Red hen - what breed?

My neighbors found this red hen in their yard. What kind is it?




Doesn't show well in the photos but there's some black in there. Legs are yellowish - not bright yellow like the golden laced Wyandottes on my street.

She seems a little thin and missing a lot of breast feathers. Could someone have dumped her in "the countryside" just because she was broody?

Hatchery quality RIR or production red.

enola said:

Hatchery quality RIR or production red.

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That's what I was suspecting.

There's some black spots on back feathers - is that common with hatchery quality? Sorry - I've not noticed black on a RIR before, would that make it more likely to be a production red?

Poor girl seems awfully thin. But could just be that I'm used to my (feed store) Buff Orpingtons.

smudge said:

That's what I was suspecting.

There's some black spots on back feathers - is that common with hatchery quality? Sorry - I've not noticed black on a RIR before, would that make it more likely to be a production red?

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It's a Production Red. Occasional non-red feathers (black or white ones) in other areas besides the tail are fairly common with Production Reds.

looks like my 5 Rhode Island Reds

You could feed her chick starter which has higher protein and fat which may help the poor girl put on some weight.

lilmiz said:

looks like my 5 Rhode Island Reds

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Strictly speaking there is little or no difference between the Production Reds, Rhode Island Reds, and New Hampshires of most hatcheries. Production Reds, which are bred for high egg production with little or no regard to APA standards, are produced by crossing red gene roosters (RIR, NH, or PR) with red gene hens (RIR, NH, or PR). If the offspring have darker red feathering (closer to mahogany) and black feathers in the tail, the hatcheries market them as RIRs. If the offspring have lighter red feathering (closer to chestnut) and black feathers in the tail, the hatcheries market them as NHs. If the offspring have a shade of red somewhere down the middle, or if their red shading is uneven or has a few flecks of another color in it, or if there are no black feathers in the tail, then the hatchery markets them as Production Reds. If you look at the heritage Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires of any reputable breeder you will immediately notice some major differences in the depth of body and the color vibrancy (whether the deep mahagony of the RIR or the rich chestnut of the NH) to that of hatchery quality RIRs and NHs (essentially Production Reds).

Are you going to keep her?

CrazyChickLady7 said:

Are you going to keep her?

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Ideally, I would like to think that there's an owner out there looking for her and worried. I've emailed the neighborhood email list, including a direct email to the local veternarian. I've posted on Facebook and on a lost pet site. My daughter wants to make up a flyer when she gets home from school today.

However, the longer I hear nothing, and the more I think about where this girl ended up, the more I suspect that someone dumped her as a pet they had no more use for.

We get that here.

I'd elaborate, but apparently I am not allowed to do so. (My earlier reply to your post was deleted. Not by me.)

Suffice it to say that if the owner does show, the girl will have a caring home, either here if she can be integrated into my flock of 6, or with someone local who meets my standards.

I'm gonna go with a Rhode Island Red.