Rhode Island or New Hampshire Red?

[JayColli]

Hi All,

I bought this young fella at auction back in May and there was no indication of breed but I'm fairly certain what I have on my hands is either a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red cockerel and was looking to see what others thought! The darker colouration in his hackles gives me pause as to whether or not he could actually even be called either of the two as it was quite pronounced in him as a young cockerel (see last picture). What's your opinion?

Thanks!

 

[Cel45]

Production Red cockerel.

 

[JayColli]

Thanks @Cel45 I hadn't heard of the production Red and looking into it now it seems that they are a branch off the RIR tree that was bred for egg production rather than SOP, which sounds good to me!

 

[Cel45]

You are welcome. I am not sure if the breeding varies from hatchery to hatchery, but mine from Ideal are RIRXNew Hampshire Red. They are outstanding layers.

 

[JayColli]

You are welcome. I am not sure if the breeding varies from hatchery to hatchery, but mine from Ideal are RIRXNew Hampshire Red. They are outstanding layers.

I'm hoping he carries that same trait!

I bought him at auction thinking that he was a she before I knew anything about how to tell the gender of young birds along with the white and brown pullet in the pictures. She looks very similar to the "brown layers" for sale at the TSC and not at all like a production red. Could my cockerel be a hybrid brown layer? I'm having a hard time finding a picture of a "brown layer" roo online as I'm assuming they're sex-linked or vent sexed and all the cockerels are culled out of the gate as they wouldn't really be of any use in breeding.

 

[junebuggena]

You are welcome. I am not sure if the breeding varies from hatchery to hatchery, but mine from Ideal are RIRXNew Hampshire Red. They are outstanding layers.

Ideal is one hatchery that classes it's birds by shade of red. The darkest get labeled Rhode Island Reds, the mid-toned birds get the Production Red label, and the lightest ones get called New Hampshires. There is no difference in these birds other than the shade of red, and neither their RIR nor their New Hampshires even come close to resembling the breed standard.

 

[junebuggena]

I'm hoping he carries that same trait!

I bought him at auction thinking that he was a she before I knew anything about how to tell the gender of young birds along with the white and brown pullet in the pictures. She looks very similar to the "brown layers" for sale at the TSC and not at all like a production red. Could my cockerel be a hybrid brown layer? I'm having a hard time finding a picture of a "brown layer" roo online as I'm assuming they're sex-linked or vent sexed and all the cockerels are culled out of the gate as they wouldn't really be of any use in breeding.

He is not a red sexlink. Red sexlink males are white, with some red.

 

[donrae]

I'm hoping he carries that same trait!

I bought him at auction thinking that he was a she before I knew anything about how to tell the gender of young birds along with the white and brown pullet in the pictures. She looks very similar to the "brown layers" for sale at the TSC and not at all like a production red. Could my cockerel be a hybrid brown layer? I'm having a hard time finding a picture of a "brown layer" roo online as I'm assuming they're sex-linked or vent sexed and all the cockerels are culled out of the gate as they wouldn't really be of any use in breeding.

"Brown layers" at TSC are going to be a mis mash of various breeds. Red sex links (what your brown and white hen is), production reds, cherry eggers, basically anything female and red that lays a brown egg can be in that bin.

Search red sex link rooster for a picture of what her equivalent male would look like. Basically white, with red leakage on the wings.

I agree your boy is a production red, which is a catch all term for a generic red/brown bird bred to be a high production brown egg layer. Not any specific breed like a Rhode Island or a New Hampshire.

 

[drumstick diva]

think boy is a production red

 

[chickens really]

That is a RIR Rooster..........Nice looking Bird.......



Cheers!