Any one know much about black stars?

[Tinkerchick]

I am adopting 3 black star hens this week and don't know much about the breed.
Also I have 6 other chickens 3 are Auracaunas, 1 cochin, 1 bantam all hens and 1 orpington rooster. They are all about 3 months old and I was wondering if these black stars (3 year olds) will hurt my little ones? The bantam esspecially is quite small and really gentel. Will they all get along?

 

[greyfields]

"Black Star" is a proprietary strain of a black sex link. They are hybrids created by crossing Rhode Island Red roosters with a Barred Rock hen. They weigh 1-2 pounds more than the red sex link. They have mostly black feathers with a translucent green sheen on them. Around their neck they will have red feathers like the color from the RIR.

With all hybrids, they do not breed true meaning you don't rebreed them. Generally speaking, hybrids have better genetics than purebreds. This leads to higher egg production, disease resistance and often greater longevity (although not always).

My BSL's are good little layers and have nice temperaments. I prefer them over red sex links becuase I think they look cooler... Oh, and I have RIR's and Barred Rocks and no Leghorn, so therefore I couldn't make RSL's if I wanted to.

For people in commercial egg production, 3 year old hens would have been already made into dog food at 18 months. For backyard people, they should still lay very well. I'm guilty of keeping old hens, too.

 

[Tinkerchick]

Thank you for the info.
So how long do these hens lay eggs?

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

We have had Black Stars that layed every day (except while molting) for over 4 years. Then they slowed down, but were still laying. These were free ranging, & ended up as a predator meal while setting on eggs.
They were over 6 years old at that time & still laying every 2 or 3 days.

We breed the Red Stars & Black Stars back to RIR roosters, & get great egg layers from them. We get several different color patterns, but they lay great.


Jean

 

[aran]

I have a question...if one has a production black instead of a barred rock and it is crossed with a RIR roo will it produce the sex links the same as if the hen were a barred rock? The production blacks i got from Ideal are similar colour to barred rocks.

 

[greyfields]

I was wondering this from your other thread as well. To me, your production blacks look just like Barred Rocks. However, if they truly are production birds, they have probably out-crossed the Plymouth Rocks with Leghorns at some point, then bred back to Barred Rocks for the final cross.

Will it still work as a sex link? I have no idea! Let me know what you find out.

My gut instinct is that yes, it will work. Sex-linking works because the color gene from the Red father is carried on the Y chromosone. So therefore, I think you can put a RIR on anything and get a sex linked result.... except, of course, other breeds potentially carrying red genes in them.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

As for the Bantam!

I have I have 2-EE's & 2-silkies (12wk)

I have 3-EE & 2-cochin bantams (10wk)

I tried putting together for 3wks

Now all EE's same size but, the older EE's drill the bantams they didn't grow up with!!

I don't know if this is an isolated insudent or this is what happens!

I have split the shed in 1/2

 

[aran]

thanks for the info mate...yep i got these production blacks from Ideal and their website just says that these birds are based on barred rocks...i would agree that they probably have leghorn in em somewhere.

 

[Davaroo]

Generally speaking, hybrids have better genetics than purebreds. This leads to higher egg production, disease resistance and often greater longevity (although not always).

This should read "hybrids have the best traits of the purebred parent stock. This generally means higher egg production, disease resistance and often greater longevity (although not always)."

Unfortunately, they won't breed them into their offspring, long term. In fact hybrids "muddy" up the gene pool pretty quick in subsequent breedings. Without determined breeding and culling for trait, the better performance of the hybrid bird soon dwindles.

"Sex-link" refers to a breeding scheme intended to give the offspring a distinct coloration at birth: one for males and a DIFFERENT one for females. That way, you can tell them apart without looking up their little chicken butts!
The RIR + BR pairings are quite common for this.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
I've hatched out a RIR barred rock crosses and found them to be sexlinked. As for laying... well not quite as good as the commercial black sexlinks.