What breed was my Aunt Keatie's pet hen?

[wood&feathers]

I have been scanning old family photographs and found some of myself as a toddler with my Aunt Keatie. My mother emigrated from Ireland to Indiana in 1963. We spent many summers in my childhood visiting the relatives. I attribute my love for poultry to these experiences!

Keatie always had a laying flock across the road, but usually kept a pet hen in a barrel, either in the garden during summer, or the turf shed.



Delaware? Columbian Rock?



And she brought the hen into the KITCHEN, just for me!

 

[wood&feathers]

My grandmother kept an even larger flock, mostly Production Reds, but is this a Welsummer?

 

[wood&feathers]

I don't think any of my flock would tolerate face petting!

 

[Veer67]

My grandmother kept an even larger flock, mostly Production Reds, but is this a Welsummer?

I would say the she is a Black Star, but it'shard to say from the picture.

I have been scanning old family photographs and found some of myself as a toddler with my Aunt Keatie. My mother emigrated from Ireland to Indiana in 1963. We spent many summers in my childhood visiting the relatives. I attribute my love for poultry to these experiences!

Keatie always had a laying flock across the road, but usually kept a pet hen in a barrel, either in the garden during summer, or the turf shed.



Delaware? Columbian Rock?



And she brought the hen into the KITCHEN, just for me!

I would say Colombian Rock from the leg and foot color, Delawares usually have yellow legs. They look like sweet hens.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The previous poster I think meant Red Star rather than Black Star....which is what the red hen could very well be but it's hard to tell from the photo. Usually Red Stars/Red Sexlinks have some white tipping on the tail, but not always.I don't see any black tipping on the tail, so I don't think it is a New Hampshire but it is the right color for that...it is too light for a regular Rhode Island Red, but many of the Production Reds look like that.

And, yes, probably a Columbian Rock or Delaware (some have paler legs especially the generic farm type)....however I've read that Columbian Rocks were very popular with small farmers back in the days of our grandparents so I wouldn't be surprised that it is that.

How fun to enjoy early childhood pictures with happy chicken memories.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Veer67]

The previous poster I think meant Red Star rather than Black Star....which is what the red hen could very well be but it's hard to tell from the photo. Usually Red Stars/Red Sexlinks have some white tipping on the tail, but not always.I don't see any black tipping on the tail, so I don't think it is a New Hampshire but it is the right color for that...it is too light for a regular Rhode Island Red, but many of the Production Reds look like that.

And, yes, probably a Columbian Rock or Delaware (some have paler legs especially the generic farm type)....however I've read that Columbian Rocks were very popular with small farmers back in the days of our grandparents so I wouldn't be surprised that it is that.

How fun to enjoy early childhood pictures with happy chicken memories.

Lady of McCamley

I did not mean Red Star, I meant Black Star (also known as a Black Sex Link).

The reason I say this is because from the picture I'm seeing a dark colored chicken (possibly black) with lighter brown, gold, or "red" splotches on the breast, shoulder, belly feathers,and etc ((some Black Stars can be lighter colored than usual). Also Red Stars have yellow beaks legs, beaks, and feet; this hen has darker or blackish skin and beak like a Black Star. Anyways that's what I'm seeing from the picture, it's a bit blurry so different people will see different things I guess. The dark hen in the picture makes me think of a Black Star with more gold in its feathers, kind of like this Black Star:

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I did not mean Red Star, I meant Black Star (also known as a Black Sex Link).

The reason I say this is because from the picture I'm seeing a dark colored chicken (possibly black) with lighter brown, gold, or "red" splotches on the breast, shoulder, belly feathers,and etc ((some Black Stars can be lighter colored than usual). Also Red Stars have yellow beaks legs, beaks, and feet; this hen has darker or blackish skin and beak like a Black Star. Anyways that's what I'm seeing from the picture, it's a bit blurry so different people will see different things I guess. The dark hen in the picture makes me think of a Black Star with more gold in its feathers, kind of like this Black Star:

Okay...I'm totally confused now....the above photo I would agree could very well be a Black Star...I have 3 and one is almost all black, one has some red bleed through, and another is almost half red like the one above.

What I thought we were all talking about is the bird in this photo below from the OP:

That is likely a RIR or maybe a New Hampshire and possible a Red Star...but I'm not seeing white.

When did the Black Star photo appear? I'm not seeing that in this thread. ???????? Hits monitor, scratches head Am I missing something???
Pretty Black Star wherever it's from...whoever it is/was.

Lady of McCamley (who apparently is in the twilight zone)

EDITED TO ADD: Okay...I get what you are saying now...but I'm not seeing the black on this bird but more of photo shadow and discoloration. I do see a darker beak, that causes some question, but the legs look more yellow/white (just dirty) than black to me. The bird in the background looks almost identical just with clearly yellow beak. Could be a mix but I'm not seeing a Black Star/Black Sexlink. Probably a barn yard mix.

 

[Veer67]

Okay...I'm totally confused now....the above photo I would agree could very well be a Black Star...I have 3 and one is almost all black, one has some red bleed through, and another is almost half red like the one above.

What I thought we were all talking about is the bird in this photo below from the OP:

That is likely a RIR or maybe a New Hampshire and possible a Red Star...but I'm not seeing white.

When did the Black Star photo appear? I'm not seeing that in this thread. ???????? Hits monitor, scratches head Am I missing something???
Pretty Black Star wherever it's from...whoever it is/was.

Lady of McCamley (who apparently is in the twilight zone)

EDITED TO ADD: Okay...I get what you are saying now...but I'm not seeing the black on this bird but more of photo shadow and discoloration. I do see a darker beak, that causes some question, but the legs look more yellow/white (just dirty) than black to me. The bird in the background looks almost identical just with clearly yellow beak. Could be a mix but I'm not seeing a Black Star/Black Sexlink. Probably a barn yard mix.

I was thinking before that the legs might have been covered in mud, and now that I look at the picture again closer it appears that they are. The coloring pattern on the neck was also making be think of a Black Star. I'm also not seeing the bird in the back (probably a Production Red, or other Production mix) in the hen that's being held. I we can't decide what breed the hen is then, I agree, she is most likely a barnyard mix.

 

[wood&feathers]

Thanks for the help folks, the Black Star photo is a good candidate for the hen where I'm front of the old Morris Minor. There is a good chance it is a barnyard mix. The lady in the first pic was my Aunt Keatie. She kept a smaller flock than my grandmother and usually relied on broodies or mail ordered chicks. The second photo is in Clontuskert at my grandparents. My grandma had a larger flock, upward of 50 hens. There was this beautiful old wooden cabinet incubator in the bathroom. Most of her flock looked like Production Reds. But there were these darker stippled ones, as well as some White Rocks. I know she really never cared for Leghorns. I remember those darker, patterned hens were more skittish. You know how kids are, I wanted to pet the ones I thought were prettiest! Now I recognize my ungrateful attitude toward the two or three reds that actually would approach me for a handful of corn and allow themselves to be held.