Crossword Genius

Providence state with Russian fowl (5,6,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rhode island red

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'fowl' is the definition.
(Rhode Island red is an example)

'providence state with russian' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'state' could be 'rhodeisland' (Rhode Island is an example) and 'rhodeisland' is found within the answer.
'russian' could be 'red' (red can informally mean communist) and 'red' is present in the answer.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for rhode island red that I've seen before include "Chicken breed" , "possible victim of battery" , "Fowl" , "New England communist" , "American Communist" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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