The New Hampshire: High Output and a Broody Mother

In our Rhode Island Red guide we left a problem hanging: the RIR is an excellent dual-purpose breed, but it rarely goes broody — so you can't hatch naturally with it. You need an incubator, or a Silkie in the flock.

The New Hampshire is the answer to exactly that problem. It descends from the RIR and closely resembles it, but it goes broody readily and makes a good mother. It is the breed for anyone who doesn't want to choose between high output and natural hatching.

Origin: The RIR, Re-Selected

The New Hampshire was developed in the early 1900s in the American state of New Hampshire — but not from scratch. Breeders took pure Rhode Island Red flocks and selected them for years on different traits:

• Faster growth
• Earlier maturity (an earlier point of lay)
• Faster feathering
• Better meat yield

The result is an "accelerated" version of the RIR. It is a story much like the Orpington's transformation into the Australorp in Australia — the same genetic base, a different goal.

• Cock: 3.8 – 4.0 kg
• Hen: 2.9 – 3.0 kg
• Colour: a light chestnut, salmon-red — markedly lighter than the RIR's dark mahogany
• Comb: single

RIR or New Hampshire? A Comparison

At a glance the two look the same, but in practice they are different birds:

	Rhode Island Red	New Hampshire
Eggs per year	250-300	200-250
Point of lay	5-6 months	~5 months (earlier)
Growth rate	Normal	Fast
Feathering	Normal	Fast
Meat yield	Good	Better
Broodiness	Rare	Goes broody readily
Cock temperament	Can be aggressive	Calmer (though competitive)
Colour	Dark mahogany	Light chestnut / salmon

In short: for maximum eggs, take the RIR. For eggs plus meat plus natural hatching, take the New Hampshire.

The Real Advantage: It Goes Broody

This is what makes the New Hampshire special among productive breeds. Across the breeds on this site there is a trade-off: the more eggs, the less broodiness.

Breed	Eggs per year	Broodiness
Lohmann	300-320	Never
Leghorn	280-320	Never
RIR	250-300	Rarely
New Hampshire	200-250	Readily
Silkie	100-120	Very often
Cochin	140-180	Very often

The New Hampshire sits in the sweet spot of that table: 200-250 eggs — serious output — and a dependable broody mother. That is why village flocks favour it: it gives you eggs and hatches its own chicks.

For natural incubation see our guide to hatching with a broody hen; being a mid-sized bird, you can set 10-12 chicken eggs under it.

Fast Feathering: Why It Matters

This is a trait most sources skip over, yet it makes a real difference in rearing chicks.

New Hampshire chicks feather up faster than other breeds. The consequences:

• Less heat needed: a feathered chick starts holding its own body heat, so the brooder lamp comes off sooner. You can step the weekly temperature schedule in our brooder setup guide down a little faster.
• Less pecking: bare skin and slow-growing feathers make a chick a target for pecking and cannibalism. Fast feathering reduces that risk.
• A tougher chick: early feathering means early protection from cold and stress.

Output in Numbers

Trait	Value
Point of lay	~5 months (early)
Eggs per year	200-250
Egg weight	60-65 g (large)
Egg colour	Brown
Daily feed intake	120-130 g
For the table	Grows fast; ready early

Temperament and Hardiness

The New Hampshire is generally calm and friendly, and its cocks are not as aggressive as the RIR's. But it is competitive — it pushes at the feeder and asserts itself in the flock. If you keep it with very gentle breeds such as the Orpington or the Faverolles, add extra feeders.

It is hardy: it copes with heat and cold, resists disease well and forgives husbandry mistakes. Like the RIR, it is a forgiving breed for beginners.

Care and Housing

• Coop space: 0.3-0.4 m² per hen
• Run: 2-3 m²; a good forager
• Flying: it barely flies; a 1.5 m fence is enough
• Perch: mid-height (50-60 cm)
• Nest boxes: one per 4 hens
• Light: 14-16 hours a day in lay (see winter eggs)

For coop dimensions see how to build a chicken coop, and for vaccination and hygiene our coop biosecurity guide.

Hatching

Natural incubation is the New Hampshire's strong suit — see our guide to hatching with a broody hen.

In an incubator the period is standard: 21 days, 37.5-37.8 °C, 45-55% humidity, lockdown on day 18. We set out the process in our 21-day incubation guide; to keep the days straight, the Kuluçka Takip app builds the calendar and reminds you of turning and hatch days. You can check out the app here.

A breeding note: the New Hampshire is a pure breed — chicks from your own eggs carry the same traits as their parents. That is impossible with F1 hybrids like the Lohmann or the Atak-S. So your flock can renew itself — and the broody hen to do it with is already in the flock.

Pros and Cons

• + High output (200-250) and a dependable broody mother — a rare combination
• + Comes into lay early (~5 months)
• + Grows fast and feathers fast → easier chick rearing
• + Dual purpose: better meat yield than the RIR
• + Calm; the cocks aren't as aggressive as the RIR's
• + Hardy and forgiving — suitable for beginners
• + A pure breed: your flock can renew itself
• − Egg output below the RIR's (200-250 vs 250-300)
• − Competitive at the feeder; add feeders alongside very gentle breeds
• − Single comb: frostbite risk in a hard winter
• − Pure stock isn't as easy to find as the RIR's

Who Is It For?

The New Hampshire suits you if: you want eggs and meat and you want to hatch naturally; you want to renew your flock with your own chicks (and stop buying hybrids); you're starting out and want a forgiving breed; you want a fast-feathering breed that makes chick rearing easier.

The New Hampshire is not for you if: you want maximum eggs → the Lohmann, the Leghorn or the RIR; you want a guaranteed, near-permanent broody → the Silkie or the Cochin; you want the biggest body and the most meat → the Brahma.

To compare all the breeds side by side, see our guide to choosing a laying or meat breed.