New Hampshire or Rhode Island or other??????

[picanins]

Hello lovely people.

Two years ago we got our first chickens - 6 hens and a rooster, which we were told were Rhode Island Reds. Because we knew absolutely nothing about chickens, other than there were black and red and white ones we had no reason to believe otherwise. Now that I am becoming more of a serious chicken keeper I would love to know what we actually have? I have been told that RIR's are actually very rare (most people call red chickens RIR's). When looking at 100's of pictures it seems that our chickens look more like New Hampshires.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts regarding ROO, our very amazing Rooster

(He normally looks MUCH better than this but he is molting at the moment)

 

[donrae]

He's not a Rhode Island Red. They are a deep red color. His color doesn't seem quite right for a New Hamp, I'd label him a production red.

 

[patty12]

doesn't look dark red enough for RIR maybe a production red of some sort. Production reds are a mixture od breeds and are produced by hatcheries to lay many eggs. also called cherry eggers. They could be new Hamps , they are lighter red like new Hamps. what ever they are they should be a good chicken by the looks at the rooster.

 

[aoxa]

He's mixed with something else. He's a pretty boy though!

Neither RIR nor NHR.

He has pink legs too.

 

[picanins]

Thank so much for your feedback - I thought he wasn't a RIR - but boy does he make pretty babies

His legs are really weird - they look actually yellowish on the front and whiter round the back - the light in that picture has washed his legs out completely

 

[aoxa]

Thank so much for your feedback - I thought he wasn't a RIR - but boy does he make pretty babies His legs are really weird - they look actually yellowish on the front and whiter round the back - the light in that picture has washed his legs out completely

Oh okay He has the same kind of body as my production type barred rock cock.

 

[picanins]

Oh okay

He has the same kind of body as my production type barred rock cock.

................ LOVE!!!

And if I've got it correctly - Production Reds, although not bred for perfection they are bred to to be egg layers?? Because my girls are EXCELLENT layers and ROO is the nicest, kindest Roo - and he is HUGE!!! I should weigh him - boys he's big

 

[aoxa]

................ LOVE!!!

And if I've got it correctly - Production Reds, although not bred for perfection they are bred to to be egg layers??  Because my girls are EXCELLENT layers and ROO is the nicest, kindest Roo - and he is HUGE!!!  I should weigh him - boys he's big

My boy is huge too. He's much bigger than my exhibition style barred rocks for sure.

The Production Reds are bred to be layers. I don't know about the roo friendliness though. Where did you get him? Hatcheries usually don't have mixed breeds unless they do it intentionally (ie: production reds, EEs, RSLs, etc.) They often sell production reds under the impression that they are RIRs.

And thanks

My boy is super friendly too!