The Buckeye Thread

[Metella]

They both look nice.

Nice to see ribbons there. do they provide the cages - so they all stack the same ? Did it take your birds a while to settle down ?

 

[cgmccary]

How important is the pea comb for showing? My roosters tend to not have the defined three ridges, rather more like a small cushion comb. Should I look for a different roo?

I like the mild manner of my roos, but the Buckeye flock as a whole does not forage well, and I think the laid back attitude is responsible.

The comb is 5 points out of a 100. I won't show a bird who has a totally messed up comb, but I have shown a bird one time who had very good body type but lacked the three distinct ridges on his comb {but I would not have called it a small cushion comb} & the judge wrote "-- comb" on the card too so he noticed it. My other entries in that show had good combs with the three ridges so the difference was noticeable. I don't think you should look for a different male, just breed to a hen(s) with a good comb. She counts too.

My Buckeyes are very active. They forage wide and far, especially the younger birds. Most, but not all, old hens stay close to home. I see my Buckeyes catching horseflies off the cows, in the barn, scratching in the compost pile, out in the pasture, in the forest in the leaf litter, etc. It scares me how far they venture. Sometimes, it is a matter of getting them outside when they are young.

Here I took a picture of young Buckeyes this morning (I had my zoom all the way; otherwise, you could not see them -- they were that far out.) There are also some in the shadows of the forest with the cows. You can see part of my Jenny (and part of the reason I don't lose any to predators).

 

[Metella]

I tried a donkey once - she and I didn't get along .... I am very patient with my animals when I think they don't know or are confused .... but Donkey would get out of the fence (she would step through the two big rails - horses won't) and then play catch me ..... which p'ed me off ..... then she just refused to be handled .... so I got her a new home with young girls and she is doing fine.

I really wanted a guard donkey - but I have to be able to handle it (gotta keep escapees away from neighbor's garden) and my was also hard to get hoofs clipped - that is important tooo ....

do you have any trouble with the feet or personality ? I would like to try again .....


I also let my chicks free range - but since losses - only when I can stay out in the evening - which is not long enough to take advantage of any feed savings. and I do have 7 acres - so lots of places I want them to de-bug.

 

[Timbuck]

At what age do you let them out to forage?

 

[Pathfinders]

At what age do you let them out to forage?

As soon as they're big enough not to slip through the holes in the electric poultry netting. Mine don't "free range", not safe here for them to do so. They "day range" within the netting, always. Morn 'til night anyway. Some folks, like Little Nana and Chris have various critters that protect theirs, my LGD is in with the goats and there's only the one of him, so we don't expect him to protect the chickens too (although he'd try.) Also, he likes eggs, so might slurp them out of the nest boxes. I give him two eggs a day with his food, he loves them and sulks if he doesn't get them. Silly boy...

 

[Pathfinders]

Some photos of the four month-old cockerels, taken from out of my office window. The "Bachelor Pad" is a hoop house surrounded by electric poultry netting.

(Unretouched photos):

 

[Metella]

I'm still jealous of your netting - I think I have mine in a non-sag state now - with plenty of extra step-in posts .... but my electric is not registering .... I have mowed down LOW all around the fence line ... and I hear the snap of the electric right where it joins - but my tester doesn't light up when on the NET at all. Sigh. Wonder if I got a bum net ? bought it new.

Still - nothing has gone inside the net yet - I think just the feel the net is keeping any night critters away - but they are locked in their snap coop anywho ... only a bear could get at them.

 

[007medic]

(on a completely un-related note) I'm eating toasted pound cake that I made with all the extra pullet eggs

- a double recipe will take about 18 pullet eggs (versus a dozen big girl hen eggs)........AND I'm putting home-made blackberry jam on it

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

(on a completely un-related note) I'm eating toasted pound cake that I made with all the extra pullet eggs

- a double recipe will take about 18 pullet eggs (versus a dozen big girl hen eggs)........AND I'm putting home-made blackberry jam on it

Yum. Wish I had some.

We also use Hoop Huts and electric net around the old alfalfa field for the birds in the summer. Mowing and tightening the fence helps. Also training the predators in early spring, by putting a short section out with a few birds in it with the Bull-Trainer fencer on it. At night, some peanut butter on the fence is also a cruel but sometimes necessary predator training device. Once they associate the fence (and chicken smell) with pain, they stay away even when it is off. We always use the electric at night and when away, 'cause I like my birds.

The Speckled Sussex in particular range widely over their section. The Buckeyes were introduced to pasture a bit too old perhaps, that seems likely. Maybe I can get a Sussex to teach them?

I guess it isn't quite a cushion comb. I am perhaps being too critical. The judge was more concerned about how the roo had messed up his tail in the show cage and why I hadn't asked for a double.

Very pleased with this second try at Buckeyes. I hope we will be able to keep a decent quality level going. Our inexperience with breeding shows sometimes. Nice to get all the friendly advice here!

 

[milleryardchx]

I am looking for buckeye chicks or hatching eggs. Im in WA state. I do not want hatchery quality stock. I want large birds that can be used for true dual purpose. Thank you