The Buckeye Thread

[007medic]

Homeworkin, the Buckeyes I just dressed out ranged in weight from 3.75 to 4.75lbs at the 22week mark. Generally speaking, a bird will dress out to 3/5 of the live weight. I don't know what has prejudiced your friend. Maybe they were asked to process some heritage birds that someone unknowingly tried to slaughter on a cornish/rock schedule (read: too early). It's unfortunate they would make such a blanket statement, but such statements should be a red flag to the listener that the speaker is woefully unfamiliar with heritage breeds that have been well stewarded. Here is a pic of one of my dressed birds that tip in about 4.5 lbs:

I don''t know what your expectations are but this bird has generous portions all 'round. The flavor of this breed has earned them a coveted birth in Arc of Taste as designated by the Slow Food Movement (no small achievement). I would add that these birds do take time to grow out and as such they are better roasters than fryers- their skin is just too tough at 20 weeks for frying. Now grilling is another story all together! Barbecued, rotisseried, spatcheled (back bone cut out, flattened and skewered to stay flat), beer-can roasted on the grill....giminey-pete, I could go on...If you dearly love the fried chicken as I do (sacrilidge in the south if you don't love fried chicken), I suggest a skinned and boned bird that is twice dipped and then deep fried.


okay, now I'm hungry........

 

[homeworkin]

I like the idea of raising heritage breeds for meat - nothing like eating your "mistakes." I'd much rather raise heritage birds for meat. Which is why I bought some of these breeds to try. They were mostly all supposed to be pullets - but I wanted them to be big enough to stew when they stop laying well or if they turned out to be roos. Must have been channeling roos this year since of the 16 pullets I bought from the farm store - at least 6 are looking like boys - maybe as many as 9 or 10 cockerels here at the moment and only two were on purpose.

I won't have excess Buckeyes until next spring unless I decide to throw a bunch of eggs in the incubator - but that is full of BLRW eggs at the moment with only a few Buckeyes just to prove the adult trio is fertile.

My older Jersey Giant is about 19 weeks old and it is definitely not a pullet. Still looks skinny to me, but I plan to take him in for processing along with the oldest two turkeys in a few weeks. Second JG is only 4 weeks old but it has BRIGHT red wattles....

The guy who processes for us sells Cornish X dressed birds - but also has heritage beef and pork. I was surprised by his statement - and he went on to say that cockerels are all feathers and only dress out to 1/3 the live weight. Musta had some scrawny cockerels brought in for processing! I bet that they were 12 week old crowing pullets. Dozens of those available free all over town. Farm store seems to have had a really high percentage of crowing pullets this year.

My first batch of Cornish (12 plus one Red Broiler cockerel) averaged out to 4.3 pounds at 8 weeks (average was brought down a bit by a teeny bird with crossed beak that dressed to 2.3 pounds). Second batch was dressed out at average of 4.8 pounds at 10 weeks (17 Cornish plus one 12 week RB hen) but I lost three along the way (two heat-related flips and a chick that may have been handled badly by visiting children who were not supposed to go near the birds). Third batch of Cornish is in the grow-out tractor - about 3 weeks old. Sounds like the Buckeyes are not too far off that and much easier to deal with.

My Buckeye roo is not the least bit aggressive. The Red Broiler went for processing at 8 weeks instead of 12 because he kept pecking at me.

So, how long is too long to wait for a roasting cockerel to fatten up? I love fried chicken but can't fry anything around here due to my mother's lung disease. Stewing, roasting, and crock-potting we can do. I like big cooking birds but don't want to wait too long.

 

[karenbrat1]

I love fried chicken but can't fry anything around here due to my mother's lung disease.

Do it outside on a propane camp stove

 

[cgmccary]

Quote:
I don't see this reasoning. Where is the mistake? They are not my mistakes but my accomplishment. Nature provides us with as many cockerels as pullets and one cannot keep all those cockerels. I had more cockerels than pullets this season by a wide margin. All the cockerels I grow out are better than the male I began my breeding with in 2005-2006. What is nice about Buckeyes is that once your flock is up and running (and you are selecting for type & weight), nearly all of the progeny make weight & they produce good meat birds for the table. Ideally, this should be your goal. If I want, I can now select for traits I used to ignore (color, black on breast; black on wing bar, bad comb) -- however, I will still keep the best type bird from a group even if it has a one of these traits (though it would not make the cut in another group).

From the same breeding pen, you will have variation.

 

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

We start with 20 birds (5 each of 4 different breeds) and where down 7 now from predotors (now dead!)

We have one Buckeye left (and 10 more smaller ones growing) and she is my "buddy" if i run away she will chase like a raptor in "Jurassic Park" - very funny

she will let me pick her up, she she want to be picked up. sometimes she will fly up onto my back or arm if i put it out, once in a while she will fly onto me head ! (im 6 foot tall!)


we got all our from cackle hatchery and so far very happy, only lost 2 chicks out of the 30 we ordered this year. very glad to have found this site

 

[cgmccary]

We start with 20 birds (5 each of 4 different breeds) and where down 7 now from predotors (now dead!)

We have one Buckeye left (and 10 more smaller ones growing) and she is my "buddy" if i run away she will chase like a raptor in "Jurassic Park" - very funny

she will let me pick her up, she she want to be picked up. sometimes she will fly up onto my back or arm if i put it out, once in a while she will fly onto me head ! (im 6 foot tall!)


we got all our from cackle hatchery and so far very happy, only lost 2 chicks out of the 30 we ordered this year. very glad to have found this site

Welcome Turbo V6! We are glad you found this site too. Buckeyes are one of the most friendly breeds. I know we say it over & over, but they really are naturally this way. Funny you mention "Jurassic Park." I think of Jurassic Park, when I see my Buckeyes in a group running for some destination or running toward me to see if I have some morsel for them-- it looks like a pack of dinosaurs from the movie.

 

[MeanV2]

Ok just found this new thread! I got 16 Buckeye chicks in March. I also got 20 Black Australorps in April. I still have 20 Black Australorps but I only have 6 Buckeyes, 2 roos & 4 pullets. I have lost one every 2 to 3 weeks.

They just seem to drop their tail feathers, lose color in their comb and die in a few days. What could be affecting the BE's that does not seem to affect the BA's?

Dan

 

[buffalogal]

When you say "drop their tail feathers", do you mean they hold them lower, or that the feathers fall out? When they loose color, does it turn pale pink to yellow, or is it more of a purplish blue? Are you feeding crumbles, pellets or whole grain?

 

[MeanV2]

When you say "drop their tail feathers", do you mean they hold them lower, or that the feathers fall out? When they loose color, does it turn pale pink to yellow, or is it more of a purplish blue? Are you feeding crumbles, pellets or whole grain?

They just hold them lower. I am feeding crumbles. First 10 weeks Purina Game Bird Starter, and then switched to Purina Game Bird Conditioner. No Purplish blue, the bright pink just turns very pale.

Just when I think all is well another one does the same thing. It just seems weird to me that it has always been one of the Buckeyes.

Dan

 

[Pathfinders]

Hi Dan,

It's hard to diagnose disease in poultry, even when you're seeing them every day. Harder still for us to do it for you.

That being said, I wonder if perhaps it could be coccidiosis? Are you seeing any signs of blood in the feces? Do the affected birds sit with their heads hunched into their shoulders and feathers puffed up?

Or, perhaps it's Marek's Disease. Are any of the affected birds staggering a bit, acting like they're drunk, or dragging a leg?

It is odd that it is only affecting the Buckeyes, that's just weird.

LH