Red Star Chickens

[Jashdon]

Does anyone have any experience with Red Star chickens? I saw them on mypetchicken.com and they claim that they are heavy layers year round, even in cold weather. I live in the Seattle area so it doesn't get too cold but it is cloudy and dark all winter and we would really like to increase our winter egg numbers. Let me know what your experience is with this breed or if you have any suggestions for other breeds that might do well under these conditions... Thanks.

 

[HorseFeathers]

We have a Red Star named Rita. She's very sweet and very small. Another hen pulled her butt feathers out. She lays enormous eggs for her body size- bigger than any others we get and she's the smallest in the flock! She's very pretty. Rita's also very savvy about just how to steal our food.

She's smart, I guess. I'm not sure, I mean Rita may be an exceptional hen, but I reccomend the breed.

Here's a pic (it's a drawing I did):

 

[Jashdon]

Nice drawing. Thanks for sharing. We used to go to a coffee shop in Kirkland, Wa when we lived closer and they had an art exhibit by a painter who painted pictures of chickens. They were really cool, I wish we could get in touch with him and get a couple...

 

[al6517]

These red stars were bread for egg production, they are kind of small but lay very well, they are gentle and really just a good all purpose breed, I really like mine and will use them as eggproducers for a long while.
AL

 

[mtnhomechick]

I have 14 of them..........they are my favorites. I have 41 layers and the reds will lay the biggest egg with a good nature. They are low in the totem pole though. Very nice docile birds.

 

[Jashdon]

Have you had the experience that they lay more than other breeds during the winter months?

 

[jimnjay]

I hatched out some for eggs a friend gave me. I only kept one as I have two Welsummers for table eggs as well and it is just the two of us. They are all always hungry and they are very poor foragers. My girl would not eat a bug if you handed it to her on a platter. They are gentle and all in all are very good layers. I have not taken mine through the winter yet. I feel sure that they will be just as good then as they are reputed to be.

I mention the foraging ability only because with the price of feed ever increasing it can make a difference if you have space to let you chickens forage. I most likely would not get more of these birds as I like chickens that help to feed themselves. Barred Rocks and RIR's in my experience are much better at that and both are extreamly good egg layers as well. Red Stars were developed for one thing only, egg production. They really do not need lots of room so they fit the bill perfectly for a small yard and for people who are production oriented.

 

[al6517]

Yes they do fine in the winter, but then our cold spells only last 3 days or so then it's 30-50 degree days. but most people say they are great in the winter, and mine forage very well but i have like 70 chickens, and there is plenty of compitition.

AL

 

[JessaLynn]

I have 20 red stars and have to be my favorite breed.Mine have laid all year round and are excellent foragers.They are pretty hardy in the winter and haven't lost one to the cold yet.It gets in single digits sometimes here to.Very nice sweet birds.I have never had any issues with them at all.They follow me around and allow my kids to pet them which is very unusaul from other breeds I have.I have buff orpingtons and those have tempermants close to my red stars but not as good foragers.I would deffinitly recommend this breed to anyone!

 

[patienceprudencecharity]

I have "Golden Buffs", which are similar to Red Stars (or the same as them--the hybrid mix is a trade secret).

I just wanted to mention that they are great foragers, friendly, and reliable in laying an egg each day. There's a link to my page about Golden Buffs in my signature here.

best,
Nancy