My Red Star

[VA Susan]

This is "Red" my red star roo. I got him from McMurrays. We have a broody hen who is raising up some of his chicks. I'm curious about what two breeds they use for Red Stars. I wrote them and got two different answers from them. The first person said Pearl White Leghorn crossed with a RIR. Someone who knows a lot about chickens told me that is not possible because the Pearl Whites are dominant white, so I wrote and told them that and asked again. The second person from McMurray said that she thinks they use a RIR and a Rhode Island White. I found a hatchery in Canada who had a picture of a red star that looked exactly like him and wrote them but they wrote back and said they do not give out the information. Another person on a chicken forum said his neighbor raises them for McMurrays and that they use White Rocks and RIRs. Can you tell by looking which answer is the correct one. I think the White Rock answer might be right.

 

[minihorse927]

If I am not mistaken a red star is a sex linked chicken. They use different breeds to get these as I know a hatchery near me uses RIR roo and delaware hens.

 

[VA Susan]

Thanks. Yes, I know that there are different ways to get the Red Sex Links, I was just wanting to know what two breeds my Red Star has in him.

 

[minihorse927]

LOL, after I though about it, you probably got 2 different answers from mcmurray because they probably are not sure themselves. They throw in 2 breeds they know will produce red stars and voila they do not remember what was in the pen together.

 

[RAREROO]

Red this thread, especially posts 9 and 17 https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=422606&p=3 Hatcheries arent going to tell you what goes into making their particular sexlinks or not the truth anyway. Its kinda like their secret recipe and a lot of times its not just two breeds but rather 3 or 4 way crosses in some cases. But long story short, RIWhite hens are really the only breed that can reliably produce a rooster like that without breeding for a strain that will produce it or haveing to do trial and error. Read through that thread to see why White Leghorns and White Rocks usually work and if you still have questions about it, feel free to ask. And also read through the Sexlink thread that I posted the link to on the first page. You can PM me with questions if you like.

 

[donrae]

I'll go with the RI red roo and RI white hen. I think if it was a rock hen the roo would'nt be as upright, I think of rocks as squatter. What hens did you put under him?

 

[banjoejoe4783]

RI white have rose comb so the roo would not have that big singale comb looks like RIR over delawar or white rock

 

[VA Susan]

Thanks RareRoo. I'll look at those threads!

Here's a better picture of Red where you can see the cream coloring.

Here are two pictures of the chicks with their "Banty Mamma".

We think that he fathered all of them except maybe the brown patterned one. There were two that were almost twins, one gray and one brown. Both looked like chipmunks. Their mother had to be the Speckled Sussex. The other two chicks are mostly red. One has more white on it's wing tips. We have two roosters, the Red Star and a RIR. At the time we got the fertile eggs, "Red" was the dominant roo. The fertile eggs came from the Speckled Sussex and New Hampshires and possibly our BO. The gray chick has grown faster than any others. Our Speckled Sussex is our biggest hen. His brown patterned sister is the same size as the rest. He's now bigger than the banty who is raising them.

 

[VA Susan]

I just read the thread someone posted asking if their chicks were Leghorn or White Rock and someone said to look at the ears. Red's ears are white. Does that rule out the White Rock possibility?

 

[chickenlady08]

I have been told that Red Stars are from RIR and White Rocks. My local livestock supply guy has had chickens all of his life and is pretty knowlegable. I think a Leghorn is a smaller chicken and I have some DE/Leghorm chicks that are not several months old and are very similiar to the Leghorn momma and maybe a splash of the dad's coloring.

I have a rooster named JJ that is a Red Star momma and a RIR daddy and has more red in him and creamish tail feathers. He is a quite beautiful boy.

Your Red is beautiful. JJ's grandfather was a RIR and his name was Red and he lived to be over 15 years old.

I think it is kinda interesting to see the different breeds have babies. I have a DE (roo) / EE momma and hatched some this summer. Oh how beautiful they are.