This is a quick review of the Red Star chickens from McMurray Hatchery. These chickens are excellent egg layers, lay lots of big beautiful brown eggs, and are very social birds.
Пікірлер: 89
@amydennison95796 жыл бұрын
So nice you keep them their whole lives! I love chickens 🐔🐓
@johntheherbalistg87562 жыл бұрын
One thing about the red star (this will be a negative for some, depending on your system) is that they are good jumpers and flyers. If you're wanting to keep them fenced, you'll need either a top or a 20ft tall fence. Another potential issue is that they're damn bold. They enjoy exploring and are not afraid of the unknown.
@sueleigh10187 жыл бұрын
Well, you just landed smack in the middle of The Will! Your retirement program for the feathered ladies who gave you all they could in their "hayday" (all kinds of puns intended) just touched my heart down to my toes! That kind of valuing your girls shows a very evolved sensibility and wisdom, I believe. Please run for something so I can vote for you!♡
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
I am glad people understand. We like having the old girls around, and conside our chickens to be pets.
@jessicadraper24967 жыл бұрын
I have watched this video, and love the information presented. Also, my 15 month old loves to watch this video and point at all of the chickens (we are raising 6 chicks right now). This video also puts her to sleep so whenever she is not wanting to go down for a nap I just turn on this video or the video about protecting the chickens from predators, and within a couple of minutes...shes fast asleep! We will definitely look into these the next time we place an order for chicks
@Christine-7777 жыл бұрын
Jessica Draper What a darling story!! You just melted my wimpy heart! ♡ ...his voice is calming! Now, I'll have to find his chicken video on predators to see what the (lack of) fuss is about with your precious child! haha Take care! ♡
@makinghay3 жыл бұрын
I like the chicken breed videos and appreciate you taking the time to tell us what you think. I like Red Stars and always have a few in my flock. My favorites are the Marans though.
@karenbarthold1777 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for delivering this information in such a palatable format! I am raising my first red stars from mcmurray and they are just the sweetest babies that put my work ethic to shame! They are wonderful at tilling up my new garden rows for me and fertilizing along the way! Looking forward to a long happy friendship. ☺️🙏I have guineas that get along with them surprisingly well. Thank you again and happy homesteading! 🫶
@cubaniton746 ай бұрын
If you have other animals such as dogs, the guineas will do a wonderful job of keeping the field free of ticks.
@kanyunbros93152 жыл бұрын
I have 3 red stars in my flock and everything your saying is true. Their egg production is amazing.
@MillieonaVespa6 жыл бұрын
We have a retirement policy here too ...thought I was the only one who kept Granny hens
@simonbolivar16785 жыл бұрын
I AM SO HAPPY WITH MY 2 CHICKENS THAT ONE IS TAKING FRENCH AND THE OTHER PIANO LESSONS.
@charlielewis68493 жыл бұрын
Everything you say is true I've had them and they are great the eggs are beautiful the biggest I've ever seen and thear so calm thank you and God bless
@alaskamike35777 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the very informative video. Red Stars are our favorite here in Alaska too. They are very hearty birds and adapt well to the severe weather here in SE Alaska. We tried starting out with the big Brahma's but they pretty much slow down on their laying after the first molt here in the cold north. Again, thank you for this information.
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear others like the Red Stars. Wow, surprised to hear they do well in cold weather as well.
@SweetGumMinis6 жыл бұрын
I agree with what you said on Red Sex-Links. I've had them for years and years too and found them to be everything you've said. I also would highly suggest them to anyone wanting laying hens. Right now I have some along with a few other breeds. I simply wanted some color and to try some breeds I haven't had before for the sake of getting to know them. But I love to keep a few Sex-Links (especially Red) for the simple fact that they're friendly and lay like crazy. Only difference in the ones I've had is that I've never had any chickens from McMurray. No reason I haven't, it's just been cheaper to ship from Ideal and I've also gotten them from TSC which uses Hoover typically. All have been great.
@Stormrunner-dv7kc5 жыл бұрын
My family just ordered 11 chicks from McMurray hatchery. We have 11 different breeds as well... Who knows how it's going to turn out. We ordered a red star and a black star, and I'm extremely excited
@cubaniton746 ай бұрын
Thank you for the video. At the time you made the video, you had been raising chickens for 10 years, and at the time I watched your video, it was already 7 years old, so a total of 17 years has passed from the time you started raising chickens, and I hope by this time, that you have at least tried to develop your own line of Red Stars with the hens you have, you simply had to cross them with a good rooster from a well known breed to lay eggs (While Leghorn or Red Leghorn perhaps), and focus on the chicks that looked more like the mother, and once those chicks started to lay, then you would focus on the best layers, and continue the process, by either reproducing those chick that look more like the mother and that lay better than others, with the brothers or cousins (offspring of the Red Star hens crossed with a Leghorn rooster), until you eventually have a bird that is identical or very similar to the original Red Stars you order every two years. Why would you want to create your own Red Start or something very similar? Well, Murray McMurray Hatchery might not be in business forever, and the same could be said about all the other hatcheries, and most importantly, because you present yourself as "An Extreme Prepper", and what prepper doesn't try to raise his own food? Don't take this as bad criticism, instead take it as an advice. Enjoy your chickens and experiment with them, you never know what you will get next, they are like a box of chocolates, you just never know what you will get until you try it.
@ErikPT3 жыл бұрын
They are too adorable I can’t even!
@lloydmcgriff982 жыл бұрын
They are very beautiful =D
@bradpayn80585 жыл бұрын
They are awesome egg layers, and can't be beat if you want an egg farm, but you don't want them as your only type chicken if you're prepping, they seldom go broody. That's good for producing eggs, but not only do you need eggs, you should be able to produce chicks too. Black Australorps will keep up in egg production, breed true, and raise new chicks to replace your old girls. Buff Orpingtons, and Barred Rock aren't far behind in eggs, but you won't ever need to buy chicks again. I have Red Star and Golden Comets too, almost the same sex link type of bird and they are great for eggs, Leghorns are too for skinny chickens, but I sure would never pick one of these production layers as my "only one breed" type for that reason alone when I could just as easily raise a couple more multi purpose birds to get more eggs yet. What if the chick stores were gone? Even if the stores are there, each chick you buy is probably worth at least a couple dozen eggs, that's probably about the difference per year in a "hybred producer" and a good heritage breed layer, plus mama does all the raising chores for you. As supplemental eggs high production hybrids are great, but I'd only have them in addition to my self sustaining regular flock. I still get all kinds of crossed up "mutt" chick too from these hybrids getting hatched by other chickens (x buff orpington, black Austrolorp, or Barred Rock roosters, I'm pretty accurate at spotting the true bred chicks when they get feathers), they are not sex link any more, but they still lay a lot of eggs, and I eat a lot of young roosters, and a few mixed up gene hens too Dual purposed breeds eat better. I know I could isolate different chickens and get only breeds that I want, but that sounds like a lot of work, additional coops and pens, and would eliminate a lot of foraging around a several acre farm yard. If I didn't have all the room and free range food that I have, and had to eliminate half my chickens, the skinny sex link and skinny sex link x mutts would be the first to go. I find my most valuable birds to be those who are great mothers though, and I would have hardly any if I relied on sex links alone. I'll keep a good mother hen as many years as I can, even if she hardly lays anymore because she'll raise a lot of chicks that comes to many more eggs and chicken dinners than you'll ever get from one high production layer. I also know how to breed my own sex links, but not if I only have one breed to start with, and same thing as above, more work, pens, etc, then I'd end up raising the roosters till they were big enough to butcher anyway, and you can easily spot sex by then from a block away, so what difference does it make knowing sooner? There is nothing wrong with going for more eggs, but if you're prepping for some sort of event, you could do much better than only having one breed of hybrid high production sex link egg layer.
@ExtremePrepper5 жыл бұрын
Brad, thanks for the comment, and you have lots of good points. Bottom line is Red Star are great egg producers and good chickens to have if you plan on ordering more chicks every two years. They would be a poor choice for raising chickens. For me, there is just so much prepping I can do, so I enjoy the convenience of not having to raise chickens from eggs. If I were to get caught in a pickel, in the area I have a home in West Texas, many neighbors have many chickens of all types, and they would be happy to hook a brother up. Now in my third world bug out compound, certainly we will be doing heirloom chickens. I have just not undertaken chickens at that location yet. Again, thanks for the comment
@geedee2420 Жыл бұрын
Sound advise Brad... I keep a mix of birds also and for the same reasons...more or less.
@SubliminalD-pm1wy Жыл бұрын
This comment deserves a lot of likes!😎👍👍👍👍👍👍
@judyreynolds3055 жыл бұрын
I love my red stars!! They are very verbal!! Yes they love foraging and love to be close to me!! My black star are not as friendly. I agree Red star all the way! We are in humid hot Weatherford, Tx. And Red Star are great!
@Tony-rr9eo4 жыл бұрын
Judy Reynolds is the Red Star the same as the Red Sex-Link? I found some but wasn’t sure
@nilasspasov84176 жыл бұрын
I love this video. Great many info about chickens. Thank you.
@ronaldfarmer7205 Жыл бұрын
great video thank you
@iwantosavemoney6 жыл бұрын
good information was doing research on birds that lay a lot of eggs but if we cant reproduce them they are not for us thank you for the information sir.
@ronwest79305 жыл бұрын
You could just get the two breeds that make auto sexing chicks and make your own. Lot's of different chicken breeds out there.
@user-qb4oj3bb3p4 жыл бұрын
Nice and healthy birds mate 👌
@sonickchri3 жыл бұрын
Great and informative video. The only downside I noticed early on (and underscored later on by your "hush!" to the chickens) is that they seem like a noisier breed. Meanwhile, your video seems a little too quiet.
@jamiejohnson68146 жыл бұрын
I agree. red stars are impossible to beat. I have bought other red sex link hens before from other hatcheries and they are ok but nothing like the red star from mcmurray hatchery!
@TroutCRAZY5 жыл бұрын
Why? Just curious looking to get some
@Yambon Жыл бұрын
nice Rolex mate
@mnnomad18705 жыл бұрын
I just bought some Red Stars from commercial egg supplier. They are supposed to be 15 to 16 months old but they seem very, very skinny. They're healthy and active just wondering how to put some weight on them? I got them on 16% layer I wonder if I should go 18 or 20%. Must say they are very friendly! How old are the chickens in the video?
@robburke88675 жыл бұрын
👍 Great video!
@TheSilverCrownNaturalGreyHair3 жыл бұрын
They look exactly like Golden Comets which makes me think that there are several names for the same chicken.
@raywhitehead7307 жыл бұрын
Good advice
@kl19582 жыл бұрын
I have read on various You Tube channels that cross bred chickens like isa browns red stars, etc. after a year of laying produce this shell eggs and very watery eggs. What is your opinion? You really seem to like the Red Stars. I have heard that Amberstars are a good breed also..
@paulmcwhorter2 жыл бұрын
My experience has been that Red Stars will give you two years of great egg production, and then over time the number of eggs produced will continually drop. We always let our older non-producing chickens continue to stay around, as we were not raising eggs for profit, the chickens were our pets, and we loved the eggs. The quality of the eggs was very good. The issue is, you can not breed the next generation of chickens with them. Once a year we would buy a new batch of day olds, so replenished our flock that way. If you are concerned about self sufficiency, you probably would want to consider some of the older heirloom variety of chickens so you could continue to self propogate the flock. I live in East Africa now, and am facing those same questions . . . buy hybrid day old chicks which are great layers, or go with village chickens which are more resistant to disease, produce better meat, can reproduce themselves, but, do not make nearly as many eggs. Be blessed.
@kl19582 жыл бұрын
@@paulmcwhorter Thanks Paul...once again you have been a wealth of information...personally I think the Red Stars, Black Stars, Amberlinks, Isa Browns, etc. are the breeds to go with. I have never liked dealing with broodiness. Stay healthy and well. Thanks!!
@kaiyahxiong2455 жыл бұрын
Agreed!
@restorationhomestead53055 жыл бұрын
The Red Stars are awesome egg layers and are very happy birds but they are hybrids. You can not save eggs and hatch them. ~Pam
@ExtremePrepper5 жыл бұрын
You are exactly right. In choosing red star chickens the downside is you need to order new chickens every two years or so. We have made that decision, as we dont have the bandwiidth to try and hatch our own chickens right now. Thanks for the comment.
@stephenporter72523 жыл бұрын
This was the main reason I decided to go with the Buff Orpington. Having to order every two years is the antithesis of being independent.
@acuna517 жыл бұрын
Very informative and helpful video, thank you! How many of these birds do you actually order each year? How many do you actually have to cull every year?
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
As I mention in the video, I dont cull the birds, I allow them to live out their natural life, even if egg production becomes nill. We like to keep egg production at least a dozen eggs a day . . . that gives us plenty to eat and plenty to give away. When it begins to fall below that, we order more chickens. We usually order 20 at a time, every couple of years.
@10101tmw5 жыл бұрын
I recomend them too!
@ExtremePrepper5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment. I have really never found anyone who did not like them. The only downside is you can not make more as they are a hybrid so you have to order more chicks.
@westmeathguy5 жыл бұрын
Personally I'd rather go with a true heritage breed because of the history and proven traits as opposed to a hybrid breed like the Red Star. We have enough of that stuff in this world of designer breeds. That's just me though. Nice job!
@ExtremePrepper5 жыл бұрын
I understand. For me, it is the simplest way to get friendly chickens, big brown eggs, and lots of eggs. Downside is you can not propagate the breed, and have to re-order chickens every two years. If I had more time, I would try to raise heritage chickens and propagate them myself.
@CooniesCajunCooking7 жыл бұрын
How are they at broodiness
@jameslcoble2484 жыл бұрын
How many do you get every 2 years?
@uk92775 жыл бұрын
Please can you tell me What is the chicken breed that has strong immunity R you in USA
@thetruth-js7wq6 жыл бұрын
Nice I like poultry
@carls.84084 жыл бұрын
Are red stars basically the same as golden comets?
@evaneason69064 жыл бұрын
They're a mix of Rhode Island Reds
@mounir50486 жыл бұрын
Hey , thank you so much . l want to know something , do they go broody ?
@ExtremePrepper6 жыл бұрын
I see them go broody . . . not sure they are as broody as my american bressie, but yest the little red stars will try to sit on a nest
@mounir50486 жыл бұрын
Extreme Prepper thank you so much for the answer , hope that l'll get some of them this fall .
@IncurablyMissingYou5 жыл бұрын
Hi. What type of rooster will i breed my red star hen to produce red star chicks. Thanks
@paulmcwhorter5 жыл бұрын
Really not known how McMurray hatchery makes these chickens. You would probably cross two breeds, neither of which are Red Stars
@melisj29686 жыл бұрын
Excellent and very informative video - thank you. I have one question that I'd like to ask, if that's OK. We have 3 chickens in our flock (all are red stars), they are extremely friendly and have never pecked one another. We are planning to extend the coop so we can get 2 more chickens (red stars). Would you expect lots of fighting, and, if so, what would be the best way to deal with it?
@ExtremePrepper6 жыл бұрын
I have never had problems with Red Star chickens fighting. If you are getting new adult chickens, I would expect you should try and let them get to know each other first. If you are getting new baby chicks, I would be sure and keep the chicks separate until they are up bigger, and let the old girls get to know them. We have two coops, and when we get a new batch of chickens we put them in a separate coop. After a few days, they all sort things out, and the two coops sort of mix with each other, with each chicken sort of figuring out who they like best, and where they want to sleep. These are really calm birds, and I have never had a problem with pecking or fighting.
@melisj29686 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the advice. We are getting adult hens so all should be OK.
@londonwerewolves14 күн бұрын
breed, breed, breed, breed... 5:40 not a breed, but a hybrid
@thecynic8077 жыл бұрын
So what do you get if you mate the red star rooster and hen. I don't get why you don't end up with red star chicks.
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
Just the way hybridization works. If you mix red star rooster and hens, you get someting different. Like a horse and a donkey make a mule. But two mules can not make a mule
@thecynic8077 жыл бұрын
Extreme Prepper so they can't reproduce?
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
They can, but the offspring do not have the characteristics of the Red Star. That comes uniquely by combining one type of rooster with another type of hen
@thecynic8077 жыл бұрын
I think if they can do it with the black australorp. Which is an black Orpington mix. It can be done with the sex link. It just takes selective breeding.
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
You sure might be right, but it would be more that I would know how to do. Let us know if you ever give it a try and find some success.
@noxiousnews7 жыл бұрын
are these also called Golden Comets?
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
Not sure . . . have not heard them called that.
@amandascourfield59366 жыл бұрын
Noxious News
@melisj29686 жыл бұрын
They have so many different names. I know them as goldlines.
@jamiejohnson68146 жыл бұрын
no golden comets are a little different. there are many red sex link chicks, usually one parent is a rhode island red crossed with something else
@kl19585 жыл бұрын
Have you ever tried McMurray's Black Stars?
@ExtremePrepper5 жыл бұрын
Yes, to me the red star and black stars are the same. The black stars just a slightly darker color. I see very little difference between red and black star.
@yourdeathisinevitable5 жыл бұрын
Very noisy, I have some. But they are cool birds.
@gregstickels57065 жыл бұрын
Noisy, if you were looking for back yard chickens
@danpit20017 жыл бұрын
unfortunately red star do not breed true because they are a hybrid. not good for long term management
@ExtremePrepper7 жыл бұрын
Correct . . . only works if you order new chicks every few years.
@mnnomad18705 жыл бұрын
What would happen if you bred them back to a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire?