The New Hampshire chicken (also known as New Hampshire Red) breed originated in the New Hampshire state in the United States. It is not a pure chicken breed. They were developed from the Rhode Island Red chicken breed around 1915 in New Hampshire.
This chicken breed was developed initially as a commercial breed for meat production. But they are now so different that they are their own breed. And they produce more meat and fewer eggs compared to Rhode Island Red chickens. The New Hampshire Red was first standardised by the American Poultry Association in 1935.
And later this breed become popular in some other countries such as UK, Germany, Netherlands etc. New Hampshire chickens become mature early and their feathers grow quickly compared to other common chicken breeds. They lay larger sized and brown colored eggs.
Origins of New Hampshire Chicken
As the name suggests, the New Hampshire chickens have their roots in the state of New Hampshire, USA. They were developed through selective breeding, with the aim of creating a robust, dual-purpose breed suitable for both meat and egg production during the early 20th century.
Characteristics
New Hampshire chicken possess a deep and broad body. Their feathers grow very rapidly. New Hampshire hens are prone to go broody. Most of the pin feathers of this breed are a reddish, brownish buff in color. But do not detract from the carcass appearance very much.
The color is a medium to light red and often fades in the sunshine. They have single comb which is medium to large in size. The comb often lops over a bit in the females. They are pretty good layer, but mainly raised for meat production.
Hens lay larger sized brown eggs (although some strains lay dark brown colored eggs). This chicken breed is aggressive and competitive with other chickens.
Hew Hampshire chicken is also good for show purpose. Male New Hampshire chicken weight around 3.9 kg and female weight around 2.9 kg. Their skin color is yellow.
Behavior/Temperament
New Hampshire chickens can have different personalities. Some of them can be aggressive and some of them can be calm, docile and curious. They are suitable for raising in both confined and free range systems.
Uses
The New Hampshire is a dual-purpose chicken breed. And it is suitable for both meat and eggs production purpose.
| Breed Name | New Hampshire |
| Other Name | New Hampshire Red |
| Breed Purpose | Dual Purpose |
| Breed Temperament | Bears Confinement Well, Calm, Docile, Easily Handled, Friendly, Quiet |
| Breed Size | Heavy (7-8 lbs) |
| Broodiness | Yes (Frequent) |
| Comb | Single Comb |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Egg Size | Large |
| Egg Productivity | Medium (around 200 eggs per year) |
| Feathered Legs | No |
| Rarity | Common |
| Varieties | Red |
Pros/Advantages
- Good for dual purpose
- Very good for meat production
- Pretty good layers
- They are definitely gorgeous
- Not too noisy
- Intelligent
- Docile
- Calm
- Friendly
- Hardy
- Large
Cons/Disadvantages
- Not the best mothers
- Eat a lot
- Some of the chickens can be aggressive and competitive with other chickens
Is New Hampshire chicken Good for You?
New Hampshire chicken is good for you if you…….
- Want to raise good looking, beautiful chickens.
- Want to have more meat production than eggs.
- Want larger sized brown eggs.
- Looking for a proper breed that lays fewer eggs and produces more meat.
- Searching for early maturing chickens.
- Want to raise dual purpose breeds.
- Want to have beautiful chickens as pets.
- Have time, space and interest in raising chickens.
