What is the difference?! RIR, New Hampshire Red, Production Red

[FirstLady]

Does anyone know the difference between Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Reds, and production reds? Is there any difference?

 

[cubalaya]

true rhode island reds or new hampshires, you can only get from a breeder. production reds and hatchery quality reds or new hampshires you can get from a hatchery. the difference is size and how they match the standard. you also wont get as many eggs from the breeder birds.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Yes, and you would also get more meat from the breeder birds.

 

[Fred's Hens]

A Rhode Island Red is a rare breed of super dark, brick bodied birds. We have a Heritage RIR thread here. Read a bit about it.

A heritage New Hampshire is also somewhat rare. These were established as a separate breed a century ago.


Now, what you are seeing at the hatcheries are New Hampshire (Red) and the word Red being wrongly added. It is kind of a New Hampshire, but no longer pure. The hatcheries sell RIRs too, but they also are a far cry from the heritage strains. Production Reds are merely Red birds from a conglomerate of blood lines that lay very well.

If any of this matters to you, buy from a true breeder. If it doesn't matter so much, then just get what you want and be happy.

 

[Illia]

Fred's Hens :

A Rhode Island Red is a rare breed of super dark, brick bodied birds. We have a Heritage RIR thread here. Read a bit about it.

A heritage New Hampshire is also somewhat rare. These were established as a separate breed a century ago.


Now, what you are seeing at the hatcheries are New Hampshire (Red) and the word Red being wrongly added. It is kind of a New Hampshire, but no longer pure. The hatcheries sell RIRs too, but they also are a far cry from the heritage strains. Production Reds are merely Red birds from a conglomerate of blood lines that lay very well.

If any of this matters to you, buy from a true breeder. If it doesn't matter so much, then just get what you want and be happy.

x2 - Very well said.


Also to add - Hatchery New Hampshires are usually very reminiscent to Production type Rhode Island Reds, but with a more orange color and often more fluff at the thigh.

True New Hampshires are slightly reminiscent to true Rhode Island Reds, but with some subtle differences. One of course is a bright almost burnt orange color and very noticeable black tails as well as black tickling in the neck.

Photo and Hen from Kathyinmo

Production type Rhode Island Reds are usually a dull red to orange color, with a skinny body and very thin, pinched, or ratty looking tail, most often sticking up at an angle above 40 degrees.​

 

[Chris09]

The "heritage/non-hatchery" Rhode Island Red’s origin can be dated back to the middle 1840’s and one of the oldest breed of chicken to be developed in America. The early Rhode Island Red sported three types of combs, the first was the Pea comb which received its comb type from the Chittagong (Brahma) second is the Single comb which received its comb type from the Chinese Shanghai (Royal Cochin China) and the Rose comb which received its comb type from the Red Java. Today the Rhode Island Red only sports two of the three types of combs the Rose and the Single comb. The R.I. Red should be a dark Red Mahogany color, brick shape and weighing around 8½ lbs for cocks and 6½ lbs for hens.

Spin Off breeds of the Rhode Island Red are the New Hampshire and the Production Red.

The New Hampshire was bred solely from the R.I. Red and was developed around 1915.

The Production Red (hatchery Rhode Island Red) can come in two different lines, the first of the two was bred solely from the R.I. Red as with the New Hampshire but was bred more for the egg production.
The second type of Production Red is a R.I. Red with some Leghorn blood added to add to the egg production and may have added to the brown-ish color of some of the Production Red the some hatcheries call there, "Dark Rhode Island Reds".

Chris