The Difference Between New Hampshire Red & Leghorn

Tens if not hundreds of varieties of chickens peck around on the planet. Two popular breeds in the United States today are Leghorns and New Hampshire Reds, one a very old breed and the other fairly new. Leghorns have been around since the Roman Empire, but they were developed to the breed we know today during the 19th and 20th centuries. New Hampshire Reds were developed in New Hampshire from the Rhode Island Red early the 20th century. New Hampshire breeders wanted to produce a meatier bird that grew quickly and could withstand the New Hampshire weather.

  1. Personality

    • Leghorns a restless, quick and noisy. They have been bred to brood only rarely. They like to move around foraging but will get out of range and nest in trees if you don't keep track of them. New Hampshire Reds are good and frequent brooders and good mothers. They are calm and curious, sometimes docile and sometimes aggressive.

    New Hampshire Reds Description

    • The single comb and wattles of the New Hampshire Reds are red. Their skin and legs are yellow and a line of red pigment runs down the legs. The color is chestnut red with creamy feathers mixed in. The tail feathers are black. Eggs are light to medium dark brown and the standard size bird is around 6.5 lbs.

    Leghorn Description

    • Leghorns are big white birds with yellow skin and legs. The single comb and wattles are red or rose and large. The standard leghorn is around 4.5 pounds. The eggs are white. Most Leghorns on American farms are white, but other varieties include red, light and dark brown, black tailed, blue and buff.

    Uses

    • Leghorns are non-setters. They have been bred to be broody only infrequently so that they spend time laying, not nesting. They are the hens that produce most of the eggs sold commercially in the United States. New Hampshire Reds are dual purpose birds. They are good layers and equally good for meat birds. While commercial farmers are likely to keep Leghorns over New Hampshire Reds, backyard hen keepers and small farms are more likely to have New Hampshire Reds, as they produce large eggs and have a plump carcass when butchered.