Assorted Red Bin

[Aemelia]

I got two female chicks from the assorted red bin last March. One is clearly a RIR (admittedly hatchery quality at best) but this one which I always kind of assumed was a Production Red has been much slower to start laying (she still hasn't and they are a day away from being 23 weeks old). Anyway here she is anyone have any ideas what breed she is?

Here's my RIR with my daughter just for fun.

Thank you so much!

 

[hennyannie]

Sure looks like production red to me.
What a cute pics of those 2 girls together!

 

[JodyJo]

looks just like my RIR...she just started laying at 23 weeks....I would expect you seeing an egg, soon...I did read they are a bit late,22-24 weeks till POL

 

[Chris09]

Aemelia,
You hen is a Production Red.

JodyJo,
Your bird is a Production Red not a Rhode Island Red.

Chris

 

[Aemelia]

What about this one? She's MUCH darker than my other one I've always thought she was a poor hatchery quality RIR. She started laying right at 20 weeks. Do RIR's start laying sooner than Production reds?

 

[Aemelia]

Here's a close up of her head.

 

[Aemelia]

She's a good girl she has laid an egg for me everyday since she started laying!

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
R.I. Red (hatchery quality)

Chris

 

[chisNchickens]

Well then I guess mine aren't RIRs either but they are supposed to be. How do you tell the difference?

 

[cielo]

From what I understand a Production Red is a breed that was developed from a cross between Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire Reds. The intention was to create a smaller bird more suited to eggcellent! egg laying.
The Production Red is smaller than a Rhode Island because RIRs are developed to be dual purpose, eggs/meat whereas with Production Reds the focus is on laying ability thus "Production".
Production Reds coloring is different, in between RIR (darker) and NHR (lighter).
Production Reds are said to be more broody than RIRs.
Kind of like the whole Ameraucana/Araucana/Easter Egger confusion, Production Reds are sometimes called RIR but they aren't actually. They are a whole new awesome egg laying bird! I'd like to have some myself someday.
-Cielo