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Chicken breed APA Recognized Large

New Hampshire

Fast-growing American red utility breed developed from Rhode Island Red stock for practical meat-and-egg performance.

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Variety gallery

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Primary use

Dual purpose

Eggs

180-240 eggs/year

Egg color

Brown

Broodiness

Low-moderate

Notable traits

Rich chestnut-red plumage
Yellow legs
Single comb
Practical dual-purpose frame
And faster growth than many heritage layers.

Use in a cross

Use this breed as a sire or dam in the public cross predictor.

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Varieties

New Hampshire varieties

Variety-specific images keep the library accurate when one breed name covers several different appearances.

Variety image pending

New Hampshire Red

Color: Rich chestnut red

Core New Hampshire variety with rich chestnut-red plumage and a sturdy practical utility body.

Traits: Yellow legs, single comb, broad utility body, and rich chestnut-red plumage.

Variety image pending

White

Color: Clean white

White New Hampshire variety with clean white plumage over the same practical dual-purpose frame.

Traits: Yellow legs, single comb, broad utility body, and clean white plumage.

Quick stat summary

Weights: Hen 6.50 lb | Rooster 8.50 lb

APA status: APA recognized breed

Sexing traits: None noted

Comb type: Single

Egg size: Large

Origin: United States

Planning notes

Genetics and sexing notes

Auto-sexing: None recorded for purebred chicks.

Sex-linked: None recorded.

Temperament: Calm and practical. Friendliness is generally listed as High. Activity level is generally Moderate.

Rooster handling: Roosters are often manageable when well handled, but individual selection still matters. Do not keep aggressive males just because they match the breed type.

Reference profile

Breed depth notes

Extra breed details used for identification, breed-library accuracy, cross prediction, and better image prompts.

History and standard notes

History: American utility breed developed from Rhode Island Red stock with selection for faster growth, early maturity, and practical meat-and-egg production. In the RanchOps library, New Hampshire is tracked as a dual purpose breed with roots tied to United States. Its brown egg profile, body type, and temperament notes help separate it from similar-looking breeds in flock records and cross predictions. For visual identification, focus on Broad American dual-purpose body with clean yellow legs and useful meat qualities. Its carriage is best described as calm, practical, and moderately active.

APA: Recognized breed; New Hampshire Red is the classic variety and should not be treated as merely a Rhode Island Red duplicate.

Type and structure

Large fowl: Recognized large fowl.
Bantam: New Hampshire bantams exist in exhibition lines.
Earlobes: Red
Body type: Broad American dual-purpose body with clean yellow legs and useful meat qualities
Carriage: Calm, practical, and moderately active

Visual identification

Rooster

Roosters should show single comb, yellow legs, chestnut-red body, black tail accents, and a broad practical utility frame.

Hen

Hens should be chestnut-red to red-brown, yellow-legged, single-combed, and broad without looking as dark mahogany as Rhode Island Red.

Chicks

Chicks are generally warm buff/red-brown; adult color deepens with maturity.

Common confusions

Can be confused with Rhode Island Red. New Hampshire is usually lighter chestnut-red and somewhat more growth/meat oriented.

Image guidance

Use chestnut-red body color, yellow legs, single comb, broad utility body, and avoid overly dark Rhode Island Red styling.

Cross predictor notes

New Hampshire contributes red/gold base, brown eggs, faster growth, utility body, and useful sex-link potential in some crosses.

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