Red Stars?

[Michael OShay]

Black Stars and Red Stars have the same temperament.

I've not typically found that to be true. My Black Stars (Black Sex Links) have nearly always been friendly. With my Red Stars (Red Sex Links), it has varied a lot more (many of them have been quite standoffish and occasionally some are aggressive. I think part of the problem is that hatcheries use so many different breeds of silver gene hens to breed their Red Sex Links (Rhode Island Whites, White Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Delawares, Light Sussex, etc.) that you get a lot more temperament variation in the Red Sex Links than in the Black Sex Links which are almost universally bred by hatcheries using Barred Rock hens.

 

[BikerMichael]

Good catch, Michael O!

I didn't think of the multiple breeds used by hatcheries for Red Stars. Indeed it could make a difference, while it doesn't with the Black Stars due to mostly using Barred Rock hens.

In my case I never have to worry about that issue because I hatch my own sex links and always use the same ♂ + ♀ pattern. Thus, I achieve the same level of consistency each time.

If I'm breeding Red Stars I use a Rhode Island Red Rooster and a Delaware hen. And, if I'm breeding a Black Star I use a Rhode Island Red Rooster and a Barred Rock hen. I always breed Reds and Blacks at the same time, so I separate 4 hens of each breed with my rooster. This gives me a 8:1 ration, which is slightly better that the "supposedly ultimate of 10:1".


Enjoy your chickens!
They're great therapists and cheaper than shrinks!

 

[Michael OShay]

Good catch, Michael O!

I didn't think of the multiple breeds used by hatcheries for Red Stars. Indeed it could make a difference, while it doesn't with the Black Stars due to mostly using Barred Rock hens.

In my case I never have to worry about that issue because I hatch my own sex links and always use the same ♂ + ♀ pattern. Thus, I achieve the same level of consistency each time.

If I'm breeding Red Stars I use a Rhode Island Red Rooster and a Delaware hen. And, if I'm breeding a Black Star I use a Rhode Island Red Rooster and a Barred Rock hen. I always breed Reds and Blacks at the same time, so I separate 4 hens of each breed with my rooster. This gives me a 8:1 ration, which is slightly better that the "supposedly ultimate of 10:1".


Enjoy your chickens!
They're great therapists and cheaper than shrinks!

Among the different Red Sex Links I've had (all with different labels) I think I personally like the RIR roo X Delware hen the best for temperament (RIR roo X Lt. Sussex is good as well), however a lot of the commercial Red Sex Links use RIR roo X Rhode Island White hen. As far as the lay rate goes, I haven't really been able to tell much of a difference between the various Red Sex Links. All of them will exceed 300 eggs in a year (better than either parent breed). It's one of the interesting quirks of hybridization.

 

[Rocky64]

Are Isa browns considered red sex-links? I know there are differences in color between the hens and roosters.

 

[Michael OShay]

Are Isa browns considered red sex-links? I know there are differences in color between the hens and roosters.

Yes, Isa Browns are Red Sex Links, and like all RSLs, they are egg laying machines.

 

[Rocky64]

Yes, Isa Browns are Red Sex Links, and like all RSLs, they are egg laying machines.

Thanks for clearing that up, so any chicks that come from an Isa brown would likely be a sex-link too? I hatched a chick from an Isa brown and it showed the characteristics of a SL such as slow growing feathers in males. This is the resulting cockerel, El Drago

 

[Sunshine0235]

Thanks for clearing that up, so any chicks that come from an Isa brown would likely be a sex-link too? I hatched a chick from an Isa brown and it showed the characteristics of a SL such as slow growing feathers in males. This is the resulting cockerel, El Drago

No it is only sexlinked on the initial cross, after that there is no telling at hatch by their color.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks for clearing that up, so any chicks that come from an Isa brown would likely be a sex-link too?

X2 on Sunshine0235. Sex Link chickens are hybrids which do not breed true. The offspring of two Isa Browns are simply mixed breeds that cannot be sexed reliably by color, and while they will probably be good layers, they will likely not be the egg laying machines that their sex linked mother was.

 

[dmfmfl]

They aren't red stars. Red stars have a single comb. NHR have some black tail feathers like this one but they also have a single comb which your hen does not have. My guess is also Production hen.

 

[TexasChicken12]

Actually, she does have a single comb. She is just young in that picture. Sorry for any confusion.