Black Stars vs. Red Stars

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Thanks everybody! I hopped on the google machine and found that Ideal Poultry is about 45 mins. from my house. Any pros or cons with Ideal or does it really matter when getting a cross breed? Also I was thinking about getting some wyandottes girls to go with my awesome BLRW rooster that was supposed to be a hen...(bought 4 BLRW "pullets" and all grew nuts!).

 

[anythingbutsandy]

I have 8 Red Stars and I LOVE them. At 14 weeks we got 1 hard-shelled egg (delicious) and then about 5 or 6 soft (non-edible) eggs during week 15. Weeks 16-17 about 1 ever other day. Week 18 is upon us and we're getting 2-3 a day. Yippeee. BTW, we're in Texas and August we had 100 degree days just about every day. I don't know how well they act/socialize with other chickens, but I have a 9 year-old little girl that loves them and picks them up and carries 2 around under each arm with no problem.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Thats cool! I live in Waco Texas so I know what you mean about the heat!!! good thing all this flooding we all are getting is cooling us off...

 

[steve25]

are red stars or sex links the same as isa browns?

 

[Mtn Cur]

Both will lay through winter. But red will lay more consistently.

 

[rsf31tmp]

Quote:
I have 6 golden sex-link (golden comets?) and they are the bossy/mean hens.....my 4 black sex-link are much sweeter! I have a production red (red star?) and she is great, maybe a bit aggressive? and I have another who was in the Rhode Island Red bin at Farm and Home, but I think she is a red or brown sex-link...not pure RIR for sure and she is my nicest hen by far!

RIR ....mix?

 

[briteday]

Quote:
ISA's are a patented breed by Hendrix Genetics...you're probably thinking of the ones from Townline Hatchery near you in MI. However, all of the hatcheries seem to have some variation of red sexlinks, and there are a few different breeds that they use to produce them. It basically boils down to a rooster with a red/brown gene and a hen with a dominant silver gene. Which breeds they choose from those groups depends on the hatchery, except for the patented breeds like ISA's.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I have one very friendly lap variety black sex link chicken and one that is rather more shy but definitely not mean. I have one very friendly lap variety red chicken and one rather more bossy but again, not mean. My only REALLY bossy hen is a Barred Rock. She likes to zing the other ladies in the head if they don't give her the space she desires. After having two of each (black and red), I honestly couldn't say which I prefer as they have all laid continuously through extreme heat and cold (except for the one red's moulting - twice). I imagine you wouldn't go wrong with either one!

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
I have 6 golden sex-link (golden comets?) and they are the bossy/mean hens.....my 4 black sex-link are much sweeter! I have a production red (red star?) and she is great, maybe a bit aggressive? and I have another who was in the Rhode Island Red bin at Farm and Home, but I think she is a red or brown sex-link...not pure RIR for sure and she is my nicest hen by far!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/51397_hens_egg_1_002.jpg
RIR ....mix?

Your's is a Production RIR, or in other words one from a hatchery. I don't have experience with sex links, but I do know my production RIR hens (somewhat similiar) are exceptionally friendly and all lay well. I'm excited to see how they do during the winter.

 

[rsf31tmp]

Quote:
Yes, that is what I have been told, but it was $1.59 so what the heck?