Hello to the Chicken world!

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lizannhollow

lizannhollow

In the Brooder
5 Years
Sep 21, 2014
76
3
33
Round Rock
My family and I are excited to start raising chickens! We checked out our local feed store for chicks. They have Black Star chicks right now. Are they a good breed to start with?

I personally feel in love with a braham( sorry if I mispelled) 4 month old rooster named Suga. Am I crazy for wanting the little guy? I swear he responds when I speak to him. Can I buy him and the baby chicks at the same time? Should I keep them apart until the chicks are older?

We were going to start with 3 chicks. Any advice is very welcome. I want to take good care of my new babies.
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Black Star is one of many labels that some hatcheries sell their Black Sex Links under and they are my favorite chickens. I have raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds; actually Black Stars are hybrids and not a true breed), and they are my favorite chickens. They are friendly and hardy egg laying machines. My Black Stars have consistently been my best layers, typically churning out over 300 eggs per hen per year. They right through cold winters, and their eggs are very large with huge yolks, sometimes double yoked. For sheer brown egg production, they are the best chickens in the world. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in getting your flock.
 
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Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Black stars also called black sex links are a great breed. They will keep those egg cartons full for sure. However, if you are looking for a tame chicken for a pet, the sex link may not be the best choice. They are more wild, free-spirited and independent. Brahmas, on the other hand, are docile, affectionate and calm. They are not as good of layers but still produce well. You will love this breed.

Buff orpingtons, speckled sussex and black australorps are good breeds to look into also. They are affectionate, docile, lap hogs, friendly, great layers and good foragers.

Good luck and glad you joined!
 
lizannhollow said:
Can I buy him and the baby chicks at the same time? Should I keep them apart until the chicks are older?

We were going to start with 3 chicks. Any advice is very welcome. I want to take good care of my new babies.
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Definitely keep the Brahma rooster apart from the chicks until they are older. If you keep the rooster, I would get more than three chicks as the recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens. Too many roosters can be very hard physically on your hens; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. There is a good article on introducing chickens to an existing flock at http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/introducing-new-chickens. Also, if you buy the Black Sex Link (Black Star) chicks, make sure you are getting females. Black Stars can be easily sexed by color at hatching so there is no guesswork with the sexes. Male chicks are black with a white spot on the tops of their heads. Female chicks are solid black, so make certain that none of the Black Star chicks you buy have white spots on the top of their heads.
 
Thank you all for your welcomes. I am going to wait a few days before I make a decision on the rooster Suga. I want all the chickens happy and healthy. I read up on my local ordinances and I can own 10 chickens. I would have never even thought of getting a rooster if Suga wasn't there. I walked up to his cage, said hi, and he looked at me and chuckled. But still, every chicken should be happy and if I can't provide enough girls then he's better off with another family who will love him.
 

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