Red Star Chickens are a unique breed of chicken that is easy to sex at birth. They lay an extremely high amount of eggs each year. This makes them perfect if you're looking for a chicken breed to primarily provide food. The breed is a hybrid, though, so there are quite a few things you should know before picking one up.
The Red Star chicken is a sex link breed, sometimes referred to as a red sex-link chicken, meaning that you can easily tell roosters and hens from each other when they are born. In addition, this is a hybrid breed that is made for laying a high number of eggs per year. You can expect your Red Star to lay around 300 large eggs a year, as well as grow large enough as a meat source.
Since they are hybrids, they aren’t recognized by the APA, and if you are planning to breed them, there are some special instructions you need to follow. The temperament of the Red Star chicken also tends to vary, so it’s best to take them on a case-by-case basis. They generally live between 5 to 8 years with proper care and are a hardy breed. If their incredible egg-laying capabilities have piqued your interest, then keep reading below to learn about what it takes to care for a Red Star chicken.
Red Star Chickens
| Size | 8 Pounds (Rooster) 6 Pounds (Hen) |
| Class | SCCL |
| Color | Light Brown Red |
| Temperament | Varies |
| Hardiness | Hardy |
| Eggs/Yr | 300 |
| Egg Size | Large |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Chicken Life Span | 5 to 8 Years |
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History and Origin
Red Star chickens are a pretty new breed and don’t have as detailed a history as some other breeds do. They were created in the twentieth century by breeders who wanted to create a chicken that could lay a high number of eggs.
They seem to become especially popular in the 1950s and haven’t really slowed down since then. This is because hybrids (like Red Ranger chickens) are now seen as a popular way to create high production chickens, and the notion that pure breeds are superior has long been forgotten.
This was done by cross-breeding several different breeds. They are often bred with the Rhode Island red chicken still to this day and aren’t recognized by the APA since breeding them means that you are constantly mixing breeds. Some other popular breeds used for this chicken are Delaware and Plymouth Rock chickens. Learning about the breeding process is extremely important if you want to produce your own Red Star chicks.
What do they look like?
Red Star chickens are not an APA-recognized breed and will likely never be one as they are a hybrid. To begin with, you'll sometimes find that it’s hard to get Red Star chickens that constantly fit the “breed standard”. The best you can do is follow the breeding recipe to create chickens that lay a high number of eggs. Even with these variations, though, they do have several things about their appearance that stay the same.
For starters, the hen and rooster are born with different colorings. This is called auto-sexing. This is how you can sex a chicken from birth. This breed typically has red or a light brown coloring to its feathers. In addition, they may have white or black coloring mixed in. Roosters are typically a lighter color than the hens, even when they are just born. They do have clean yellow legs and yellow beaks. They have a single comb that is red in color and usually has short red waddles.
Red Star hens typically weigh around 6 pounds, while the roosters grow to be around 8 pounds. The chicks usually have a bit of brown or red feathering but are extremely hard to identify from other breeds. It’s best to get your chicks from an established breeder to ensure that they are the correct breed.
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Temperament
Figuring out the temperament of your Red Star chicken is a bit harder than with other breeds. Since your chick is a mix of different breeds, their personality can vary. You will find some Red Star chickens to be friendly, while others may be more flighty. It’s important to spend time with Red Star chicks as they grow to socialize with them as much as possible. It does seem that Red Star chickens typically like people better than other chickens, though.
This may cause problems when housing chickens together. It’s recommended that you introduce a Red Star to an already established coop and not the other way around. It’s also best to be cautious around the roosters as their temperaments will also vary. Never leave roosters together, with small animals, or alone with children. Luckily, the autosexing of the breed makes it easy for you to only take hens home.
If you plan to introduce new chickens or Red Star chickens to your coop, do so with caution. Be sure to monitor for any signs of fighting. Especially if you introduce a grown chicken instead of keeping a mix of chicks. If you intend to introduce a new breed into the coop with the Redstar, you will want to be especially vigilant. This is where owners tend to have more of a problem. Remember that a pecking order is normal, but fights and excessive pecking isn’t something that should be going on.
The Red Star chickens do seem to like to free-range and like to fly around. Since they have varying temperaments, it’s best to keep them in a run with a high fence that they can’t easily escape from. While some Red Star chickens may do well with free-range and sticking close to the coop, raising a flock can give you a mixed bag of temperaments.
Red Star chickens can also tend to be a bit noisy, which can cause a problem when you live close to others. Like with other things, this may vary from chicken to chicken, but you shouldn’t buy the Red Star if you are expecting to have a quiet coop.
What is their purpose?
First off, the Red Star chickens are not a show bird and will probably not be accepted by the APA. The APA is also not likely to accept the Red Star chicken since they are a hybrid breed, like the Amberlink.
The same goes for having a Red Star chicken as a pet. You won’t know what their temperament is until they grow up; while this is true for all chicken breeds to an extent, the Red Star is particularly hard to predict. They are primarily a food breed and are great at providing.
Red Star hens generally lay around 300 large brown eggs a year. They will even lay in the winter and will keep your family fed year-round.
If you're wondering how often they lay eggs, it tends to be about 5 - 7 eggs per week.
In fact, even if you are just keeping a few Red Star chickens, you'll get more eggs than you know what to do with. These aren’t a small breed of chicken either, with the rooster regularly weighing in at 8 pounds.
Both hens and roosters can be used to get a decent serving of meat. Due to this, they excel at both egg and meat production.
One thing you will need to be concerned with when trying to find chickens is breeders. This breed can be tricky to breed, so you'll want to find someone who has experience with them. Since these chickens can vary a bit, it can be hard to pinpoint if you really have a chicken that is going to produce a high amount of eggs or not. It’s best to do thorough research on the breed before buying from a breeder.
You may also find that you'll have to travel or buy from a breeder who will ship them to you. This can add to the costs of the chick, so keep this in mind when shopping around. The hens typically cost around $4.50, while the roosters will go for $2.50.
This is a bit more than you would pay for other breeds. But many owners find that the egg production greatly outweighs the increased price for the chicks. You'll also have a guarantee that you'll get a definite hen or rooster, whichever you prefer.
And, keep in mind, the initial purchase is just a small amount of what it costs to own chickens.
If you are looking to breed them, you may find that it’s a bit more complicated than normal. In order to keep the Red Star chickens' qualities, you will need to cross-breed them with a compatible breed. If you try to breed a Red Star rooster and hen, you won't get a chicken that meets the standard. The most popular breed to do this with is the New Hampshire chicken. You can also try breeding them with the Delaware and Plymouth Rock chicken to get Red Star chicks.
You will also need to pick up an incubator as this typically isn’t a broody breed. Once you successfully hatch the chicks, be sure to separate the roosters from the hens. Most always, the roosters will have a lighter coloring than the hens will.
Care and Health
Red Star chickens aren’t a breed that you are going to worry about too much as they are hardy. They do well in all types of weather and are even able to stand the cold better than some other breeds. They do still have a single comb, so you should be careful not to leave them out too much in the colder months as they can get frostbite. This breed seems to do well in both large and small areas, and they are happy to rummage around your yard for food.
If you are planning to let your Red Star chickens free-range, then you should consider building a chicken run. Their varying temperament makes it a bit hard to judge how these birds will act when they are full grown. Many owners note that Red Star chickens do seem to enjoy foraging, though, so giving them a bit of outside time each day will be beneficial. They do seem to be good at catching their own food, which can give them extra nutrients. It has also been noted that this breed seems to like trying to fly, so you will want to make sure that your run has a tall fence that they can’t get over easily.
If you want to try free-ranging these chickens without a run, then keep them on a tight schedule. This will allow them to know when it’s time to come out and ensure that you have them all put up by the time night rolls around. If they do wander off away from the flock or go too far out, it can be dangerous as this makes your Red Star chicken an easy target for nearby predators like foxes or hawks.
When choosing chicken coop plans, you will want to make sure that it’s well insulated and that there are no cracks for cold air to creep in through. You may want to provide some extra bedding in colder months as well to help your flock stay as warm as possible.
Water should always be available to your birds around the clock. Make sure to choose one of the best chicken waterers for them to use. Especially in the winter, so be sure to have a plan to keep your chicken waterers from freezing.
A properly balanced meal is also important, especially for the Red Star hens. Since these hens lay a high number of eggs, they will need a nutritional meal to keep them healthy and laying.
Red Star chickens don’t have any special grooming needs for you to worry about, and don’t get sick any more than a normal chicken. You should always be on the lookout for any strange behavior, though, as any chicken can become ill. In addition, you should do weekly checks to ensure that no parasites like mites have infested your birds; parasites typically spread quickly through a coop and should be stopped as soon as possible.
FAQ
What color eggs do Red Star chickens lay?
The Red Star chicken lays a brown colored egg.
How many eggs do Red Star chickens lay?
You can expect your Red Star hens to lay around 300 large eggs per year.
Are Red Star chickens good for meat?
Yes, the Red Star chicken is a large bird that is good for both meat and eggs.
How big do Red Star chickens get?
Red Star roosters typically weigh in at around 8 pounds, while the hens will reach 6 pounds by the time they are fully grown.
Can Red Star chickens reproduce?
Yes, Red Star chickens can reproduce, but they don’t tend to be broody. You will need to breed them with another breed to keep their qualities, making the breeding process a bit more complicated than normal. This is especially true since this means you will likely have to own different breeds instead of just focusing on the Red Star chicken.
Are Red Star chickens noisy?
Red Star chicken’s personalities can vary, but in general, they haven’t been reported to be a quiet breed. They shouldn’t cause too much of a noise problem though, unless you have several close neighbors or are specifically looking for a quiet breed.
Can Red Star Chickens swim?
Yes, like all chickens, red star chickens can swim. But, not like ducks. They can swim in the sense that they won't drown, but can't stay in the water long or they can have issues.
If you need more help with taking care of your chickens, check out The Organized Chicken Keeper for a complete system for managing their health through keeping their supplies stocked and coop clean.
