Black Star Breeding

[ladychick85]

I just got my new Flock of 5mth old Black Star and Australorp chickens. I have been looking for a black Star rooster and have not been able to find one without ordering. I currently have a lavender rooster in the pen with them.
If I wanted to keep a nice egg laying chicken that is a sexlink could I use my lavender Rooster? Any other rooster options?
I'm at a loss!

 

[Pyxis]

!

Black stars are not sex linked every generation - even if you got a black star rooster breeding him to your black star hen would not produce more sex linked offspring. Black star is just a hatchery name for black sex links, and as with all black sex links, they are not real breeds and crossing them back together just produces random mixed breed chicks.

 

[dheltzel]

X2 on what @Pyxis said. If you want sexable chicks from your flock, look into one of the autosexing breeds that have become hugely popular of late:
Cream Legbars - blue eggs
Rhodebars - light brown eggs
Bielefelders - medium brown eggs
Welbars - dark brown eggs

That will require that you keep them separate so they don't interbreed with your other roo. If you keep them separate, you will be able to sex any chicks at hatch.

If all you are looking for is a great egg producer, and are willing to raise them until you can determine which are roos, then the black star can be paired with just about any roo and you will get great layers from her progeny. The hybrid vigor and high production from the sexlinks like your blackstar will hold for a few generations, perhaps not quite as prolific at laying, but close. It really depends on how involved you want to get in this.

 

[DWR]

Thank You PYXIS for answering the question about breeding a Black Star Rooster To a Black Star Hen. I was thinking doing so might enhance the beautiful blue, green and violet, color there black feathers have. So it seems using a New Hampshire Rooster x to a Barred Plymouth Rock Hen is the best way to get a beautiful Black Star Chicken.