The New Hampshire Red was developed from the Rhode Island Red, selectively bred to mature faster, feather quicker and lay earlier — a more production-focused cousin in rich chestnut-red plumage. They're vigorous, competitive foragers, dual-purpose and dependable, laying a good run of large brown eggs while carrying enough meat to matter. Cold-hardy and easygoing, they're a practical homestead bird. A dependable, no-drama layer that suits beginners well.
Beginner friendly
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Broody
Egg colorBrown
Egg production200–240 / year
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessOccasional
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeEggs, Meat
Weight
Large fowl (Standard size)
Hen5.5–6.5 lb
Rooster7.5–8.5 lb
Bantam (Miniature size)
Hen1.9 lb
Rooster2.1 lb
How to spot it
CombSingle
Single comb, medium
Earlobes
Red
Legs & feet
Yellow legs, four toes
Plumage
Lighter chestnut-red than a Rhode Island Red, with a black tail and some black hackle ticking
Look for
A triangular, deeper-bodied bird in a lighter, more salmon-toned red than the darker, flatter Rhode Island Red
Ancestry
How this breed was developed. Historical records, not crosses to make today.
Single
Rhode Island Red
Bielefelder
Delaware
