Quote: I will try and get some pictures of each kind of RIR I have. It might be a day or two. My chickens act like my tiny camera is a 22 long rifle. I do have pictures of my HRIR loaded in my user profile from posting them in the HRIR thread. None of my HRIR are mean or agressive. In fact my production hens will try to attack my HRIR rooster who is twice their size and he just walks away. But an outline of big differences between HRIR and PRIR.
Size ~ my HRIR are much larger than my PRIR
Color ~ My HRIR are very very dark redish with nice dark dark tails. My production reds are more the color of a a leaf turned redish orange. Meyer hatchery has a good picture of a production RIR
Attitude ~ PRIR hens are not nice to other chickens at all, they chase every rooster I have had except for the PRIR roosters. These PRIR were like mini guard dogs that attack their owners. When I was very unhappy with a contractor I did not bother caging my PRIR roosters. He could not get into the back yard unless he carried a rake and all of his other stuff. My HRIR are sweet and a touch timid since they are not fully mature, but they will not turn out mean. Young children can easily hold a full size rooster. I saw this at the 4H chicken show and it was funny looking the rooster was almost as large as the child.
Egg Laying ~ PRIR for me started laying around 24-28 weeks but were raised in the winter, if hatched in the spring they lay closer to 18-20 weeks. Once laying it was not uncommon to get 6-7 eggs a week until the heat / molt started. My HRIR will be early layers if they start by week 30. They will lay larger brown eggs perhaps darker but that is not a given. My HRIR should lay 3-5 eggs a week close to the 3 mark in the winter for sure. My HRIR will turn broody every so often as their nature demands it. PRIR typically do not go broody ~ Leah's Mom got a broody one it sits about once a year if I remember right. I had over 20 PRIR and not a one went broody.
The breeds from the hatchery most likely have leghorn mixed in which creates floppy combs and faster burnouts. My HRIR should lay well past age 5 or even 7 yrs. My production layers will be considered ancient at 3 yrs old and most of their eggs will be laid in the first 2 yrs. Also the Production layers are more likely to have egg bound syndrome, causing death or a lot of work for the owner.
My HRIR chickens are better at free ranging. They willingly eat more bugs/ grass. My production hens will only forage if they are not fed in the morning.
The differences between heritage and production will vary by breed too.
I was d
Quote: I have a crossed rooster that is BCMaran and Ameraucanas. He is a pretty rooster.
