Stara Zagora Red
The Stara Zagora Red is a Bulgarian breed of domestic chicken from the oblast of Stara Zagora, in the central-southern part of the country. In the mid-20th century local chickens of Stara Zagora were crossed with Rhode Island Red chickens.
History
The Stara Zagora Red breed was created in about 1970 by cross-breeding local hens of the region, of various colours, with Rhode Island Red cocks. The red colour became fully established after the second generation. The initial results were published in 1969.Nowadays it is considered to be a rare breed. Its conservation status was listed as "critical" by the SAVE Foundation in 2009. It is kept by Bulgarian Poultry Institute in Stara Zagora and a few Bulgarian breeders, members of the Bulgarian Poultry Breeders Association. In 2013 the total number for the breed reported to DAD-IS was 360.