Red Stars and breeding...

[brandislee]

So I just started my flock this past spring. I have 6 EE's, 4 Barred Rocks, 1 lemon orp, and 6 red stars with 1 Wyandotte rooster and 1 buff orp rooster. My plan next year is to hatch some eggs to see how the offspring fare. I know I probably will hatch more eggs from the barred rocks than the EE's, since they lay better.

But so far (and they haven't started laying yet, since they're nearly two months younger than the rest of the flock...) the Red Stars are my FAVORITE so far as fitting into what I want out of a chicken and what fits into our setup. They are GREAT foragers, they are just cautious enough to hide and stay quiet when a threat is sensed (unlike the Rocks), but not so cautious that they rarely come out of the coop/run (like the EE's). And they're pretty But I remembered reading somewhere that they don't breed true, and now I can't find it...

So do they? What would happen if they reproduce with one of my roos? Because assuming they lay as prolifically as they're supposed to, they're going to be the best of my flock.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Red Stars are hybrids. You have, in them, "hybrid vigor", which makes them quite good at what they do. Being such, unfortunately, they don`t reproduce like kind. However, when crossed with one of the roosters you have, the outcome should be fine........Pop

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Especially if you use a rooster from a good egg laying line the pullets you hatch should still be good layers. Likely not quite as good as their parent stock, but still good layers.

What they won't be however is still sex-linked. By this I mean you won't be able to easily tell male from female at hatch.

 

[draye]

We have a version of the Red Star (Ideal's Red Sexlimks) that I have some offspring of. I managed to get 18 to hatch back in June.

1= looks like my Red Sexlinks
1= Red with barring
3= Barred (since they are starting to mature 1 of them has changed, still has some barring but also has some kind of lacing too.)
1= Partridge looking (not like a real Partridge Rock tough).
12=White (some have a stray red or black feather here and there).

By the way I had a White Plymouth Rock rooster over the Red Sexlinked hens.

Have fun with them.

 

[brandislee]

Thanks! It should be fun to try and see what I get.