New Hampshire Hen
New Hampshire Rooster
New Hampshire
The New Hampshire breed was
developed around the early 1900s by researchers at the New Hampshire
Agricultural Experiment Station and by New Hampshire farmers. They selected
Rhode Island Red for faster growth and feathering, not color, resulting in a
lighter color than seen in the Rhode Island Reds. They also selected birds for
more meat production that egg laying. This dual purpose bird will dress out as
a nice plump broiler or roaster. They do well in both confinement and as free
rangers.
They are calm and docile, mature
early and are cold-hardy. Hens lay a fair number of large brown eggs and can go
broody and are good mothers. Roosters can weigh up to 8.5 pounds and hens 6.5
pounds. They have a medium size single cob with five points that are upright,
waddles and combs are large and elongated all are bright red. Their colors can
range from golden bay to chestnut. Females can have lower neck feathers with
black tips.
