Black Star A Slow Grower?

[BrittBergh]

Hi y'all. This is my first post here. I'm new. I have four babies right now just over a week old. 2 RIR 1 Barred Rock and 1 Black Star. All in good health, happy, fun, sweet things. However my black star seems to be a super slow grower compared to the other three! The three have good feathering of the wings and fluffy tails and starting to all over but the star just isn't there. She barely has wing feathers now! I know she will be the smallest bird out of the four but her lack of feathering almost concerns me. So far Ive not had any worrisome things with the girls so I guess this is my only one.
Is it normal for a black star to be a slow grower? She seems perfectly healthy otherwise. Thank you in advance!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

My black stars actually were my largest birds. Every hen is different and Stars, sex links, vary so much by hatchery depending on the parent stock used to make them. A black sex link's father can be practically any breed to result in sexable chicks though believe hatcheries use Production Reds. The mother is a Barred Rock to result in male chicks with dots on heads and all black female chicks.

I imagine your Star will catch up with the others and will end up larger than your Production Reds. As long as the chick has plenty of food, fresh water and being active all is well.


Welcome to BYC,
and have fun with it.

 

[pellepeterson]

I will agree that the Black Star Sex Linked are a bit slower. I got 4 the same day as my 4 leghorns, the leghorns are blooming feather, flying inside the brooder, and the black stars are a bit behind. I think they have funny skinny necks! Good luck!

 

[BrittBergh]

She is a silly little thing that is for sure! And she is my taller so far, as loud as she can be she chirps for attention!
She is feathering some and it progresses each day. I've read that new chick owners worry and obsess over things but usually poops so I prepared myself well for all of that. I wasn't expecting to worry about growing feathers! Lol

 

[pellepeterson]

One of my Black Star's had the worst "poop stuck to butt" situation, day after day! It was like raising a child again!!!

I would get home from work, find the little peeper, and give her a bath in a measuring cup full of warm water. She started to like it, perhaps a little too much...She would go limp as I wiggle her little butt in the water.

Thankfully that part is over for us, I assure you there is a lot of poop, and none stuck to butts in this house!