- May 16, 2013
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I was given this hen today and they weren't sure if it was a RIR or a Cinnamon Queen. Out of curiosity, how could I tell those 2 "breeds" apart? I'll include a picture but it's through their pen so not the best.
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I was given this hen today and they weren't sure if it was a RIR or a Cinnamon Queen. Out of curiosity, how could I tell those 2 "breeds" apart? I'll include a picture but it's through their pen so not the best.
Totally true! I have 9 hatchery (Mt. Healthy) RIR and you could mix in any of the above mentioned breeds and I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. Even with mine there's variations in colors with each one of them. I have one that's super dark and one that's pretty light, most of the rest are in the middle like this girl here named Mary and like those in the group photo.How to tell those two apart: sometimes by the shade of red, sometimes by guessing, and sometimes you just can't.
The bird in your photos is a somewhat light shade of red, more like what a New Hampshire is supposed to have. Rhode Island Reds are supposed to be a much darker red. Cinnamon Queens could come in any shade of red, but somewhat darker ones seem to be more common than the shade your bird is.
From most hatcheries, it is difficult or impossible to really be sure what a chicken is when she has a general dual-purpose body shape, is red with a black tail, has yellow legs and a single comb, and lays brown eggs. (The description I just gave would fit Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Production Reds, and some versions of Red Sexlinks including the ones called Cinnamon Queens.)