New Hampshire Newcomer strain from Cackle Hatchery

[MountainFireflyAcres]

Has anyone ever had the New Hampshire breed out of Cackle Hatchery" I just ordered some today. Their website describes them as the Newcomer strain, a strain reportedly developed by a Andrew Christie in the 1920`s for superior egg production. I also have an order placed with Sand Hill Preservation that has some New Hampshire's in it as well for comparison.
Based on all my chart comparisons, New Hampshire's rank tops overall for dual purpose breeds when I combine early maturity, egg laying, winter laying and meat. It seems a pretty hard pedestal to maintain and was wondering if people from experience , and particularly people that have or have had the Cackle Hatchery strain of New Comers can give me their experiences with them in comparison with other dual purpose breeds. Also, I am hoping some go broody, anyone have experience with theirs going broody and how often?

-Brian

 

[MountainFireflyAcres]

bump

 

[Spartan22]

I can only speak from my experience with New Hampshire, I bought 3 hens couple of years ago on my 3rd year w/ chickens, venturing more on different breeds, at that time I had 7 different breeds of chicken. They do mature (get heavy fast) a bigger heavier breed than most of my chickens except Plymouth barred rocks at that time. They are very docile and fluffy that one got pecked and never ran nor fight back, their definitely beautiful birds. One got egg bound which I’ve never experienced w/ any of my birds. They never got broody, the way your describing the new comer strain, your actually describing my 5 Australorps. Great layers, good dual purpose, great winter layer. I didn’t get them from cackle but from Mt Healthy in Cincinnati not sure if this helps you at all.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I have the Cackle "free range" New Hampshire chickens.

I really like them.

The hens are sweet and inquisitive, but give you your space. I culled roosters early, based on weight to 3 (I chose the biggest). I had to cull 2 of them due to aggression, but the one I have left is great.

 

[MountainFireflyAcres]

thanks!

I see you have several other breeds as well. How do the New Hampshire's rate amongst laying, esp in winter compared to your others? Have any gone broody?

Its funny you say you got the free range ones, I actually was looking into that but did not see them available on their website before the order because I was going to ask if they were also of the Newcomer strain but the person taking my order didn't have any knowledge of them and I began to question myself as to whether maybe I had that mixed up with another hatchery lol!

From your chickens I see Dominique's and Delawares as you having as well, I have some of them arriving too.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I ordered from the website. As far as laying, I keep a mixed flock with 44 hens and pullets. So beyond the few who I can tell (EE and Leghorn Mixes) it is hard to say who lays how often. I did have a time during the winter where I was only getting 3-4 eggs a day. I can't say who was laying (except that the EE and Leghorn mixes weren't laying).

I have Cackle Dominiques coming in May. The Doms I have were given to me by a neighbor (who got them from a private breeder). They work well for making Black Sex Linked babies. I find that crosses tend to take on the second parent breed's personality. For example, my Dom/Buff hens act more like buffs. My Dom/RIR acts like a mean RIR, as do most of her offspring. I don't have any experience with pure Dom males. I had a Dom/RIR rooster and he was the meanest bird I ever had.

I got my Delawares from a small organic hatchery. They are hardy, strong birds, but I really dislike the hens. They are bossy, pushy, and nippy. I got two nice roosters out of the bunch but the third that I let grow past 6 months was aggressive and I sold him with the two most aggressive hens.

 

[MountainFireflyAcres]

I can only speak from my experience with New Hampshire, I bought 3 hens couple of years ago on my 3rd year w/ chickens, venturing more on different breeds, at that time I had 7 different breeds of chicken. They do mature (get heavy fast) a bigger heavier breed than most of my chickens except Plymouth barred rocks at that time. They are very docile and fluffy that one got pecked and never ran nor fight back, their definitely beautiful birds. One got egg bound which I’ve never experienced w/ any of my birds. They never got broody, the way your describing the new comer strain, your actually describing my 5 Australorps. Great layers, good dual purpose, great winter layer. I didn’t get them from cackle but from Mt Healthy in Cincinnati not sure if this helps you at all.

Your description makes me very interested in getting them and seeing them get older except for the non broody part. I have a few Australorps coming as well, along with an assortment of other dual purpose, I only ordered the Australorps due to all the high reviews I figured I would give them a chance to prove themselves, all black birds based on the pictures anyways, just look boring and blah to me.

I think of about the dozen breeds I'm getting, the front runners will end up being the Wyandotte's, Dominique's and New Hampshire's and possibly the Wellsummers if I fall in love with their eggs and pretty rooster. From all reports the Wyandotte's and Dominique's are pretty good in the broody department where the New Hampshire's arnt known as well for.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I have three pure Doms, 2 Dom/Buffs, and one Dom/RIR.

One Dom and one Dom/Buff went broody last year. The Dom was MEAN and not a steady sitter. She would hop from nest to nest and try to take chunks out of my hand when I would handle her. I broke her instead of giving her eggs. If she was that mean without chicks (if she ever did hatch them) How mean would she be with chicks. My Dom/Buff was a perfect mama and was good with us around the babies, but protected them fiercely from anything else. My Buff mama was the same way. So I only have one experience with a pure Dom broody.

 

[MountainFireflyAcres]

well, hopefully I get better experience with the Dom`s then you did Redhead Rae I have a half dozen of them coming, half from Cackle, half from Sandhill.

I will be having a chicken breed face-off to see which breed works the best for us and focusing on those primarily. I love the reports on the doms hardiness and foraging abilities! The Chantecler are supposed to go broody very well too and lay well in winter but I have read a lot on here about them being very slow to mature and start laying and I don't want to wait and feed a bird forever before if finally starts laying.

the Sussex gets pretty good reviews in all aspects but some say they are a little lacking in the egg department, we shall see.

Wyandotte's biggest issue from reports seems to be they arnt as loving and friendly as peoples other breeds, I honestly don't care if the chickens follow me around like a dog or not, that's why I have a dog lol.

I also have a bunch of others....Dorkings, wellsummer marans,, austrlorps, buckeye, Delaware, rose comb rhode island reds, coming along with the mentioned doms and new hampshires

 

[Felix1]

How did your New Hamps from Cackle turn out?