Red star rooster?

[mscallisto]

So I got 2 red stars about 8 weeks old from a farm. This morning, I swear I heard one of them crowing. After I've read some of the threads here, I think the farmer may have bred them over a couple years because she had a couple coops full of red stars. The one I think was crowing seems to have white tail feathers, but the rest is red. So is it pretty much a sure thing that if they crow that they are a rooster? Not a confused hen?

 

[Gray Farms]

Post a picture if you could. That tell us for sure.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Please post pictures of your chicken. It isn't unusual for a hen to crow especially if there isn't a rooster but you most likely have a cockerel.

 

[junebuggena]

So I got 2 red stars about 8 weeks old from a farm. This morning, I swear I heard one of them crowing. After I've read some of the threads here, I think the farmer may have bred them over a couple years because she had a couple coops full of red stars. The one I think was crowing seems to have white tail feathers, but the rest is red. So is it pretty much a sure thing that if they crow that they are a rooster? Not a confused hen?

First of all, Red Stars are not a breed. They are a type of red sexlink produced by crossing two different breeds. The resulting offspring can be sexed by color. The sexlinking only works for the first generation. After that, they are just random mixed breeds. You will not be able to sex by coloring.
Not everyone understands this. And not every person breeding chickens knows the genetics behind sexlinking and the reason why it works. This is why you should only purchase from a reputable breeder who knows their chicken genetics, or from a hatchery.

 

[mscallisto]

Yes, I understand that June as I read about it on other posts. That's why I mentioned that I think the breeder has done more than one generation.

I'll see if I can catch a picture tonight. I let them free roam so the don't like to come too near. Please let it be a confused hen.

 

[junebuggena]

Yes, I understand that June as I read about it on other posts. That's why I mentioned that I think the breeder has done more than one generation.

I'll see if I can catch a picture tonight. I let them free roam so the don't like to come too near. Please let it be a confused hen.

Second generation and on, they are no longer 'Red Stars'. Those birds would be just plain mixed breeds.

 

[drumstick diva]

mixed breeds

 

[donrae]

At only 8 weeks, if it's truly crowing, it's male.

Too bad is sounds like your seller didn't do their research. Although I can see the confusion. Any other "breed", you breed a male and a female and you get more of the same. I wish it worked that way with sex links, my life would be so much easier

 

[mscallisto]

They're actually about 12 weeks old now. I don't know how good this picture is. On another note my husband heard crowing this morning and it was my 5 year old australop hen. Maybe everyone is confused.

 

[junebuggena]

Females. Even with the picture as blurry as it is, those combs are fairly pale, and the back feathers seem broad and rounded.