Description
The New Hampshire was overshadowed by the success of the Rhode Island Red, even though they created the two just several years apart. The fact that they look very similar may have had something to do with it.
This is a shame since this bird has much to offer the modern homesteader as a true dual-purpose hen.
The origins of the New Hampshire hen are less than one hundred years old. It was developed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as a separate strain of Rhode Island Red chickens.
Around 1910 or so, poultry breeders of New Hampshire were selecting hens for faster feathering, faster growth and maturity from the Rhode Island Red strains that were around at the time.
The honor of creating this breed went to Professor ‘Red’ Richardson, who was working in one of the Agricultural Experimentation Stations at the time.
They were also selecting for good egg laying ability but especially good meat production.
To promote the breed, they initially used it in the ‘Chicken of Tomorrow’ contests popular in the US in the late 1940s.
While the New Hampshire breed didn’t win the contest, it did become one of the first breeds to establish the broiler industry. They also used them to create the Delaware chicken breed, another short lived star of the broiler industry.
The New Hampshire is roughly the same size as the Rhode Island Red but the body has a more triangular form to it.
It has a deep, broad body and is an all-round large, meaty bird; plump would be the word of choice.
The feather coloration is quite different from the Rhode Island bird. Feathers are usually a lighter shade of red. While the Rhode Island coloration could be said to be mahogany, the New Hampshire is nearer to a chestnut shade with occasional pale yellow highlights.
In sunlight the feathers do bleach out to a lighter shade of red.
The hens’ neck feathers are black tipped as are the tail feathers too. Under feathers are a light salmon color. The red comb is single which can be quite floppy with the hen. Ear lobes and wattles are also red.
Eyes are orange while the beak is a reddish/horn color.
Shanks are clean and there is a reddish line that runs down the shanks to the toes, of which there are four. Shanks and toes are yellow in color, as is the skin.
New Hampshire Standard
It took several years of development and several generations of birds for the New Hampshire breed to be significantly different from the Rhode Island Red (its’ forbears).
Work on the breed started around 1910 and the breakthrough came in 1918.
Through further refinement and a drawing up of standards, the New Hampshire was finally admitted to the American Poultry Association in 1935 as a separate breed.
- The APA classifies the bird as American.
- The American Bantam Association classifies it as single comb, clean legged.
- The Poultry Club of Great Britain designates it as a soft feathered, heavy breed.
Egg Laying and Temperament
The New Hampshire is a good egg layer of around 200 large tinted/light brown eggs per year; this equates to about 3 eggs each week.
They also can go broody fairly frequently and are good setters. If allowed to hatch their own they make great mothers too!
Some broodies have been known to accept other chicks under them too, but naturally this will vary from hen to hen.
The New Hampshire is a family friendly bird, making great pets as they are easy to tame.
As a medium sized bird, they can be quite food aggressive and are willing to push and shove flock mates out of the way; certainly not a good thing if you have shy, docile breeds already.
However,r you can reduce this bullying behavior by having several feeding stations spread apart from each other.
Obviously their personalities will vary greatly so be aware they can be docile and lovable to unfriendly and aggressive.
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