Star

Very shy birds

Our Black Star is a super layer, she is very clever, and VERY curious. She is quick to come up to us and join the group, but she is also very flighty and a bit nervous. We bought her as a pullet from a local farmer who had a large flock - so she had not has as much one on one human time....despite this she is very sweet.

I own three of these wonderful hens and they have always kept me on my toes, one is extremely broody and needs a firm hand and one has had her name changed to Houdini-do-it? Very smart hens with lots of character, three words of advice KEEP THEM BUSY

My black stars follow me inside, hop up on my shoulder and follow me around the yard. They lay nice sized eggs and are just a friendly bird! They are also quiet.

A wonderful non-breed. beautiful, excellent layers, big eggs, friendly.

A couple of years ago one of my cousins recieved two "Easter chicks". They were both dyed hideous pastel colors and were crammed in a little cardboard box. She called us the same day and asked if we could "rescue" her chicks while we were visiting for her graduation.
Both babies came home with us and flourished; one male and one female. We kept the little girl and sent the male to our friend Bryce who has a farm out in the country, with more space for a crowing boy.

We named our little red star girl Collette because her comb grew so large that it looks like a jaunty little beret on the top of her head. She's a great layer and super sweet.

I bought these girls as 6 month olds they layed eggs the day I moved them hardy little ladys good workers earning their keep.

We bought 5 last year from a local farm and ranch store. 2 black stars and 3 red star. We found a person on CL that was selling chickens and bought 6 more and they gave us a rooster. The 6 hens were older and one died before winter hit. They were giving us 9-10 eggs until winter came and now we get 6-7 a day.

Black Stars have been the highest producing hens in our homestead flock, with the exception of leghorns and leghorn crosses. No other brown-egg layer has been as productive for us, with Barred Rocks probably taking second place. Eggs quickly get past the "pullet egg" size, and move through large to x-lrge and jumbo. Hens are large, with massive crops, stout legs and strong feet. They take very well to free-ranging, energetically rustling for their own feed, but they are not averse to gorging at the feeder. A mixed bag of personalities, some high in the pecking order, and some on the bottom, but all docile and interactive with humans. Hens laid year round (15 hour light regimen), and most of the time would lay where they were supposed to. The birds were alert to predators, and have good coloring to avoid detection. As hens reached their 1st birthday, it wasn't uncommon to see the occasional soft-shelled egg, not unusual for a bird with such high production. (These birds have free choice access to calcium). Molting speed varied.

Hens went broody and raised chicks for us more than any other breed or breed cross we have had. This was rather ironic, since we were told the BS's were commercial-level brown egg layers, and did not go broody. Even more ironic was that we were raising Buff Orpingtons at the same time, a breed known for broodiness, and not one BO went broody! BS's, being large birds, can cover a lot of eggs (one hen hatched 12 eggs).

BS carcasses were fat, with a decent amount of meat (more so than the purebreds in the flock). Hens seemed to break down early though, with several becoming internal layers and others dropping production level as they became very fat. Perhaps these birds do not do well on free choice feed? Or maybe high production burns them out earlier.

For me, the biggest negative with Black Stars was the noise. Hens are extremely vocal at laying time, with loud, penetrating squawks and clucks before and after laying. It was annoying enough that once we culled them all out, we have not gotten any more. A hen house and nest boxes well away from the house would make it less of a problem.

I Love my RSL and my BSL. They are excellent layers and have great personalities to boot! Hardy chickens with a beautiful set of feathers on both colors.
Highly recommended!

I purchased 8 Red Star hens and 1 rooster last April; this is my first time raising chickens. I babysat 6 hens the winter before I purchased mine, and knew almost instantly that I wanted to raise my own. One of my chicks (a hen) died the second day they were home. That wasn't too easy to take.

They are going to a year old this coming April. The hens are excellent layers and my rooster, Foghorn, is awesome and always looks out for our girls. One of my hens is named Miss Prissy. She always acts like she's the Queen of the pack and also has more white on her than my other girls.

My boy and girls will never be eaten. They are my pets and I always treat them like a member of the family; they are extremely spoiled. Their coop is insulated, has heat and lighting. They also have a radio. And they always get our leftovers... they're like little garbage disposals! They are let outside every day in the spring, summer and fall. Our winter this year (Wisconsin) has been extremely mild with hardly any accumulating snow, so they were let out a day here and there weather permitting.

Foghorn knows who I am... but he sure doesn't like those he doesn't recognize. He will tolerate visitors if I am with them, but will chase anyone else who dares trespass. I am hoping to enter him and probably Miss Prissy in this summer's county fair, but haven't really decided yet. I love my chickens to death.

Our Gold Comet was a great production layer, giving a dark brown egg every day, even through winter. Rarely took a day off laying.
She turned out to be the dominant hen, and while confined to the pen during winter, began pecking the smaller RIR till she bled. Regretably we had to ship her off to the egg co-op. I plan on getting another GC next spring as she was such a good layer.

i love my girls they call to me when they see me in the yard, they are super friendly

I have one Sex link gal. She is my very first chicken. She really is my little queen o' chickens. She lays lots of nice brown eggs all the time. She loves it when I snuggle her and can't wait to be picked up and pet. Great personality. Great first time chicken!

They are very great birds. Amazing egg layers. Very friendly. I would love to have a LOT of these.

even the best brown egg layers out there can not keep up with these girls.
i have incubated the eggs for 3 generations without losing egg production or sex link.

When I went to the feed store I was set on Buff Opringtons. They had sold out and I was very disappointed. I was outside in the parking lot and heard chickens peeping. I went to the back where they keep two big walk-in coops. One of the employee told me that none of the white Leghorns where for sale just the black Sex-Links. I sat there watching the Black's being ruff up by the Leghorns. I told them I would take two and pointed out which two. I got them home; they was scared, not use to being handle, and didn't trust me (lol) I didn't blame them. It's Sunday and I've been keeping them on the back-porch. I had a coop just build but I have been sitting with them changing their litter paper, keeping the food bowl full, and holding them. Bertha and Peaches now have happy peeps. I have learned when they are calling for me,and they will sit on my arm for a while. Bertha not pecking my finger when I reach for her anymore. I will still get some Buff Opringtons but my girls the Black Star's are my heart. Peaches(first picture) have more gold hackles real sweetheart. Bertha (second picture) got more bravo and the first to walk out to make sure the coast clear before giving Peaches the come out peep.

I have 2 brown and one black, nice girls

my grandma has a few and they follow me everywhere
they where not hand tamed but are very frendly,
the hens lay 1 egg about every day,
my rooster popcorn is very nice and loves the rain =)

I have a flock of 25 sex-link hens, both black (from Townline Hatchery) and red (from Meyer Hatchery). I prefer the black variety to the red. The BSL are larger and calmer with a light brown colored egg. The RSL are a slightly better layer with a smaller body size and a darker egg shell. The blacks can get large enough to butcher. These birds are easy to keep and lay exceptionally well. I pasture mine with a trailer coop and an electric net fence. They are cold hardy and they do just fine in my unheated/uninsulated coop (I live in MI). I also had a BSL go broody and raise 6 CornishX chicks. They make very good mothers. I will never have a flock without these birds, they are wonderful.

6/6/12 Update: My Order of ISA Brown and BSL pullet chicks came in yesterday from Townline Hatchery. There are 52 ISA Brown and 45 BSL for now. Some of them are replacing my flock and my mothers flock, others are going to be sold in a couple months.