I purchased 4 chicks @ tsc from the assorted reds bin. How can you tell if the chicks are red stars? And what might a yellow turn out to be? (1 of the 4 turned yellow) They are friendly, will stand still and let me rub their necks ad chests.
I guess it's a little hard to tell until they grow up. Although the down of red star pullet chicks (at least mine were) is more golden or buff colored than the down of a Rhode Island Red chick, which is definitely reddish or rust-colored. I guess that's where their other name, buff sex links, comes from. Because the adult hens are certainly not what I'd call buff colored. So your yellow chick could still be a red star pullet, or maybe a New Hampshire Red. I got 6 New Hampshire Red chicks this spring and their down is also more of a golden or buff color and distinct from the reddish or rust colored down of a Rhode Island Red chick. When they grow up it is easy to tell because they will have red outer feathers and white under feathers and down, and some white feathers in the tail and perhaps white penciling in the neck too. Even though they are commercial (rather than fancy) birds, I think that they are quite attractive. However, if their mother was a Delaware, the pullet chicks will look identical to a pure Rhode Island Red (or New Hampshire Red, depending on the exact cross). I think they usually refer to that cross as red sex link.
