Chicken Question: Is the Black Star hybrid the same as the Black Rock hybrid? Pictures included?

They would appear to be one in the same

http://www.blackrockhens.co.uk/

they say their hens are a cross between Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock, which is the same as a Black Sex-Link.

I really wish they would just create one name and stick with it. There are a great deal of sex-links, and it would be a whole lot less confusing if they used one name for a specific cross.

Those Sex-Links are great layers I have Golden, Comet, and Ambers in my flock, and they lay huge brown eggs even through the cold, and are super sweet.

As for if there is a breed I would recommend...I would suggest looking around through the dual-purpose breeds, and picking whatever one suits your fancy the most. Their are many breeds, and certain people like certain things, and colors. I have raised (from dual-purpose breeds) Marans, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, Orpington, Turken, Australorp, Brahma, Jersey Giants, and who knows what else, and the only breed I wasn't a fan of was the Australorp, but I had a pathetic strain of them that laid terribly, and was rather sickly.

If you aren't wanting a pet bird, and your place is warm enough, then you may want to consider the mediterian breeds such as the Leghorn, and Minorca.

Best wishes, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me via email,

Jamie/Rhode Runner

well the perkins will probably start laying any time now

i would either suggest one of the following breeds

australorp - they are a friendly hardy heavy breed that lays lots of brown eggs

leghorn - they are more flighty and dont get a long as well but they generally lay even eggs then the australorp. they lay the white eggs u see at the super market

or a plymouth rock - they are also very friendly like the australorp, they lay lots of brown eggs and they don't take up much room

or a hybrid - they can be friendly, flighty, and lay a few more eggs brown then the barred rock and australorp, and you can tell the sex of the sex link hybrids at just a day old

also the black star is a different cross then the black rock but im not sure what the crosses are

The Rolling Stones

Those are fine looking chickens! I don't have any myself, but I've been helping a friend with her chickens and she tells me this is the best Web site ever for chicken info:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/

Enjoy!