New Hampshire Red OR New Hampshire Heritage Thread

[debp]

I have my first chicks - just 2 weeks old, and 10 of my 25 are New Hampshire. These are hatchery chicks (McMurray), but I can't believe how fast the New Hampshires are growing and feathering in. Based on feathering in speed, I have half cockerels and half pullets. I am looking for a good dual purpose breed to eventually raise my own, and based on just these 2-week old chicks, I'm liking the New Hampshires better than the Barred Plymouth Rocks that I got with them. I am not interested in show quality - just health, vigor and productivity (meat and eggs). It would be hard for me to get heritage birds from where I live, so I am wondering how inferior the hatchery birds are compared to heritage. What the the arguments against starting with hatchery birds and selectively breeding the best (if they are broody)?

 

[Bill Matthews]

To debp: Hatchery New Hampshires are just fine for utility flocks...They grow quickly, lay well, and are good to look at...Many people on BYC use "heritage" to describe their "own" Show Stock and say that everything else is "junk" or "mutt.".....It is true that the purity of New Hampshire flocks is suspect because of the infusion of additional RIR blood to produce "Production" Reds....However, some of these hatchery strains go back many decades and are excellent birds....I haven't raised McMurray Hew Hampshires....But if these do not work out for you try some from either Cackle Hatchery or Estes Hatchery in MO....The ones I got from Cackle were really nice looking, well-colored, big birds...Both Cackle and Estes used the Newcomer strain for their flocks....Another strain/source with big, good looking birds is Mt Healthy Hatchery near Cincinatti, OH.....Your biggest problem with establishing a viable flock from your present McMurray birds is the very small numbers you are starting with....You may not get many if any good birds from only ten chicks.......Try a hundred straight run....IF YOU CAN DEAL WITH THAT MANY.....Good luck anyway...

 

[debp]

Thank you for the reply, Bill, on the quality of hatchery New Hampshires. I'm certainly getting ahead of myself, as I am still learning just how to raise a basic chicken, but I am so impressed with these New Hampshire chicks, I was curious as to the differences between hatchery lines and "heritage."

 

[chixmix]

Basically only difference is showing, but even a hatchery bird has a chance of being "the one". It's just a way, way smaller chance.

 

[sssharon]

So is there a New England Red? The lady that sold me my chicks said they were New England reds.

 

[backpacker]

I bought 2 NHR this Spring. I think they are outstanding ! I would highly recommend them. They are gentle friendly chickens. Rose follows me all over the yard. She will run to catch up when she gets sidetracked! I hope to get more next year. Maybe I have been very lucky but most of my chickens are great. I have 4 B A, 4 BO, 2 RIR, 6 PBR, 2 Americana, 2 Wyandotte, 2 NHR. I wouldn't trade any of them! My Roo is a Wyandotte and he is magnificant!

 

[EastTXChickens]

http://www.heritagepoultry.org/

Before anyone dismisses P Allen Smith as a lightweight, please reconsider.

I couldn't wait to tour his Poultryville after seeing the show that featured his poultry expert from U of A. I came home from a tour of his Garden Home in AR yesterday with 3 Sussex, 2 Silver Wyanodottes, and one Buff. I thought this had to be the ultimate source to acquire heritage birds. I couldn't have imagined it would be thought otherwise, boy was I wrong.

I almost bred the rare Malagasy Coton De Tulear dog but decided against it after seeing the savage nature of some in the dog world. Looks like the chicken folk square off too and are disrespectful, seeing how a great advocate for the heritage bird, P Allen Smith, is treated as substandard.

 

[imogene08]

This thread looks pretty dead, haha that rhymed. Anyway, here is my New Hamp. Cadbury.

 

[sssharon]

What a beautiful bird! I hope my New Hampshire hens turn out half as pretty.

 

[Quincys chicks]

Belle, 11 week old Snow and Ruby 11 week olds Fiona and Rose 16 week olds Enox with Fiona and Rose all 16 week olds

Hi, I am trying to figure out what breed a couple of my chickens are and they look exactly lije the grey spotted one on this picture. What is it?