Hi I am new to this forum and chicken keeping. I have had my ex batt chickens now for three months and I think they are fantastic. When I bought my ex batts I was told they are rhode island reds. Are rhode island reds used for commercial egg production or are my chickens hybrids? They do look like rhode island reds ,but being new to chicken keeping I can not be to sure. Any information regarding my ex battery ladies would be much appreciated.
There are a number of 'breeds' used for commercial production, usually they are hybrids or cross-breeds to get the most possible eggs. One type that is common is called a 'production red'. Those chickens are a cross of New Hampshire Red and Rhode Island Red from what I hear. They are a beautiful red color and look a lot like RIR. Also, I believe that New Hampshire Red is derived from RIR. If your hens came from a commercial source and look like RIR they could well be production red. I love this website at http://www.efowl.com/Egg_Layer_Breeds_s/70.htm because it gives you a description and a picture and it includes hybrids that the experts here need to remind me aren't a breed. Maybe with the pictures and descriptions you can find out what your chickens are. good luck with the investigation. Post back when you find the answer. Oh and Welcome! I see this is your first post.
Oh -- and if you are outside the USA, there may be different combinations of breeds going under different names in the commercial egg producers, just to make things more complex.
