New Hampshire chicken was selected in the State of New Hampshire (United States). It bears much resemblance to the Rhode Island Red and was obtained just by selection from this breed. It took 35 years to obtain its standardization. The importation of this breed into Europe in 1950. This is a breed that is in great demand in Russia.
At the time of its appearance in the North American farms was considered like the hen of the golden eggs, by its great utility. The hen was an excellent layer of large brown eggs. And the male offered meat of quality and abundance. This breed succeeded to replace the Leghorn chickens that at that time were destined for consumption.
Characteristics of New Hampshire Chicken
New Hampshire chickens the best climate for its development is warm and semi-temperate. The main characteristics of this breed are birds rather large, agile, strong, with the line of the concave dorsum and round body. Median head with broad five-point crest, straight on both male and female.
- Large eyes with light red iris.
- Large red ears; bang the breadth.
- Peak robust and yellow.
- Medium long neck with rich mantle.
- Yellowlegs, medium length.
- The skin is yellow.
This breed was selected for double suitability, but more for meat production, although they are also very good layers. It has its simple crest, and the shape of the body is less rectangular than the Rhode Island Red. The color of its plumage and type is generally chestnut red, without stripes or mottled of any other color.
The New Hampshire chicken is a breed that has a moderately friable light red-brown feather color with flying feathers in black color. The roosters are single tone and brown-reddish shoulders and a golden mane, black hair with a greenish tone. Birds are carriers of the golden gene. There is also new Hampshire chicken with white plumage.
For its part, the plumage is tight and conforms by feathers of very narrow structure and wide. In females the bottom of the neck their feathers have black dots; brown-red wings, and primary and secondary wings with the black underside. Like the rooster, the sub-color in both, its plumage in all its parts, clear salmon.
The weight of their eggs is 55 to 60 grams, they are cover with a yellow-brown shell. The weight of the chickens is about 3.4 kg. While the rooster weighs 3.8 kg. The chickens weigh about 2.6 kg. While the hens weigh about 3 kg. The tail is moderately well ventilated and carried at a 35 ° angle. The thighs are somewhat visible, without exaggerated padding.
In summary, the main qualities of this breed are:
- High hatchability.
- Fast and complete growth and feathering.
- Mature at an early age.
- Low mortality in chicks.
- Large and early eggs.
- High and good egg production.
- High vitality.
- And low mortality rate in adults.
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Food
To feed the chickens of the New Hampshire breed, in principle, there are no specific recommendations, these birds have no pretensions. Normally, chickens are fed for the first time with a hard-boiled egg. You can then add in the diet chopped vegetables, wheat bran, bone, potatoes, beets, carrots, yeast, grains.
With two months of the introduction of corn. The adult diet should include cereals, tubers, fish and clover meal, herbs, vegetables, dairy products, yeast, corn, eggshells, avoiding food stagnation as well as compensate for lack of calcium.
In addition, farmers must supply foods enriched with vitamins and proteins for easy digestion. Farmers can sprout the grain for them. Some poultry farmers recommend adding sand to the chickens since small solids have a beneficial effect on digestion. You May Also Like To Read Frizzle Chicken.
Usage
New Hampshire is a dual-purpose breed, poultry farmers produce it for their excellent meat and egg production. Breeding chickens from the New Hampshire breed are dedicated to industrial poultry farming as well as non-specialized and farms. Another use of the breed is that it is taken to exhibitions, and usually, the roosters of this breed take rewards. You May Also Like To Read Orpington Chicken.
Special Feature
New Hampshire chicken does not cause problems: they are very resistant, they tolerate well difficult climatic conditions. The New Hampshire species are very quiet. So they can be kept in a cage. Chickens of the New Hampshire breed can be raised in winter, which in the first year can bring about 200 eggs.
New Hampshire chicken is one of the races that is cross in the creation of groups of races like the Yerevan, Zagorskaya, Jubilee of Kuchinskaya. Serious defects that can present this race are a horizontal back; exemplary too slender; gray eyes and white plumage in the earrings. Another serious defect is that the species of white color has yellowish reflections; a nonconforming type.
Conclusion
The New Hampshire is a breed of chicken developed in 1915 from Rhode Island Red. They are admitted to the American Standard of Perfection and represent a specialized selection out of the Rhode Island Red breed. This process took place mainly in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, thus giving them their name. If you’ve just read this guide on how to raise chickens or if you want more information about raising chickens for eggs, we encourage you to check out our blog post “How To Raise Chickens For Eggs”. We hope that reading through this article has helped answer some questions! Good luck with your poultry adventures!
As A Reference: Wikipedia
