Rhode Island Red Rooster and New Hampshire Red Hen

[dsheaz]

Has anyone ever bred these two together know what to expect from this combination? RIR Rooster and NHR hen. Thanks!

I have a RIR rooster, which was unintentional, 3 Barred Rock hens, 3 Black Astralorp hens, and a New Hampshire Red hen. I have found info on the Barred Rocks, which would come out as Black Sex Links (awesome) and Black Astralorps (any further input on that combo is appreciated), but nothing on the NHR.

 

[Michael OShay]

When you breed a RIR X a NH, you get a Production Red. In fact if your bird was marketed as an NH red, it came from a hatchery or feed store and is already a Production Red (there is no such breed as a NH red; the breed is a New Hampshire). If your RIR came from the same hatchery it is likely a Production Red as well. Technically speaking there is little or no difference between hatchery quality RIRs, hatchery quality NHs, and Production Reds. Hatcheries are more concerned with egg production than they are with preserving SOP standards and their PRs lack the deep bodies and profuse black tail feathering of heritage RIRs and NHs. If their PRs have a darker shade of red feathering (closer to mahogany), they typically market them as RIRs, it they have a lighter shade of red feathering (closer to chestnut), they market them as NHs, and if the red shade is somewhere down the middle or very uneven, they market them as Production Reds. Your birds may have been marketed under the labels RIR and NH red, but they are Production Reds, and when you breed them together their offspring will also be Production Reds.

 

[capecodpeeps]

heres my RIR at 8 weeks

 

[Cowgirl71]

When you breed a RIR X a NH, you get a Production Red. In fact if your bird was marketed as an NH red, it came from a hatchery or feed store and is already a Production Red (there is no such breed as a NH red; the breed is a New Hampshire). If your RIR came from the same hatchery it is likely a Production Red as well. Technically speaking there is little or no difference between hatchery quality RIRs, hatchery quality NHs, and Production Reds. Hatcheries are more concerned with egg production than they are with preserving SOP standards and their PRs lack the deep bodies and profuse black tail feathering of heritage RIRs and NHs. If their PRs have a darker shade of red feathering (closer to mahogany), they typically market them as RIRs, it they have a lighter shade of red feathering (closer to chestnut), they market them as NHs, and if the red shade is somewhere down the middle or very uneven, they market them as Production Reds. Your birds may have been marketed under the labels RIR and NH red, but they are Production Reds, and when you breed them together their offspring will also be Production Reds.

x2

 

[dsheaz]

Thanks Michael, that's an outstanding explanation, much appreciated. My concerns about hatching any chicks from this mishmash of breeds have been alleviated. I was leaning toward culling the rooster because I didn't intend on having one anyway, these birds were all supposed to be pullets. But my kids (9 and 11 yrs) want to keep it and try to hatch some of our own chicks. Now I know they will all be good layers, and the ones from the barred rock hens will even be sex links...bonus!

 

[Cowgirl71]

Yes, the pullets of those crosses would all be very good brown egg layers! In fact they'll likely be even better layers than their dams, just because of the Rhode Island Red influence (RIR is the best breed for high production of brown eggs), and what they call "hybrid vigor."

The Rhode Island Reds I've had (from McMurray) have made for good meat birds as well, my favorite of all the dual-purpose breed cockerels I've raised for meat (except for possibly Dark Cornish, but I haven't butchered any of those yet). The RIRs have long keels, i.e. more breast meat, and for me tended to be plumper than the other breeds I've butchered. So thought that would be worth mentioning, considering that half of your chicks will be cockerels. Leghorns and Easter Eggers, for example, make for poor meat birds.

 

[donrae]

Your Red rooster over your Aussie hens will give you mostly black chicks with some red leakage. The pullets will be good layers and the cockerels will make nice table birds if you're so inclined. You do have a plan for the ~50% roosters you're going to hatch out?

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks Michael, that's an outstanding explanation, much appreciated. My concerns about hatching any chicks from this mishmash of breeds have been alleviated. I was leaning toward culling the rooster because I didn't intend on having one anyway, these birds were all supposed to be pullets. But my kids (9 and 11 yrs) want to keep it and try to hatch some of our own chicks. Now I know they will all be good layers, and the ones from the barred rock hens will even be sex links...bonus!

You're welcome, and you're correct; crossing your PR roo with a BR hen will give you a Black Sex Link. BSLs are egg laying machines, outlaying either parent breed. It's one of the interesting quirks of hybridization. I've raised Black Sex Links for years and they have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 large brown eggs per hen per year, with double yolks not being uncommon. )

 

[dsheaz]

@donrae, flockmaster!,

You do have a plan for the ~50% roosters you're going to hatch out?

Yes, I'm going to eat them!

 

[drumstick diva]

that's a lot of chicken to eat - invite the neighbors