Description of New Hampshire Chickens

Poultry farming is the least expensive agricultural activity. However, in order to get good profit from the farm, attention should be paid not only to the conditions of keeping and diet, but also to the breed of poultry. First you need to decide on the purpose of keeping chickens, because there are meat and egg species. If there is no clear direction, the New Hampshire breed of chickens is best.

Characteristics of the hens of the breed New Hampshire

The photo of these birds tops the ranking of hens that are equally good in all respects. the house, therefore, has good egg production and is easily fattened for slaughter.

History of breeding of the species and habitat of the bird

New Hampshire is a breed of chickens, also known as New Hampshire Red Bred relatively recently, its breeding originates in the states of New Hampshire and southern Massachusetts around 1910. The progenitor of this breed is the Rhode Island red.

Starting from the first representatives of this breed, the breeders sought to increase the bird’s vital activity, early maturation, the rapid formation of the shape, size and structure of the egg, as well as maturation of the feather cover . It is believed that no other species were crossed with the Rhode Island Red specifically to bring out the New Hampshire.Breeders acted exclusively in breeding. Such birds were developed for 20 years, until it was standardized by the American Poultry Association in 1935.

Appearance of the breed

Very often it’s a photo of the New Hampshire and the description arouses the desire to purchase birds of this species on their farm. The plumage and body structure have long put these birds on the podium of reference hens.

Description New Hampshire breed appearance

New Hampshire’s neck is usually golden with black dots. The comb is neat, five-toothed, erect. The tail is bent relative to the body at an angle of 45 °, the tail feathers of the males are quite long. Feet of medium length, widely spaced and yellow in color. The beak is small, dark in color. Black feathers can be seen in the tail. The volume of the breast is wide, and its shape is convex.

Externally, this species has a nutty color. The beautiful, vibrant, rich plumage of New Hampshire remains lighter than that of their Rhode Island ancestors and is described as “deep red chestnut.” But this color has never been a reference in the process of breed formation. For breeding, only the best representatives of the breed are left, and chickens with flaws are sent for slaughter.

The most common defects of the breed are:

• the body shape does not fit the standards of the species;
• too large or small size of the scallop;
• white coating on the lobe;
• the color of the plumage differs from the norm;
• a different shade of eyes;
• black dots on the wings;
• bird fluff gray-black hue;
• whitish skin and a yellow beak.

Thanks to their external beauty, males very often pose for photos or become symbols of various events.

Productivity

This breed is traditional about bred for a double purpose: it is grown for both meat and eggs. But the emphasis is still on the weight of the chicken. Now kurovody try to find a balance between muscle mass and egg production.

Chickens grow quickly and gain weight, so they can be used as broilers or roasters. The weight of a live bird varies. According to the standard, the chicken should weigh about 3-3.5 kg, and the cockerel – 3.5-4.5 kg.

The number of eggs in the annual measurement is 210 pieces per chicken. In this case, the egg can reach a weight of 72 g. But on average it is usually 65-70 g. It should be borne in mind that with an increase in the mass of the egg, the egg production decreases. Chickens of this breed are characterized by an increased instinct for incubation. They lay brown eggs and treat them very carefully and carefully, do not peck or break.

New Hampshire chickens and young

The first chickens are hatched in spring, in March. Usually, about 40 heads of the best chickens and males are selected from hundreds of chickens, which are left on the tribe to get a new brood next year. It is believed that the most productive age of roosters is the first year of life. They are sometimes kept up to 3 years, but no more. The mane of the male should be bright golden and shiny, the tail is black, and under the wings – feathers to match the tail. Particularly pugnacious roosters are rejected, because calm in this case is a sign of the breed.

New Hampshire roosters are very loving and often aggressively care for the chicken they like, so the females require a whole system of net barriers and separate nooks where they could to rest from males or at least not be attacked by all the cocks at the same time.

New Hampshire rooster and chicken

When the chickens grow up in the fall, they begin to sing, and by Olos is also rejected. Only the most bass ones are left for divorce.

This species is distinguished by its increased survivability due to its breeding origin: about 90% of the total number of chickens survive.

Character

Typically, females of this breed are extremely calm. They love to walk, so you should not restrict the birds in movement.However, it is best to enclose the area with enclosure , as chickens are extremely curious and can turn beds.

This species does not show aggression towards relatives or other breeds. During the hatching of eggs, the females accept to substitute each other.

The only whim of this breed is reluctance to rush in a clearly defined place. Females adore nesting on their own in those nooks where they see fit.

Males of this species of birds are distinguished by noble character traits. They seek attention of the female by courtship and always protect their territory even from a stronger opponent.

Conditions of detention

This species perfectly tolerates any environment: both closed and free. They understand their owners well and easily get used to them.

Sometimes a chicken eschews a rooster and stops rushing. This means that she needs to give a break for about a week. If this behavior lasts longer, you should find out if the bird is sick.

When laying eggs, the chicken may not be able to cope with this process itself. This happens with injuries or inflammation of the oviduct . In this case, with clean hands, greased with calcined oil, open the opening of the oviduct in the cloaca and then give the bird biomycin.

The chicken coop should be relatively warm in mid-latitude conditions. You should not keep the bird on the concrete floor, otherwise it will catch a cold and die.

The chicken room must have adequate ventilation and an insulated ceiling. It is very convenient for chickens if an indoor fenced canopy is attached to the chicken coop, where the bird can walk in inclement weather. Walking at any time of the year contributes to the health of New Hampshire.

This breed copes well with the cold, but scallops of birds can suffer from frostbite.

Feeding rules

In food, this type of chicken is unpretentious. In the early days, chickens should be fed a boiled egg. After a couple of weeks, greens and mixed fodder are added to the diet of young animals, and corn can be offered to birds in 2 months of life.

Although New Hampshire has good immunity, they need to be vaccinated against plague. The following foods should be introduced into winter lure:

• spring onions;
• sprouted oats;
• beet and carrot tops;
• cottage cheese and boiled eggs;
• complexes of vitamins and minerals.

Also, chicken should definitely add bone meal to the daily diet. You can make this supplement yourself: just burn the beef or pork bones in the oven. This breed increases egg production in winter, therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the addition of calcium and phosphorus to the diet.

To summarize

So New Hampshire – it is a type of poultry suitable for both experienced farmers and beginners. In addition to good meat and high egg production, these hens are distinguished by beautiful plumage and a pleasant appearance. They are grown for exhibitions and photos.

The conditions of detention of New Hampshires are not particularly difficult. Thanks to the selection origin, the chicken perfectly adapts to various feeds and temperatures.The soft nature of this species is also a plus, because New Hampshire can be landed with other types of hens.