Buckeye Breed Thread

[JamesA]

Quote:
Thanks Chris for the pictures of your birds and congratulations on your 1st, 2nd and 3rd place sweep at the Ohio Nationals show with your roo's .I love the birds I have from you.I think I have a great start and look forward to continueing to work with you and others to keep developing a great flock.This will be my start to showing birds.I look forward to learning all I can about this great breed and also learn about showing.
Thank, James

 

[PortageGirl]

Oooh!! They're GORGEOUS!!! I'm a gonner!

 

[greathorse]

Laura, I considered Buckeyes before finally settling on RIR as a breed that I wanted to breed and ultimately show. Can you detail for me some of the reasons you like these birds so much?

I have a hard time looking at them without comparing them to the RIR standard as they are quite similar (to my eye) especially in the coloring.

could you address

Laying ability, meat making ability, disposition I do understand they are very cold tolerant. Are they larger than RIR?

How quickly do they mature?

Thanks for any input, most ot the stuff I read simply addresses Mrs. Metcalf breeding for these Buckeyes, but do not really understand what her real target was.

 

[Baybrio]

Great thread, what beautiful birds!

Question, I have three hens that hatched in July 2008. They were all very dark and glossy until they molted in the late summer early fall. In fact I had to put leg bands on to tell them apart. Now, after molting, one is much lighter, is this typical?

I'm also very jealous of those of you with "petable" Buckeye's. I also trip over mine when I walk in their area, but they seem offended when I pick them up or pet them. They are far too dignified to run or put up a fuss but they are not pleased. I'm working very hard with my one cockerel, holding him and trying to get him to eat on my lap. He mostly takes a few bites and sits like a statue looking miserable. He is very happy to take food from my hand when he is on the ground, I guess that's progress.

I must be the anti-chicken whisperer. Only my Speckled Sussex jostle for a spot on my lap.

 

[kathyinmo]

Buckeyes also have a personality all their own. They are a very active fowl and are noted for being especially vigilant in the pursuit of mice, some breeders comparing them to cats in regard to this ability. They tend to have very little fear of humans and are possibly too friendly. In fact, some males may show a little aggression during breeding season. They also seem to lack the tendency to feather-pick each other (this is a trait worthy of further exploration). The males emit a full range of sounds beyond those typical of many other chicken breeds, including a dinosaur-like roar!

I just read this article, with the above paragraph. Is that really true ... about the dinosaur-like roar? And, they pursue mice? WOW, how cool is that!

By the way, this is where I read the interesting article:
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/buckeye.html​

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
Greathorse, I can't compare RIRs because I've never owned them, but I can try to answer some of your questions.

I like the birds for their temperaments as well as their cold-hardiness. I like that the males live together without fighting (with my Dutch I have to house each male separately, cannot put more than one male in with a pen of females or they fight terribly.) I like the pea comb, as it means no frostbite issues (I do not heat the "big coops" and pens in which I keep my large fowl.) They are good layers of medium brown eggs (between about 150 to 200 eggs a year.) The extra cockerels do dress out well and are very tasty. I don't know if they're larger than RIRs, never had any. They mature neither slow nor fast, just "medium", and will do better with a higher protein feed than some other breeds as they grow.

I can't speak to Mrs. Metcalf's target per se, but based on her writings I can assume she wanted a large dual purpose bird that laid well, was good for meat, and made it through the cold Ohio winters without problems, which these birds certainly do.

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
I should clarify that my birds do not jump up on my lap (only some of my Ameraucanas have done that, in the past.) But they are very friendly, and come running when they see me!

And yes, I have had some hens who feathered in much lighter after molting. I am not sure why, but it seems like a "normal" thing for Buckeyes. Not all of them do it, but some do.

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
I just read this article, with the above paragraph. Is that really true ... about the dinosaur-like roar? And, they pursue mice? WOW, how cool is that!

By the way, this is where I read the interesting article:
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/buckeye.html

Yep, it's referred to as a "roar", but Buckeyes are not actually the only ones who do it, I've heard other birds make the noise as well (my Dutch males will make it when something approaches their pen that they do not like. I am not sure if it's a threat noise or fear, but think it threat.

And yes, they will hunt and eat mice! If it moves, they'll try to eat it.

 

[cgmccary]

Greathorse:I considered Buckeyes before finally settling on RIR as a breed that I wanted to breed and ultimately show. Can you detail for me some of the reasons you like these birds so much?

I have a hard time looking at them without comparing them to the RIR standard as they are quite similar (to my eye) especially in the coloring.

could you address

Don Schrider, Master Breeder (& formerly from the ALBC) had this to say in distinguishing Buckeyes & RIR:

The only difficulty in breeding Buckeyes with the correct slate bar in the undercolor of the back is that most of today's Buckeyes have had a dose of RIR introduced recently. Many judges and breeders make the mistake of thinking that the Buckeye's color should be identical to the color of the RIR. This is incorrect. Today's Buckeye should be a lighter, redder shade of color than today's exhibition RIR. Just go back and read the Standard and compare the two breeds. Watch your birds for the Slate Bar {in the back}, particularly the males (as this is the easiest way to predominate it in your line).

I find the Buckeyes to be a unique breed with quite a few unique habits. They do not tolerate confinement too well as they are very active - often looking like they wrestle all day long. A friend of mine, Dennis Pearce for Stanwood, WA, says he can raise Brown Leghorns and Buckeyes in the same pens - the Buckeyes come to the front of the pen and the Leghorns to the back (at least when he is there). I have seen Buckeyes come off the roost in the pitch of night when a light came on, and pounce on mice like cats. They "roar" as well as crow. And they have very pleasant personalities. They are just different.

You can help preserve Buckeyes by breeding them to be like Buckeyes and not RIRs. Correct the color and breed for broad skulls and meaty square bodies (a RIR is Brick shaped, rectangular; while a Buckeye is more of a square). Your Buckeyes should have very well muscled wings and thighs too.

Chris McCary​

 

[greathorse]

Nice information thanks