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Red Star and Black Star chickens are actually not ”purebred” chickens. They are production crosses bred to lay eggs at a high level. The term hybrid is often used but this creates an image of a mutant chicken or GMO creation. This isn’t the case. It’s just a cross Similar to a Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle. In the chicken’s case, they are crossed to create a superior egg layer as well as create a trait known as “sex linkage”. This just means that the chickens’ gender is easily identified at birth. I will explain both benefits of this breed on the next couple of paragraphs. 

A REd Star chicken is a cross between a red rooster (Rhode Island or New Hampshire Red) and a  hen with silver genetics such as a Delaware or Rhode Island White.  The male chicks will be light colored and the female chicks Will be darker. The hens will normally be better layers and more vigorous than either parent due to a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor.  Hybrid vigor is seen in other animals and even in hybrid plants. 

A Black Star chicken in generally a cross between a Rhode Island/New Hamphsire  Red rooster and a Barred hen such as a Barred Rock. The male chicks will have a white spot on their head while females will be solid black. The hybrid vigor phenomenon holds true in this cross. 

in general, both crosses tend to be ultra productive with egg totals approaching 300 eggs per year. Many hatcheries have specialized versions of these crosses which produce phenomenal levels of egg production. Obviously egg totals can vary due to living conditions and health. In my experience, Black Star chickens seem to be larger and are extraordinarily hardy. Red Stars have more variability due to the different hens used in the crosses. Red Stars generally lay more eggs and many folks prefer the smaller size. 

in conclusion, either of these chickens will be hardy due to the Rhode Island Red/New Hampshire Red influence. They’ll lay a lot of eggs and there shouldn’t be any surprise roosters. They will make excellent additions to your flock. 

I hope that this post was informative. Thanks for reading. Please reach out to info@advancedprimitive.net with questions or comments.