Blue Star Ranch — Attraction in Industry

I recommend purchasing chickens elsewhere, I have had a terrible time as a result of this place - it was over priced and has since cost me a fortune in vet bills, medicine, and time fretting over and losing half my chicks.

About a month ago I bought 4 chicks of ages 2 weeks, 4-5 weeks, and 8 weeks. I didn't pick out the chicks, the owner did based on which ones "looked the best", and one immediate problem was that age difference - the 8 week old is very dominant and bullied the other chicks. While she was looking for chicks for me, she threw many back saying they "didn't look good" or "weren't up to her standards", claiming she only sells A grade chickens. I look back at that moment and wonder - why does she have chicks that don't look right mixed in with all the others?

I brought my babies home and problems emerged immediately and grew in the coming weeks. Lethargy, sneezing, horrible eye infections that spread to 3 of the 4, discharge from beaks and mouthes, hunched up postures, failure to grow and thrive, and many other symptoms emerged. The 2 week old baby died first the day I took 3 of the chicks to the vet before I had much time to help it, it had the eye infection in both eyes and was struggling to eat and drink. Today, my sweet rhode island red Pumpkin, who I have been tirelessly hand feeding, medicating (ointment on her eye, vetrx for her breathing, antibiotics for her water, etc all multiple times a day), and keeping in my house with me passed away after weeks of struggling and suffering.

I write this because I don't want other people going through what I have. This business is under staffed for how many chickens they have and not adequately practicing bio-security. Therefore people like me are taking home sweet chicks, getting attached, then watching them wither. Please do not support this business, if I had known what I know now I certainly wouldn't have. It is unsanitary, cruel,...

Note: I tried emailing and handling this concern without leaving a public review. HOWEVER, after no remorse, or even acknowledgement of selling sick birds, I decided others should be forewarned as I was "DUPPED" by a lady that claims to care about chickens.

I have had several chickens in our flock. We lost our flock last year to a fox, and since I had been in contact with MaryAnne about resupplying in the spring. Fast Forward to March, just before the Covid-19 pandemic really was a thing here. I was concerned when I got to the "farm" as I was only allowed at the gate, she selected and put 6 birds into my cage, and her son promptly loaded them into my car. Because of the social distancing, there was no interaction except for a trade of money ($40/bird plus 5 "high quality" pantry items/bird). I thought well, they were older pullets, already laying, perhaps this is fair, she is local, why not..

I will tell you why not... Within 1 day of coming home. 1 of the hens was dead. 2 were presenting signs of respiratory infections. After further investigation and notifying Blue Star, these chickens have MG and will need to be treated monthly with antibiotics. I have 4 week old and chicks hatching, with this extremely contagious disease, and the rest of the chickens showing signs of distress, the flock had to be culled.

We are small business owners ourselves. What we promise is a guarantee of quality work. As Blue Star spouts off that they have a guarantee, it is full of deceit. Blue Star does NOT guarantee their birds, and only becomes defensive and casts blame when the issues are brought to their attention.

Please safeguard your chickens, your money and your time.. this place is not worth the devastation it will bring to your flock,...

Horrible experience with this lady. Though we both had some fault, I have no other words to describe her other than a lying, deceptive, con artist. I called her, without verifying myself where she was located, and asked her if she was in the San Leon area near Galveston Texas. Her response was “I am in the vicinity”, so I reserved 4 dozen eggs to donate to a local elementary school for a hatching project. I paid over phone and once she emailed me the invoice, I see the address in the Austin area, over 200 miles away. I called her and her response was “you should have done your homework, it’s not my fault you made a mistake”. I specifically asked her if she was in the area, since she had a local area code, and she lied to me. Then she states “you can dispute it with your bank which will take 60 days and I will win anyways”. I believe this was intended to exceed return grace period and she could keep the entire $77 for 4 overpriced fertile dozen eggs. I decided to just pay the 25% restocking fee on something she never unstocked and take the loss. She didn’t even reimburse me the tax portion either. I drove to San Leon and picked up 4 dozen eggs from the place I thought I was called initially and the sweet lady sold them for to me for $20. Lesson learned, not all my “chicken people” are honest. I typically don’t write reviews, but people should know what this lady did to me in hope this doesn’t happen to you as well. Again she is right, some of this is my fault for not doing my homework, but she lied saying she was in the vicinity, not two hundred miles away from where she actually is. I even told her I lived near Pearland TX, and she said she was close. She is very good at shifting the...