Anyone raising Buckeye?

[cgmccary]

1) One is growing a long black feathered jungle fowl type tail. He is a no brainer. Does that mean the others are pullets or are they just late bloomers? He has a more of a comb then the others also.

The other ones are likely pullets. Trust your instincts.

2) They are all about the same size within about 1/2 lb (smallest is 2lbs 14 ozs the one with the tail 3lbs 6 ozs). Camera has dead batteries, am getting some tomorrow.

I weigh at 8 weeks & 16 weeks of age. The males will weigh more &it will be noticeable. You are about right for 12 weeks.

3) How do they mature. If I have a pullet (which I am not sure of) when do they start laying. I have a lot of experience with Easter Eggers but these guys are very different. I thought that they would be similar because of the pea comb but they do not appear to be.

Buckeyes do optimally when they get a high protein feed for the first 16-24 weeks. The protein % should be >28% (I feed Purina Game Bird Chow- Startena). The protein should include some animal protein (and not be only plant based). If on a lower protein diet the first 16 weeks, they WILL NOT grow to their potential. The pullets start laying anywhere from 24 weeks of age to 36 weeks depending on their hatch dates. I like to go on the longer end of time before laying because the pullet's body develops better. A Cockerel should weigh about 5-6 lbs at 16 weeks of age. They are very different than Easter Eggers.

Buckeyes are one of the most active of the American Breeds. They are also very hardy and can survive some things that would kill another breed. They have both white and dark meat but more dark than white. This is due to their active nature (i.e. more active, then more fast twitch muscle, more dark meat). Their white meat is whiter than the average white meat and their dark meat is darker.

Check out December Blog entry: http://ultimatefowl.wordpress.com/​

 

[Guitartists]

Thanks for that info!

 

[bigzio]

Another tidbit of information about Buckeyes is, the only breed credited to development by a woman...Nettie Metcalf. She started developing them in 1896.

bigzio

 

[rebecca10782]

Quote:
Ours is six and 1/2 months and she has just started squatting, so she should be laying very soon

 

[Chickapooh23]

Thanks, this is a lot of help. Buckeye Dave has a great website with a ton of pictures also. I think after reading all of this and looking at them I have two cockerel and two pullets. The one cockerel has been a sick chick a lot. I keep them in a brooder in my basement for 4 wks because of this one chick and he is not a keeper. AT 12 wks he still hasn't feathered out completely. I am not weighing this one and will cull him in the spring.

 

[Chickapooh23]

Quote:
I know I love that part of the story. I am not sure why they aren't more popular than they are. They are very attractive birds.

 

[corancher]

Looks like CGMCCARY gave a really good run down on the breed. I have had Buckeyes for the last several years. One of my favorite breeds and my husbands favorite. He likes that they are so laid back.

I am a transplanted Buckeye and the reason I first got Buckeye chickens. I am glad to see that they are easier to find now then what they were when I started my flock. I will be glad to answer any additional questions you may have.

As a side note, one of my Buckeye egg customers from last spring won in the Ohio National in the fall.

 

[subdriver]

New egg opinion.... DW decided
1) we would raise chickens in our backyard
2) they would be heritage breed Buckeyes (thanks Nettie)

We have had them for about 22 weeks and so far I have found them to be very personable, friendly and calm birds. They don't like to be handled much but will seek out our company and like to be around us whenever we're outside (could be because of the possibility of treats...

) They have climbed up on my lap when I was sitting in a lawn chair.
The roo is more agressive than I was led to believe, but then at 22 weeks he is still pretty young at the job.
We have had -17 degree temps this winter in NW Ohio with an unheated 8x8 coop. It doesn't seem to bother them much and they do eat a lot keeping up the body temp and they seem to still be growing. I expect their appetite <sp> to decrease as the weather gets warmer (we're expecting 0 degrees tonight).
All in all so far, they are a highly entertaining no muss or fuss breed that is capable of fending for themselves. DW made a good choice on the breed.

 

[swampducks]

My roos all started getting those skinnier longer feathers around their necks and over their backs around 4 months old. I couldn't tell sexes apart by color, some pullets were as dark as the roos, some slightly lighter. The comb on the roos seems a bit fatter too.

They're delightful birds. The roo I kept keeps pecking at my hands when I chip the ice off the pop door. Brave little fellow.

 

[cgmccary]

I found that I can sex day old chicks fairly accurately by their wing pin feathers & even better, at ONE WEEK of age:

In both images, the Cockerel is on the left & the pullet is on the right. As you can see the cockerel chick's feathers in his wing & tail are longer. When they get to be about 4-8 weeks, they are harder to discern. When past about 10 weeks, the cockerels combs are brighter red & larger; they are slightly larger in size and their feathers will be more shiny. Every pnce in awhile, there will be one that is tricky but for the most part, they are easy to sex with fairly high degree of accuracy.

The State Ag man tried to tell me I was wrong on some of this because he had a "witcher widget" sort of thing that he held over the chick & he'd say if it swung in a circle it was this and if back & forth, it was that-- my way was about 90% accurate.