deep bodies that are carried horizontally, giving them an oblong and brick-like appearance. Their breasts are deep, full, and well-rounded. Their heads are fairly deep and inclined to be flat on top rather than round. They have a bright red rose comb, wattles, and oblong earlobes, reddish-bay eyes, yellow legs and feet, and yellow beak.

They lay 200-250+ large/jumbo light brown-to-dark brown eggs per year and are excellent layers of winter eggs. They do not tend to go broody. They also have a reputation as good meat fowl.

They do well in both warm and cold climates. They are friendly with people, but like their “space” with other chickens, and can be a bit assertive with more docile breeds of chickens. It is best to make sure that your coop gives them plenty of room to move around, nest, and roost. They perform well in confinement and are also good free-range birds that can forage for a lot of their food, so this all-purpose chicken is a good choice for a family farm.

Did you know:

The Livestock Conservancy helps heritage breed farmers and ranchers successfully raise endangered livestock and poultry.  Tools ranging from microgrants for farm infrastructure improvements to conservation breeding plans for individual flocks and herds help fight extinction threats across America every day.