I got three Red Stars, three years ago. They are the most loving and outgoing hens - very affectionate, seeking hugs all the time. They are very curious, and always wondering what's around the next corner. They started laying their first winter, and pretty much produced an egg every day for the next year and a half.
This spring, I lost two of them to reproductive tract cancer. Our wonderful vet spayed the third, and she also had a very early stage of cancer. The vet says that about 30% of production birds get this cancer by their fourth year, because of the stress of pumping out so many eggs. It was heartbreaking because we'd come to love them so much. If you plan to have chickens as pets and keep them around for a long time, you may want to consider a breed that lays less often.
This spring, I lost two of them to reproductive tract cancer. Our wonderful vet spayed the third, and she also had a very early stage of cancer. The vet says that about 30% of production birds get this cancer by their fourth year, because of the stress of pumping out so many eggs. It was heartbreaking because we'd come to love them so much. If you plan to have chickens as pets and keep them around for a long time, you may want to consider a breed that lays less often.