Red Star Chicken: designer bird or mutts of the poultry world?

Genetically designed to lay egg every day, Red Star is a favorite among commercial egg
producers. But are they a good choice for backyard flock?

 Whether
you’re looking to add a variety of chickens to your backyard flock or
you’re just starting out, it’s important to make sure your new chickens
will fit in.
 
This guide to Red Star Chicken (also known as Red
Sex-Linked, ISA Brown, and Golden Comet) will help you decide if this is
the chicken for you or if you should look elsewhere. 

It’s easy to care for, easy to manage. It also sets a unique and reliable egg layer – what more could you ask for? Let’s find out.

Red Star Chicken at glance.

•   Male and female are different in color, so you have to know what you’re getting. No problem with an unexpected rooster in your yard!

• That’s why one of the names you’ll hear them called
  is “Red Sex-Linked.” 

• It is one of the most best egg layer ever. This is what they were bred for.

• They tolerate heat and cold,
  so they continue to lay eggs in all weathers.

• Smart foragers
  that thrive on being able to free range and supplement their diet with insects
  and plants.
•  
• Curious, funny and friendly, especially if used from a young
  age.

    History – when is a breed not a  breed
 
 Answer
– when it is a red star. These chickens are hybrids – they have
different breeds of parents and their own offspring will not be the
“right type”.
 
 They were developed in the 1950s, when raising
chickens in the backyard was not what it used to be. The public wants
more eggs and to meet the demand, the company chooses hybrid chickens to
produce the largest number of eggs and consume less feed.
 
 There
are many different breeds that are used to produce sexed chickens. The
most common is the Rhode Island red rooster with the Rhode Island white
chicken.
 
 Two sexed or Red Star chicks cannot be crossed to
produce sexed chicks. 

Red Stars are cage battery hens. Their ability to lay eggs every day means that Red Stars are often
used as commercial grade egg layers.

What do they look like?

•  Males and females can
  be identified quickly after hatching, so you shouldn’t deal with a rooster
  (cock) unless you want to.

• Depending on the species used, male
  chicks are white or yellow; female are light brown.

•  This ability to detect sex at
  an early stage makes it the bird of choice for many commercial poultry
  farms that only require eggs.

•  Females
  (pullets) go through this “gawky” stage, but will begin to develop a
  beautiful shade of dark brown to rich mahogany.

•  They
  came from a local breeder who kept hundreds of them in a barn, so they were not use to people or freedom. But they are very flexible birds:
  they adjust quickly to a new environment.

•  As adults, males
  remain white while females develop various shades of buff or brown,
  depending on the specific crossbreed, with beautiful white spots. They
  usually have white or off-white feathers on their backs, but they can be
  brown.

 What about personality? 

• Generally
  gentle, calm, friendly, sweet chickens are the ones to be touched and petted. 

• However, they do not like to pay attention: they are not chickens
  that like to be cuddled. They will stay with you for a while and then want
  to leave again, free range!

•  Always curious and very active, they like to
  explore the world outside of their clan. 

• They are so happy when they eat
  insects, they will eat anything or eat anything and get nothing more
  than regular treats!

•  They have their own language and will let you know when they are satisfied with a soft purr.

  Egg
production. 

• This type of chicken is the result of crossing a wild breed
  for the express purpose of laying eggs. Because of this, they are one
  of the highest levels in the world. 

• Their eggs are light brown in color
  and usually large.

•  A red/cross-sex hen will start laying eggs before the rest – 17 to 19 weeks.

•  You
  can expect one egg per day from this type of chicken, even in very hot
  or very cold weather. They decrease a bit when moulting, when you
  should expect one egg every couple of days.

• Eating food like meal worms
  will make the yolk a beautiful dark purple. And Red Stars is always at
  the forefront when it comes to mealworm treats.

 Any
problem areas?

 These chickens love to explore and will try to fly
whenever they can, so they can be difficult to keep in a yard unless
there is a large fence – and even then, they will -try it!
 
 In a confined space, they can get bored
easily, so you must have something to keep them occupied if you want to
avoid pecking within the flock. 

They do not appreciate the introduction of other
chickens into the flock, and may even threaten them. This must be done
with care.

 They also eat a lot, which is not surprising given how many
eggs they lay! Giving them free range to forage for some food helps.