Are Red Stars as Good as They Say?

[animalsRawesome]

I have always bought brown egg-layers such as RIR and Buff Orpingtons. However, my hens aren't laying at all right now

I was reading on mcmurray hatchery's website customer product reviews, and everyone said the Red Stars are the best birds that they have ever had. Is this true in your experience? Anyone out there not like their Red Stars? Anyone think that they are no better but no worse than RIR? Thanks!

BTW http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/red_star.html

 

[johnsons-r-us]

I don't have them but I've seen many post on BYC from people who really like theirs! I can't remember seeing anything negative.

 

[mommissan]

I have one. She lays me a HUGE light brown egg every morning. She'll go a few weeks before she skips a day. AWESOME layer!

 

[DancingHen]

I have 4 red stars in my laying flock. They do lay a lot of eggs very consistently. They don't seem to be as phased by the weather or light as my other hens. They are also super friendly, social and curious. My red star girls seem to always be under foot or following me around. They are some of my favorites in the laying flock for sure. I have heard that they will stop laying sooner in their life than a heritage breed, since they lay so many eggs all the time, but I like them enough to always have a few in the flock.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The red sex link, aka Red Star, is a terrific layer. You should know that all chickens slow down in November, oft times to moult and others because their simply isn't enough daylight hours. The chicken reacts to sunlight on the retina, which signals the pituitary gland, which orders whether or not to make eggs. The birds you have may well be moulting or finishing their moult and will lay or would lay if you chose to provide supplemental lighting.

Also, a first year pullet generally lays pretty well their first winter. It is the out years that these issues become acute.

Again, the Red Sex Links are great layers, but the are not immune to the second fall moult and low light effect either.

 

[Chicken Man Dan]

Mine have been great! I had one that was laying huge eggs and a couple of time we got 4 eggs from 3 birds. Never missed a day of laying either. They aren't the most social birds though. To me they seem to be good as layers than pets.

 

[donnavee]

I just got one this year and she isn't laying yet but as she is maturing is becoming very social. I was winterizing the enclosed run today by stapling plastic around the sides and she stayed with me the entire time, talking and checking out everything I was doing. All the other chickens were out in the big run but she was so curious about what I was doing.

 

[upthecreek]

Sounds like the red star is a great bird !!!!! allways go with the best(greatest) !!

 

[Magic Birdie]

they sound great! Only thing it that they're not very cold hardy

Too bad. It gets cold around here.

 

[mama24]

I have 1 red star, her name is Maggie, and she's 2.5 years old. Up until she started molting last month, she was laying a super jumbo sized egg 5-6 days a week. Despite molting and the shorter days, she has still laid about 1 egg a week through her molt, though most of them had soft shells, and 1 had a really funky shaped thick shell. lol. 5-6 eggs a week is pretty good for any breed, and excellent considering her age. Plus the size of her eggs are so big, I think they're like a large and a small or medium put together. They're really really big. I don't think they even sell eggs that big at the store. The first time my mother-in-law saw one, she asked me where I got the goose egg!

Pretty impressive for such a sweet tempered lightweight hen!