can you tell gold star from rhode island white and black star from barred rock?

A Rhode Island white should be all white, and the gold star will be a pretty creamy gold color.

The black star shouldn't have any barring, and of course the barred rock will.

Good luck with your chicks!

I saw on your blog that you lost one, I am so sorry, that is always terrible.
 
Rhode Island White are one of THE most extremely rare birds in the US. They must have the brick shaped body of the Rhode Island Red, but white feathering, of course, with a rose comb. Unless you got one from a rare breed keeper/breeder you are extremely unlikely to have a true RIW.

The Black Star is a made up name for a hybrid. Normally, a red cockbird is used over a Barred Rock hen. The chicks hatched with a head spot are cockerels while the pullets have no head spot. The pullets will feather out black with some red/gold leakage appearing at 6-9 weeks on the neck or breast area. The males will look very similar to the Barred Rock father. The barring will be a bit messier and eventually, some red/gold leakage will appear on the wing area.

A Gold Star is another made up name for a mix/cross/hybird. The cockbird used is a red/gold bird over a white/silver hen. They can be sexed at hatch. The males hatch off white/white while the females will hatch golden/reddish. The males will be off white as adults with some red leakage on the wing area and saddles. The females will be most reddish/gold with some white underwear peaking out toward the rear and on the tail.

The "Black Star" is a black sex link, while the "Gold Star" is a golden or red sex link. This is an intentional crossing to produce hybrids that can be feather sexed at hatch.
 
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thank you for your replys!

I meant when they are new chicks...if you have a rhode island white chick and a male gold star...they could look the same as babies right??
And a barred rock can be either male or female, but if it's a black star that looks like a BR, it is a male. So if they are mixed in together, it's hard to tell until they are older.

Now that they are getting in their feathers, your explainaton is very good! So, thanks for clearing up the black star and gold star breeding.

So, my black stars are pullets, as they are getting red feathering on their necks/chest and did not have dots on their heads...one of them was born with a comb, so people assumed it was a roo

My white one, is still all white, but is not rose combed...

But I am now fairly sure I have two black star Pullets, two gold star Pullets, a Barred Rock cockerel, a Gold Star cockerel (and the one we lost, was probably also a gold star cockerel with a Delaware mother-he was light colored as a baby, then was getting some beautiful stripes on his wings...) , a rhode island white (but not true breed? since it doesn't have a rose comb)- and I don't know if it's a pullet or cockerel..., A blue laced wyandotte (which I've been told is a splash, which means a light grey/white) also unsure of it being pullet or cockerel.

So, hey, now I know what most of them are!!

thanks again for the response!

.
 
Hum, I don't like being patient and having to wait until they are grown to know what you have.

I have five little three week chicks, and since they are all the same breed, it is much easier to guess which are male and which are female, since I can compare them to each other.

I have two little three month bantams, buff Brahma, and since I only have the two, and also since they have little combs (I can't remember, I think it is a rose comb), I am still not quite sure if they are male or female.
 

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