Both Delaware and Rhode Island have domesticated birds as their official state bird. In the case of Rhode Island, it's the Rhode Island Red chicken, which can lay anywhere from 200 to 300 eggs per year, and yields rich-flavored meat.
The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It was developed there and in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century, by cross-breeding birds of Oriental origin such as the Malay with brown Leghorn birds from Italy. It was a dual-purpose breed, raised both for meat and for eggs; modern strains have been bred for their egg-laying abilities. The traditional non-industrial strains of the Rhode Island Red are listed as "watch" (medium conservation priority, between "recovering" and "threatened") by The Livestock Conservancy. It is a separate breed to the Rhode Island White.
The Rhode Island Red was bred in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the second half of the nineteenth century, by selective breeding of birds of Oriental origin such as the Cochin, Java, Malay and Shanghai with brown Leghorn birds from Italy. The characteristic deep red plumage derived from the Malay. The State of Rhode Island celebrated the centenary of the breed in 1954, when the Rhode Island Red Monument was raised at the William Tripp farm, in Little Compton, Rhode Island.
The name of the breed is ascribed either to Isaac Champlin Wilbour of Little Compton at an unknown date, or to a Mr. Jenny of the Southern Massachusetts Poultry Association in 1879 or 1880. In 1891 Nathaniel Borden Aldrich exhibited some as "Golden Buffs" in Rhode Island and in Philadelphia; they were first exhibited under the present name in 1895. They were previously also known as "John Macomber fowls" or "Tripp fowls."
The first breed standard was drawn up in 1898, and was approved by the American Rhode Island Red Club in Boston in 1901; the single-comb variety was admitted to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1904, and the rose-comb in 1906.
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The color of the plumage of the traditional Rhode Island red ranges from a lustrous deep pink to almost black; the tail is mostly black. The comb may be either single or rose-comb; it is vivid red, as are the earlobes and wattles. Birds have red-orange eyes, reddish-brown beaks, and yellow feet and legs, often with some red on the toes and sides of the shanks. Industrial strains may be smaller and paler in color than the old-type breed.
The Rhode Island Red was developed as a dual-purpose breed, to provide both meat and eggs. Since about 1940, it has been selectively bred predominantly for egg-laying qualities, and the modern industrial Rhode Island Red is a layer breed. Rhode Island Reds have been used in the creation of many modern hybrid breeds.
When the weather gets chilly, we're thinking one thing: comfort. Luckily for you, we've got something that combines the comfort of seasonal soup with, always divine, mac 'n' cheese. That's right, our Macaroni & Cheese Soup is sure to be the seasons biggest hit. When you're feeling cold and hungry, there's nothing better than doubling down on fall time comfort.
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 (7.25-ounce) package macaroni & cheese mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- In a soup pot over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Stir in mixed vegetables, macaroni from package (reserving cheese packet), salt, and pepper. Return to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add remaining ingredients, including reserved cheese packet. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened and creamy, stirring occasionally.
