Red stars with black feathers?

[FourandSix]

I got two red stars at the feed store in august and now that they are fully feathered, they have mostly black tail feathers and a few black/red one throughout their body and one has some on her neck. Do red stars normally have some black feathers?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sounds like you got black sex links instead.

 

[FourandSix]

Sounds like you got black sex links instead.

Most of their feathers are red though...

 

[Whittni]

Random black feathers occur in a lot of chickens, even in pure white ones. The odd or misplaced feathers are usually a sign of an impurity in the line, like a hybrid in the ancestry. Seeing how you're hens are a hybrid breed for a friendly and good layer chicken it shouldn't raise any alarms.

I personally like the hybrids, I just got one, but she's a black sexlink not a red:

 

[Happy Chooks]

Do you have a picture of them? What color were they as chicks?

 

[donrae]

I think it just depends on the mix used to make the sex link. I've seen birds on here folks say were bought as sex links that have black points, where most of the sex links have white. Just a different recipe, I believe.

 

[FourandSix]

Do you have a picture of them? What color were they as chicks?

Here are some pictures of them at different stages of their lives. Sorry about the quality.















Today

 

[donrae]

Could be sex links or could be production reds. Either way, great layers of big ol' brown eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Could be sex links or could be production reds. Either way, great layers of big ol' brown eggs.

I agree.

 

[icebat5000]

I think those are new hampshires. I have to of them