Integrating a cockerel into a flock of mature hens

[Leahs Mom]

Buckeyes would blend into my breeding program goals well, produce nice BSL chicks with the Dom hens, and produce nice olive eggers with the EE.

@lazy gardener

I don't know my genetics at all so you'll have to excuse my ignorance.

Are you saying that if I cross a dom hen with the buckeye boy I will get sexlinks? How do I tell boy from girl in that scenario?


OH..and I got my bucks from a breeder rather than hatchery. There may be some good breeders in your area but the "Buckeye world" can be very...what's the word.... (obnoxious? mean? arrogant?) in some circles. One of the clubs seems to be very helpful and have a better attitude and outlook I was warned ahead by some of the "seasoned" folks as I'm not interested in that kind of behavior or politics.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@islandgirl

I'm definitely considering some doms for that reason - that the personality is like the Buckeyes. So far I've really liked these girls and their gentle disposition. I just don't like the idea of having a whole flock or red birds that all look alike!

But....I have heard that there is a line of Buckeyes that are "mean as snakes" according to other with experience.

I'm not ready to make any decisions on them until they are well over a year old since these are the first I've had.

 

[islandgirl82]

I've read Dom roosters are also mean but that's not even close to what I've experienced so far and I have a very difficult time seeing that change with Ichabod, especially with there being no difference in his demeanor before his hormones kicked in, to after. I do leave him alone first thing in the mornings so he can woo the ladies (or just chase a few lately) but by mid to late morning, he's back to looking for human attention....

As you can see:



I know what you mean about having a whole flock with the same feathering. I've decided I need to band at least the dom pullets as I can't decipher who's who quickly like I can with the dom hens. That's one reason I do love having a mixed flock. I've been considering adding a couple of Barnevelder hens. I think they're stunning and want some of those chocolatey colored eggs. From what I've read, they seem like they'd be a good fit with the doms as well. We shall see.

 

[speckledhen]

@Leahs Mom yes, if you cross a red rooster over barred hen (any breed) you'll get black sex links.


That Ichabod is a hunka young stud muffin! I've heard folks say that BRs are mean, but it varies widely with hatchery stock. My experience has been completely different with very few exceptions. And my line of BRs now is absolutely non-human aggressive because I breed for temperament. I have my second line that my young male, Hector, is from (as you probably read in that thread) and his temperament was unknown. Now that he's maturing and has learned a few lessons, he has mellowed out and I think will be a good boy, but I have not had sons from him yet. My own line is awesome, though no one can 100% guarantee behavior of any animal with a walnut sized brain, LOL.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

My Impression of Dominiques has been of excellent foragers, aloofness--they'd rather be grazing than dealing with humans, with the excellent foraging comes safety skills like flightiness. Almost EE or Ameraucana like. IDK....if I've got the picture right any more. Learning tons with Ichabod.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

OH..and I got my bucks from a breeder rather than hatchery. There may be some good breeders in your area but the "Buckeye world" can be very...what's the word.... (obnoxious? mean? arrogant?) in some circles. One of the clubs seems to be very helpful and have a better attitude and outlook I was warned ahead by some of the "seasoned" folks as I'm not interested in that kind of behavior or politics.

I think there have been a few Buckeye threads that have 'burnt down'. My Welsummer breeder happens to take ribbons in the state for her buckeyes. She's pretty cordial and willing to promote the breed. And again she selects against aggressiveness. I have one of her hens and she's skiddish. A bit hungry all the time--she goes through feed. (Cornish in her)

@islandgirl

I'm definitely considering some doms for that reason - that the personality is like the Buckeyes. So far I've really liked these girls and their gentle disposition. I just don't like the idea of having a whole flock or red birds that all look alike!

But....I have heard that there is a line of Buckeyes that are "mean as snakes" according to other with experience.

I'm not ready to make any decisions on them until they are well over a year old since these are the first I've had.

I will say that my buckeye will push her weight around at the feeder. She is VERY food/protein driven. And again has to do with the cornish in her. I think she's just ALWAYS hungry. LOL. Poor thing! She has knocked my Silkie hen silly for two days (they have open skulls which I did not know until this year). Hard lesson learned on Mixed Flocks. I have watched her disassemble a large leopard frog in about 30 seconds. When they are 2ish they are usually ready for their next purpose. Which is meat bird. I've found my Daisy is laying way off on her egg laying. She laid a little this spring for me. But nothing since. Not one for this fall. She's heading toward her second purpose. I'm not so much into meat birds and that task though. And with her protein drive Daisy has proven she's also a mouser in the coop. So that is her salvation at this time and my lack of desire to turn her into Sunday Dinner.

She's a beast at 8+ lbs.

 

[aart]

Are you saying that if I cross a dom hen with the buckeye boy I will get sexlinks? How do I tell boy from girl in that scenario?


OH..and I got my bucks from a breeder rather than hatchery. There may be some good breeders in your area but the "Buckeye world" can be very...what's the word.... (obnoxious? mean? arrogant?) in some circles. One of the clubs seems to be very helpful and have a better attitude and outlook I was warned ahead by some of the "seasoned" folks as I'm not interested in that kind of behavior or politics.

If you put a "solid" or non-barred rooster over a barred hen, the chicks will be sex linked. The males will be black with a white dot on their heads at hatch.

Any group of people, chicken breeders included, can be that way.
Doesn't matter what species or breed........just like you can't really attribute finite/absolute chicken behaviors to specific breeds.

 

[lazy gardener]

@lazy gardener

I don't know my genetics at all so you'll have to excuse my ignorance.

Are you saying that if I cross a dom hen with the buckeye boy I will get sexlinks? How do I tell boy from girl in that scenario?


OH..and I got my bucks from a breeder rather than hatchery. There may be some good breeders in your area but the "Buckeye world" can be very...what's the word.... (obnoxious? mean? arrogant?) in some circles. One of the clubs seems to be very helpful and have a better attitude and outlook I was warned ahead by some of the "seasoned" folks as I'm not interested in that kind of behavior or politics.

Yep, I've seen that kind of politics by breeders, no matter the breed. Gets old fast. Other posters have answered the sex link question well. For more amusement in the area, do a thread search for "sex linked information". There are some awesome charts in the first post on that thread. I love breeding my own sex links. You can choose your parent stock to give some really nice birds. My avatar EE roo, Jack, when crossed with a Dominique, produces lovely black sex links with dainty little walnut combs, and most of them lay a green, olive or aqua colored egg. A Buckeye roo over Dom would produce a walnut comb also.

The thing that attracts me re: Buckeye is their reputation as mousers. I'd love to have a flock of birds that would go on search and destroy missions against rodents.

@islandgirl

I'm definitely considering some doms for that reason - that the personality is like the Buckeyes. So far I've really liked these girls and their gentle disposition. I just don't like the idea of having a whole flock or red birds that all look alike!

But....I have heard that there is a line of Buckeyes that are "mean as snakes" according to other with experience.

I'm not ready to make any decisions on them until they are well over a year old since these are the first I've had.

And that comment is the one off putting reason why I have not yet had any Buckeyes. I am not at all fond of RIR. Never met a RIR that I liked. And knowing that the BE is based on RIR, gives me just enough reason to think twice about it. Still, might try a couple. But, just a couple! I've also heard that the heritage RIR have that nice walnut color, not watered down like the hatchery stock, and their temperament is like the old fashioned RIR, not snakey at all!!!

My Impression of Dominiques has been of excellent foragers, aloofness--they'd rather be grazing than dealing with humans, with the excellent foraging comes safety skills like flightiness. Almost EE or Ameraucana like. IDK....if I've got the picture right any more. Learning tons with Ichabod.

Both IG and myself have similar experience with Doms. If you didn't know better, you might think we had the same birds! The ones I had were very friendly. Used to stand on the perch that was hip high, and lean into me for a facial massage. Follow me around all day long in hopes that I'd do something entertaining with a shovel. And Doms and EE are VERY WELL MATHCED in terms of temperament.

If you put a "solid" or non-barred rooster over a barred hen, the chicks will be sex linked. The males will be black with a white dot on their heads at hatch.

Any group of people, chicken breeders included, can be that way.
Doesn't matter what species or breed........just like you can't really attribute finite/absolute chicken behaviors to specific breeds.

Interesting comparison! Love it.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

If you put a "solid" or non-barred rooster over a barred hen, the chicks will be sex linked. The males will be black with a white dot on their heads at hatch.

Any group of people, chicken breeders included, can be that way.
Doesn't matter what species or breed........just like you can't really attribute finite/absolute chicken behaviors to specific breeds.

The rooster can't be dominant white either (in that case you wouldn't be able to tell which have spots), but other than that any color rooster can be used. Not including barred, of course.

Ichabod is turning out to be quite a handsome rooster! The Buckeye is good looking, too. It's nice to see how all these birds are turning out as they mature.

 

[islandgirl82]

My Impression of Dominiques has been of excellent foragers, aloofness--they'd rather be grazing than dealing with humans, with the excellent foraging comes safety skills like flightiness. Almost EE or Ameraucana like. IDK....if I've got the picture right any more. Learning tons with Ichabod.

Yes! One might think so

My first two dom hens (arrived here at 2 years old) became my instant sidekicks, one a little more than the other. They're anything but aloof. Their personalities are the very reason I ended up with Ichabod and then the pullets. They do very well in helping to calm the flightier birds when in a mixed flock and don't get pushed around by the more aggressive birds either. My experience with EEs/OEs has been half and half. I've had a few clean-faced EEs and they were much calmer and easier to catch than the bearded/muffed though all of the females I've had have been very people oriented.

The dom pullets came from a completely different situation and have had to recover in their own way but despite that, once they got used to my presence, my children and the dogs, they don't run anymore and are some of the first to eat from my hands now. They still don't want to be handled but I also haven't taken the time to do so because I that's something I would normally do at night when they've gone to roost but they're currently living in a converted playhouse and access to them is very awkward for an adult once they're in there.