Which lays more eggs, the Rhode Island Red or the New Hampshire?

The Rhode Island Red typically lays more: 250–300 eggs a year against the New Hampshire's 200–260. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.

Which starts laying first, the Rhode Island Red or the New Hampshire?

About the same age: 18–20 weeks for the Rhode Island Red and 18–21 for the New Hampshire. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires together?

Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.

What color eggs do Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires lay?

Both lay brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

Rhode Island Red vs New Hampshire: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: the Rhode Island Red lays more (250–300 eggs a year vs 200–260), and both start laying around the same age (18–20 weeks vs 18–21).

Figures reviewed against hatchery and breed-registry guidance · Last reviewed July 2026

Side by side

	Rhode Island Red	New Hampshire
Eggs per year	≈ 250–300	≈ 200–260
Egg color	brown	brown
First egg	18–20 weeks	18–21 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

The New Hampshire was developed directly from the Rhode Island Red, selected for faster maturity and a meatier frame — so this is a comparison between a breed and its own descendant.

Rhode Island Red in brief

The classic American dual-purpose breed: hardy, low-drama, and a dependable layer through weather that shuts other breeds down.

More detail: when do Rhode Island Red chickens start laying?

New Hampshire in brief

Developed from the Rhode Island Red with faster maturity as an explicit breeding goal — early to feather, early to lay, and a solid meat frame too.

More detail: when do New Hampshire chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Rhode Island Red for more eggs per year — it remains the stronger layer of the two.

Pick the New Hampshire if you want a dual-purpose bird that leans meatier — it feathers and matures early with a solid table frame.

And honestly, most keepers don't have to choose. Both breeds eat the same feed and share a coop happily, so a couple of each is a common answer — use the coop size calculator to size the setup for your total flock, and the first egg calculator to see when each breed will start laying from your chicks' hatch date.

Frequently asked questions

Which lays more eggs, the Rhode Island Red or the New Hampshire?: The Rhode Island Red typically lays more: 250–300 eggs a year against the New Hampshire's 200–260. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.
Which starts laying first, the Rhode Island Red or the New Hampshire?: About the same age: 18–20 weeks for the Rhode Island Red and 18–21 for the New Hampshire. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires together?: Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.
What color eggs do Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires lay?: Both lay brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

More breed matchups

Sources

First-egg age and egg counts are the consensus of multiple hatchery and breed-registry sources (no extension service tabulates per-breed figures), cross-checked and last reviewed July 2026.

The Livestock Conservancy — Chicken breed profiles