Black Star chickens are first-generation hybrid chickens, bred by crossing a Rhode Island red rooster with a Barred Rock hen, or vice versa. The result is babies that can be "color-sexed," meaning color easily identifies male and female chicks.
Black Stars weigh 5 to 6 pounds. They are good foragers and are hardy in winter. Docile and friendly, Black Stars are easy to raise and can make good pets.
Coloring
Chicks of both sexes are black, but a white spot on the head distinguishes the males. Adult males are black with white barring, while adult females have gold feathers on the neck and breast.
Purchasing
Many hatcheries sell day-old Black Star chicks. They may also be bought as pullets (young hens) or as eggs for the purchaser to incubate and hatch.
Considerations
Black Stars are not considered a true breed by the American Poultry Association (APA).
Black Stars are not recommended as breeding stock because there is no way to predict which breed characteristics the chicks will inherit.
Tomorrow is the day my egg is scheduled to hatch...I began with 7 eggs but candled on day 7 and only 1 was fertile. I haven't incubated eggs since high school and though it would be fun. Keep you fingers crossed for the last lonely egg!
Black dwarf stars are hypothetical entities. Although scientists have posited their existence, they have not actually been discovered anywhere in the universe...
Watch a naturalist from the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Drumlin Farm provide information about Rhode Island Red Chickens in this free online video.
woodleywonderworks/Flickr.com
