Distinguishing blue star vs blue australorp

imacowgirl2

Songster
Apr 11, 2022
372
699
133
south central IL
Are there any differences (leg color, comb style, etc) between Blue Star and blue australorp that can use to help me tell them apart? I didn't band the babies when they arrived because at that time it didn't matter...they lay eggs all the same. Now however, my daughter has gotten into showing her chickens in 4-H, so we need to differentiate them because they show in two separate classes.
 
Are there any differences (leg color, comb style, etc) between Blue Star and blue australorp that can use to help me tell them apart? I didn't band the babies when they arrived because at that time it didn't matter...they lay eggs all the same. Now however, my daughter has gotten into showing her chickens in 4-H, so we need to differentiate them because they show in two separate classes.
Not a whole lot of difference. Blue stars are blue Australorps crossed with barred rocks. The males will show barring, the females won't. Blue stars should be a little larger than blue Australorps.
 
Australorps only have white skin. So if your birds have yellow, you know they're not Australorps.
Hi! Question about the skin- my chicks skin look pretty pink. How can you tell what color skin they have? Also do you have any other tips on distinguishing between the blue australorp and blue star?
 
Hi! Question about the skin- my chicks skin look pretty pink. How can you tell what color skin they have? Also do you have any other tips on distinguishing between the blue australorp and blue star?
To tell skin color, look at the undersides of their feet. White or pinkish means you have a white skinned bird, yellowish means you have a yellow skinned breed.

I'm reading that different hatcheries use different crosses to make different types of blue stars, so that makes it tough. Ideal uses blue Andalusians crossed with barred rocks. Another hatchery is using Wyandottes, and another blue Australorps x barred rocks. So confusing. But later on if you see rose combs or white earlobes then those are blue stars, not Australorps. Otherwise those breeds are going to be almost indistinguishable from each other.
 
To tell skin color, look at the undersides of their feet. White or pinkish means you have a white skinned bird, yellowish means you have a yellow skinned breed.

I'm reading that different hatcheries use different crosses to make different types of blue stars, so that makes it tough. Ideal uses blue Andalusians crossed with barred rocks. Another hatchery is using Wyandottes, and another blue Australorps x barred rocks. So confusing. But later on if you see rose combs or white earlobes then those are blue stars, not Australorps. Otherwise those breeds are going to be almost indistinguishable from each other.
Thank you!
 

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