Backyard chicken keeping is an increasingly popular hobby that is experiencing a resurgence. More and more cities are rolling back ordinances that prevent keeping chickens on your property, leading to an uptick in interest. There are hundreds of different types of chickens to choose from – hybrids, heritage breeds, crosses. One of those breeds is the Black Star chicken. It isn’t a heritage breed, but actually a cross between two heritage breeds, making it a crossbreed.
All about Black Star Chickens
When it comes to picking the right breed of chicken for your home or farm, knowing the basics of the breed will help you make that decision. Let’s talk a little bit about the Black Star chicken.
- Other names: Black sex-link, Mrs. Pepperpot.
- Appearance: Roosters are dark with lighter speckles. Hens are dark with red or brown speckles.
- Origin: United States
- Temperament: Docile
- Noise: Quiet
- Purpose: Eggs
- Maturity: 20 weeks
- Eggs per year: 300
- Egg color: Brown
- Egg size: Large
- Sexlink: Yes
- Size: Medium
- Hen weight: 5 lbs
- Rooster weight: 7 lbs
- Broody: No
- Lifespan: 5 years
- APA Recognized: No
Black star chickens originated in the United States after World War II by crossing two heritage breeds of chickens. They are known to be docile and quiet and lay 300 large, brown eggs per year.
These chickens are sexlink, meaning they can be sexed at hatch based on their color. Female chicks are all black, while male chicks have an unmistakable white spot on their heads. Males are otherwise all black.
Black star chickens are considered a medium breed and aren’t exactly ideal as meat birds. Hens grow to about 5 pounds and roosters grow to about 7 pounds. Hens aren’t known for their broodiness, which is nice if you don’t want them to sit on eggs for you. It makes them less ideal if you want to hatch more chicks naturally. Keep in mind that Black star chickens don’t breed true. If you hatch their eggs, you won’t get more Black stars.
This crossbreed has an average lifespan of 5 years, which is a bit shorter than the average heritage chicken. It is not recognized by the American Poultry Association.
Temperament
When it comes to roosters, and this applies to just about every breed of chicken, if you treat them with respect and are kind, they will typically return the favor. Knowing their boundaries and reading their body language is important. If, despite all your best efforts, your Black Star rooster won’t stop being aggressive, it may be best to remove him from the flock and look for a nicer rooster.
Purpose
Black Star chickens are a medium breed, making them a little less than ideal as a meat bird. They are excellent egg layers though, producing as many as 300 eggs per year. If you have a big family or want to share or sell your excess eggs, this is a great crossbreed to select.
Breed standards
At this time, there is no breed standard for the Black Star chicken. This crossbreed of chicken does not breed true and does not consistently produce chicks with the same appearance. However, the chicks they produce can be sexed based on their color, a feature called sexlinked.
Coop and run
Chickens tend to pick up bad behaviors when their coop and run aren’t up to their standards, so making sure you have the appropriate cook and run for your Black star chickens is vitally important.
Black star like to have plenty of coop and run space to go about the business of being a good chicken. The more space you can provide them, the happier they’ll be and the more eggs they’ll lay. Black star chickens should be provided 10 or more square feet of free range area per bird.
Chicken runs and coops should be kept properly cleaned out and provided fresh straw regularly. At least one nest box per laying hen is preferred, although they can tolerate “buddying up” and laying eggs in the same nest box. These chickens are known to wander some and will occasionally find creative places to lay their eggs.
Common Black star chicken problems
The most common issue with Black star chickens relates to their productivity. Hens tend to have reproductive health issues, like egg yolk peritonitis and egg binding. These issues are what reduces the average lifespan of a Black Star chicken compared to the average heritage breed. They are also susceptible to normal chicken issues.
Viral diseases
Chickens are susceptible to a number of viral illnesses, including Marek’s disease, vaian flu, fowl pox, Newcastle disease, and bronchitis. Some of these conditions are more common than others. Signs of a viral infection among your chickens include sneezing, coughing, reduced egg production, reduced eating, lethargy, discharge around the eyes and sinuses, sores, and paralysis in the case of Newcastle disease.
Most chicks acquired from a reputable breeder or hatchery are vaccinated against the more common viral infections, like Marek’s. Chicks acquired from smaller-scale sellers may not be vaccinated. Always ask if your chicks have been vaccinated and what they’re vaccinated for.
Bacterial illness
Bacterial infections are a real concern for chickens, as coops, runs, and the outdoors, in general, can be havens for bacteria. The most common bacterial infections for chickens are salmonellosis and colibacillosis. These infections can be fast spreading and infect entire flocks.
Signs your chickens may be struggling with a bacterial infection include reduced egg laying, breathing problems, reduced appetite, and death. Salmonellosis doesn’t always present symptoms in chickens.
Fungal diseases
The two most common types of fungal diseases are brooder pneumonia and ringworm. Ringworm can be spread to humans as well, so if you suspect your chickens have ringworm, handle them carefully and wash your hands and clothes immediately.
Brooder pneumonia tends to only infect young chicks spending their first few weeks in a brooder. Ringworm usually clears up on its own with time. Keeping brooders and coops clean is key to avoiding these fungal infections.
Parasitic infection
Like most of our pets, chickens can experience parasitic infections. Worms, ticks, lice, and mites are some of the more common ones. Symptoms of these parasites include loss of appetite, lethargy, skin irritation, and unexpected loss of feathers outside of normal molting.
Be wary of used coops. Always disinfect them thoroughly before introducing your chickens. Replace coop bedding often and periodically disinfect chicken coops to reduce the presence of parasites.
Injuries
It can be a rough and tumble life for chickens as they go about establishing pecking orders and foraging for food. Injuries, particularly foot injuries, aren’t uncommon. Most surface-level injuries will clear up on their own, but foot injuries are particularly concerning as the chickens’ talons tend to come into contact with their own manure as well as other pathogens in the soil and on the ground.
Common signs of a foot injury are difficulty walking or putting weight on the foot as well as lethargy. In the case of bumblefoot, a type of staph infection, both the chickens’ digits and sometimes entire feet can become swollen with pus-filled abscesses. Foot injuries should be treated and bandaged as soon as they are noticed.
Egg binding
Egg binding is an often tragic issue for chickens. It’s caused when an egg becomes stuck between the hen’s uterus and cloaca. Signs of egg binding include weakness, inability to perch, often choosing to sit or lay on the ground, straining, and a lack of egg laying. Egg binding can quickly become a fatal condition and will generally require a trip to an avian vet to fix.
“Pasty butt”
Pasty butt, sometimes called pasty vent, is a fairly common condition that afflicts chicks. It can quickly become a life-threatening issue if not addressed. Pasty vent tends to be caused by stress and dehydration. It occurs when thick stools block the chick’s vent, preventing it from passing droppings.
Eventually, the chick will become ill and refuse to eat. Signs of pasty butt include smaller chick size and a pasty mat of droppings over the vent. This condition is easily treated by cleaning the affected area and removing the stuck droppings.
Breeding Black star chickens
Breeding your [breed] chickens doesn’t differ significantly from breeding other types of heritage chickens, but know that they don’t breed true. Providing your Black star hens access to a Black star rooster and allowing nature to take its course will yield chicks, but you won’t get Black star chicks exactly. You’ll get some kind of a genetic mishmash of the grandparent birds. A ratio of 10 hens for every rooster will typically yield good fertility rates. If you want to hatch their eggs anyway, here’s a quick guide to hatching:
- Incubation time: 21 days
- Incubator temperature: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
- Incubator humidity: 40-50%
- Egg turning: 4 times a day
- Candling eggs: Day 7
- Lockdown Date: Day 17
- Lockdown temperature: 37.2°C (99°F)
- Lockdown humidity: 65%
For more information, check out our comprehensive guide on incubating chicken eggs.
What to feed Black star chickens
Up until about 20 weeks old, your Black Star chicks should be fed a commercial chick starter feed with 18% protein. This added protein will help your young chicks grow and develop into healthy birds. After 16 weeks, they can be switched to a 16% protein layer feed to support healthy feathers and good egg production. Chickens enjoy being put out to pasture where they can eat grass, bugs, and other plants. They will also gladly eat some fruits, vegetables, grains, and leafy greens. Free-ranging your birds will also cut down significantly on your feed costs.
For more information, check out our comprehensive guide on what foods chickens can and cannot eat.
History of Black Star chickens
Black star chickens first hit the scene post World War II. It was originally bred to be a prolific egg layer during a period in American history where food shortages were a significant concern. Poultry enthusiasts big and small were hard at work crossing different varieties of heritage chickens in an effort to find crossbreeds that would lay 280 to 300 or more eggs per year. The Black star cross is created by breeding either a Rhode Island or New Hampshire rooster with a Barred Plymoth Rock hen. The result was a hardy, medium-sized chicken that laid upwards of 300 eggs per year.
