White Star Hybrids

[timmyalex]

Afternoon all,

Picking up a couple of POL White Star chickens tomorrow to complete our flock. Does anybody have these birds and if so what are they like to keep. Friendly ? Skitty ? etc etc

[bluemoon]

Sorry, I think I've heard that they're a bit skittish as they're essentially white leghorns. I'm also of the opinion though that 'personality' in a chicken has less to do with breeding and more to do with how it's reared/kept, its position in the pecking order etc. I have some Rhode Island Reds which are supposed to be neurotic, but we've had them since they were 9 weeks and they are the most laid back chickens we have.

[southern softie]

I have one of those along with 5 other pullets. It started off a bit skitty but then soon became the bully of the brood. Seems ok now as it had a cold for a while so was pushed back down the pecking order.

[HayleyB]

My white star leghorn is very skittish and steers clear generally.

[Chocolate Brownie]

star (are white star) is very pretty and makes all the ambers look dirty, she doesn't cower when we go near her and just runs away

[Snadger]

Sorry to butt in on the thread but.............it has been mentioned that white star hybrids have Leghorn in them?...........I'm fancying some Leghorns but wondered are THEY very skittish?

[Suechooks]

Sorry to butt in on the thread but.............it has been mentioned that white star hybrids have Leghorn in them?...........I'm fancying some Leghorns but wondered are THEY very skittish?

I know someone who bred them - and they were so skitty that she couldn't get near them even though she'd reared them from hatching! She stopped breeding them as all her others are hand tame and handled from Day 1.

[bluemoon]

White Stars are all leghorn, Snadge. The reason they are 'hybrids' is because they take two very inbred strains of white Leghorn with the consequent restricted gene pools, then cross them, giving the resultant offspring the same type of hybrid vigour you get when you cross two different breeds. The man we bought our Rhodies from has a good laying strain of Brown Leghorn, and I might have a trio of girls from him next spring as I fancy something which lays white eggs. I think the reason the Rhodies are so calm is because we've had them since they were young, so I'll probably buy the leghorns at 7 - 9 weeks old too and hope this helps... though if what Suechooks says is true, it probably won't!

[Snadger]

White Stars are all leghorn, Snadge. The reason they are 'hybrids' is because they take two very inbred strains of white Leghorn with the consequent restricted gene pools, then cross them, giving the resultant offspring the same type of hybrid vigour you get when you cross two different breeds. The man we bought our Rhodies from has a good laying strain of Brown Leghorn, and I might have a trio of girls from him next spring as I fancy something which lays white eggs. I think the reason the Rhodies are so calm is because we've had them since they were young, so I'll probably buy the leghorns at 7 - 9 weeks old too and hope this helps... though if what Suechooks says is true, it probably won't!

I didn't know that bluemoon. I new they had leghorn in them but thought they used something else to hybridise them. I too was after the white eggs. Across the pond thats all they use. I wonder how they get over there skittishness, especially if they are reared in batteries?
Might stick with the Light Sussex then!

[MaureenHall]

One of my ex-batts lays pure white eggs Dunno which one it is though

[Glutton4...]

One of my ex-rangers does too - have to wait and see if it was Mrs Shuttlecock bum!

[Suechooks]

I didn't know that bluemoon. I new they had leghorn in them but thought they used something else to hybridise them. I too was after the white eggs. Across the pond thats all they use. I wonder how they get over there skittishness, especially if they are reared in batteries?
Might stick with the Light Sussex then!

Silver grey Dorkings do white eggs

[minskey]

OOOOOOOOOh I've just bought a Leghorn, 14 weeks old and very pretty [my partner thought I'd washed her in GloWhite!!!] A bit shy at the moment as I only bought her along with a light sussex on Tuesday.

[Lemon]

very pretty there minskey I wonder how long she'll stay GloWhite Bright!? Our Lt Sussex Hybrid won't come clean - maybe I should treat her with some Daz? HEHEHE

[minskey]

No very long at all Lemon, they will soon look like my 3 amber links after dust bathing in a really filthy dark patch of dirt in the paddock, I'm sure they weigh twice as much after they are done judging from the amount of dirt which comes out of the feathere when they shake!!!!!