New Hampshire Chickens A Good Dual Purpose Bird

New Hampshire Chickens are an excellent dual purpose bird where

meat production is the primary concern.

New Hampshire Chickens The Facts:

Class: Standard: American / Bantam: Single comb, Clean Legged.

Size: Standard Male: 8.5 Ibs. / Standard Female: 6.5 Ibs. / Bantam Male: 34 oz. / Bantam Female: 30 oz.

Comb, Wattles & Earlobes: They have a medium sized single comb with five points that are upright in the males and droop in the females. They have medium to moderately large wattles and elongated earlobes. All are bright red.

Color: Beak is reddish horn and the eyes are reddish bay. The shanks and toes are rich yellow tinged with reddish horn. The plumage in both sexes is primarily a lustrous golden bay to chestnut red with some black in the tail. The female's lower neck feathers have distinct black tips.

Place of Origin: United States

Conservation Status: Watch

Special Qualities: An excellent dual purpose bird when meat is the primary purpose.

The breed was developed by an Agricultural Experiment Station and farmers in the state of which the birds are named in the early twentieth century.

They bred these birds by selecting the Rhode Island Reds that were faster growing and feathering not color, which resulted in the lighter color of this breed. They also selected parents more for their meat production than for egg, which made the breed a good dual purpose. This bird can dress out

They are adaptable to either confinement or free range. They are usually calm, though some are aggressive. They mature early and are fairly cold-hardy, though their combs are susceptible to frostbite in extremely cold climates. Hens lay a fair number of large brown eggs and are broody and good mothers.

The breed was first introduced to the APA in 1935.

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