Buckeye Breed Thread

[BuckeyeDave]

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I'd have to agree with Laura, early on while I was accumulating buckeyes I bought some hens from a local breeder, they were blotchy and barely met standard. BUT I WANTED BUCKEYES!!! I paid $10-12 each and ended up culling every last one of them along with the chicks that they produced. In turn I lost a substantial amount of cash and more importantly time. They were just plain out low quality birds and should have keyed on the breeder's lazy habits with the basic hygiene of the birds and assumed that he was also lazy with his breeding habits. Each bird had 1/2 inch balls of hard chicken manure on each claw, some still had the poop balls on them 2-3 weeks after free ranging, if I pried them off or soaked them off it damaged their feet and toes. Very sad.

I came to realize is that having buckeyes is not nearly as important as having breed standard birds, getting the crap quality out later requires a lot more effort and time than just finding the right birds to begin with. If you're going to perpetuate the breed you have to start with quality birds.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

If we were getting a large number of white shanks, I would just try to start over. But it is a very small %. Plus we have showed these now before 3 different judges. Two made comments about the quality. The other we were unable to speak with, but he placed it as Champion JR AOCCL at Little Rock over some really good AOCCL class. We got beat in the open show by a bird with no tail (Ann Charles- Aracauna). So will cull heavy. Still want to do a test breeding. Since we have one white leg bird at almost point of lay. The combs are all very good.

Now, our LF Buckeyes are looking great. We have kept two cockerels: Hercules and ?. The pulets colors are dark and nice. Our oldests are about 5+ months old. Youngest are about a month old. The oldest two bunches are all Dave Puthoff grandchicks. The rest are Puthoff/McClary grandchicks. Anxious to see what they become. We plan on splitting these into breeding pens with about 4-6 pullets per male. Plan on just keeeping 3 males: Buck, Hercules and ?. Kids have not name ? yet.

 

[Pathfinders]

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I don't think I'll be at Shawnee this year, I've had to cut back on my show schedule a lot due to my older DD going off to college this fall with all the related expenses. I will definitely be at the OH National though, never miss that show! Maybe I can send a male back with someone who's coming to that one?

I would NOT add in any other breeds, just keep culling and get a male from someone else. If these are from a woman in OH they might be from Robin Rau or perhaps Holly Spencer (Holly has excellent birds, don't think they'd be throwing white in the legs though.)

Just keep hatching and culling, that's my advice.

 

[bfrancis]

....So there we were, my wife and I were out by the Buckeye coop, concreting in some post for the run....and then it happened.
We heard the most weird sound we have ever heard before...(And having been in Iraq twice, let me tell you I have heard a noise or two).....then we figured it out!
One of our cockerels has started to find its voice. It sounded like a sick toad being ran over...

But it was trying with all it had to answer the adult crow of some roos we have.
If it wasn't for the rain we've been having lately I would have had the run completed last weekend...The gang is definitely ready to be let out and explore the world (of their run. to many critters out here day and night to allow any free ranging.

)

 

[mordarlar]

Hello everyone. I LOVE the pictures. We are new to this site and new to chickens in general. We recently bought some raw land and moved to a small rental nearby so we could easily go and work the land. Our long term goals are to establish a small homestead.

As winter was winding down we asked our landlord if we could keep some hens at the rental place for easier care. They agreed but limited us to two birds. We decided that caring for two would at least allow us get our feet wet and a provide a few eggs to boot. We built a beautiful coop and a nice movable tractor. We researched and decided that Buckeyes best fit our interests and future plans of multi pasturing. We liked what we have heard about their mothering instinct, the limited pecking, the self sustainability...

We had trouble finding them. : / We found that we needed too few birds to order chicks and we didn't receive any word back from the people we contacted about ordering young laying hens. Disappointed and anxious to get started we have since purchased two RIR. One of them, we later found out had a case of vent gleet. We are treating her with probiotics and have been giving them both vinegar, garlic and seaweed.

We are still hoping to raise Buckeyes in the near future. I am wondering if there are any recommended breeders in the Ohio, SW PA, or WV areas that we might use. We are a little wiser and more experienced now and would like to ensure healthy birds from the start. Thanks!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

REMINDER.....BUCKEYE ONLINE POULTRY SHOW only has a few more weeks left. Enter your birds today! We are also still in need of a judge.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=330714

 

[jenjscott]

Welcome, Mordarlar, to BYC and to the Buckeye Thread! There are several breeders in Ohio. Not sure about the other places. At the very least, you should plan on going to the Ohio National in November in Columbus. Arrange with one of the breeders to pick up at that time, maybe. There will be some good ones there. BuckeyeDave from Ohio, Pathfinders fom Kentucky, I might be there again from Arkansas. Chris are you going to be there from Alabama? Perhaps some others will chime in closer to oh/pa/wv so you don't have to wait till Nov.

 

[har]

I guess I just have to vent a little bit. I got my Delaware and Blue jersey Giant chicks today from Sandhill that I had ordered and payed for last Nov. I tried to change my order to Buckeyes three times by calling them. I guess to no avail. Anyway the chicks are healthy and doing well.
p.s. I had ordered these breeds before I found out about the Buckeyes.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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Both breeds are good heritage breeds. If you don't want to keep them, raise them till fall and sell them at the shows.

 

[Freeholder]

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I'm not surprised that they wouldn't/couldn't change your order, as they've been sold out of Buckeyes until the end of June for at least three months. I had ordered ten along with some Mille Fleur Leghorns, and they aren't sure they'll be able to fill my order.

Kathleen