Buckeye Breed Thread

[Janet Hatch]

SkyBlueEgg has begun an online FREE

Exhibition Poultry magazine that has some good articles.

The third issue and previous two are available online at:

http://www.exhibitionpoultry.net/

Janet Hatch
J Squared Farms
NW MO
NPIP 43-727

 

[knittychickadee]

Quote:
Folks working in the Buckeye recovery program for the ALBC have stated Buckeyes that were free ranged gained weight better than those in tractors/pens. Part of their program was improving weight gains so people would be interested in using them as heritage meat birds that you didn't have to wait 20+weeks to get a decent butcher size on. Seems to me someone quoting them along the way left out the weight gain part of the equation and it turned into "they don't do well in confinement" when instead it should be "they show better weight gains when free ranged versus being confined". This I have seen for myself. Groups of youngsters that I was able to get out on pasture at an earlier age gained weight faster than those I couldn't because of weather conditions.


Marci

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Yep. That was a HUGE problem for me this year. Normally I go by the old adage: "Build the barn, then paint it", which is still a good one. But last year I got some bad advice that said that breeding with hens who were speckled would give me offspring with good dark color. What I got was offspring that all had black in the hackles, which for someone like me (I show my birds) was a disaster. I had to sell about 30 birds, all extremely typey, but with that black I didn't want them in my breeding program. Broke my heart.

And now I'm not going to sell any chicks to anyone except homesteaders who don't care, as I worry that the black will still show up. I want to get some birds raised up and see what I have this year before I do a lot of selling.

Bob Gilbert thinks that in our quest for a good gray bar we've brought too much black in, which makes sense too.

At any rate, I would advise not using birds with a lot of black speckling. One or two specks is not so much of a big deal. But a lot is a no-no.

Hi Laura,

I just read your post about the black specks in your Buckeyes and the problem you had breeding them. I also read that you won't be selling any chicks or eggs until you see what has happened. That's a bummer because I had planned to ask you for some eggs this year.

I got back from the show about 1700 last night and found a mess with the birds. Long story but suffice it to say that I had a neighbor and friend from church kids agree to take care of my birds while I was away and they obviously didn’t put much concern into doing what I asked them. Had a nice talk with their Dad at church last night and it will be a good learning lesson for them while they come over this next week to show that they can do it right. This is the first time I’ve gone anywhere over two years and now you know why.

Oh well, it’ll all turned out ok but I'm way behind in emails and that's why I'm just getting to email you now. Anyways, I took my best Buckeye pair to the show and there's one guy there that I think just recently got Buckeyes and will be breeding/showing/selling them. He's a Master Breeder & Master Exhibitor (not Buckeyes for either as far as I know) and said that he thought my pullet was very dark and that most of the females he's seen have been much lighter. I told him I had seen that too and was trying to keep only the darkest.

So now I have some questions for y'all...

1)WRT the gray bar down the back, is that for females only or males too? My female has some (not much) but I don't see any in my males at all. It's dark red all the way to the bottom. That includes the filoplumes.
2) How many black specks in the female is too much? I mean, I think I counted like 5-6 in her whole body. Is that too much?
3) Does anyone know exactly what Nettie Metcalf used to create the Buckeye? The reason I ask is that some of us were discussing this at the show and I said I think that LF Cornish had to be part of the equation. They have a very distinct eye formation and the Buckeye has it. Also, it's pretty well known that they are a heavy bird, have widely set apart legs, and huge legs that are very big around. All of which the Buckeye has as well.

There was something else and now I can't remember what it is. I'll post it if I think of it later - like probably as soon as I hit the "Submit" button!

I've only got four Buckeyes at the moment - 2 Cockerels and 2 pullets - and I am really looking forward to getting a bunch more. Birds will be in pens this weekend and I'll be collecting for the incubator pronto!

God Bless,

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Yep. That was a HUGE problem for me this year. Normally I go by the old adage: "Build the barn, then paint it", which is still a good one. But last year I got some bad advice that said that breeding with hens who were speckled would give me offspring with good dark color. What I got was offspring that all had black in the hackles, which for someone like me (I show my birds) was a disaster. I had to sell about 30 birds, all extremely typey, but with that black I didn't want them in my breeding program. Broke my heart.

And now I'm not going to sell any chicks to anyone except homesteaders who don't care, as I worry that the black will still show up. I want to get some birds raised up and see what I have this year before I do a lot of selling.

Bob Gilbert thinks that in our quest for a good gray bar we've brought too much black in, which makes sense too.

At any rate, I would advise not using birds with a lot of black speckling. One or two specks is not so much of a big deal. But a lot is a no-no.

Hi Laura,

I just read your post about the black specks in your Buckeyes and the problem you had breeding them. I also read that you won't be selling any chicks or eggs until you see what has happened. That's a bummer because I had planned to ask you for some eggs this year.

I got back from the show about 1700 last night and found a mess with the birds. Long story but suffice it to say that I had a neighbor and friend from church kids agree to take care of my birds while I was away and they obviously didn’t put much concern into doing what I asked them. Had a nice talk with their Dad at church last night and it will be a good learning lesson for them while they come over this next week to show that they can do it right. This is the first time I’ve gone anywhere over two years and now you know why.

Oh well, it’ll all turned out ok but I'm way behind in emails and that's why I'm just getting to email you now. Anyways, I took my best Buckeye pair to the show and there's one guy there that I think just recently got Buckeyes and will be breeding/showing/selling them. He's a Master Breeder & Master Exhibitor (not Buckeyes for either as far as I know) and said that he thought my pullet was very dark and that most of the females he's seen have been much lighter. I told him I had seen that too and was trying to keep only the darkest.

So now I have some questions for y'all...

1)WRT the gray bar down the back, is that for females only or males too? My female has some (not much) but I don't see any in my males at all. It's dark red all the way to the bottom. That includes the filoplumes. they all should have it
2) How many black specks in the female is too much? I mean, I think I counted like 5-6 in her whole body. Is that too much? laura or Chris will have to answer this one
3) Does anyone know exactly what Nettie Metcalf used to create the Buckeye? The reason I ask is that some of us were discussing this at the show and I said I think that LF Cornish had to be part of the equation. They have a very distinct eye formation and the Buckeye has it. Also, it's pretty well known that they are a heavy bird, have widely set apart legs, and huge legs that are very big around. All of which the Buckeye has as well. only the Brown line has cornish in their blood as far as I know.
She crossed buff cochin on barred rock hens and took thee hens and crossed them to a BBR game

There was something else and now I can't remember what it is. I'll post it if I think of it later - like probably as soon as I hit the "Submit" button!

I've only got four Buckeyes at the moment - 2 Cockerels and 2 pullets - and I am really looking forward to getting a bunch more. Birds will be in pens this weekend and I'll be collecting for the incubator pronto!

God Bless,

 

[OSUman]

I read that Nettie Metcalf created the buckeyes with the shape of Cornish in mind. Also from what I understood was that the Brown strain had Centecler(sp) crossed into it not cornish but I could be wrong.

As for the black specs there shouldnt be any black specks on the body of the buckeye. It should be a solid red color.

 

[cgmccary]

1)WRT the gray bar down the back, is that for females only or males too? My female has some (not much) but I don't see any in my males at all. It's dark red all the way to the bottom. That includes the filoplumes. they all should have it2) How many black specks in the female is too much? I mean, I think I counted like 5-6 in her whole body. Is that too much? laura or Chris will have to answer this one3) Does anyone know exactly what Nettie Metcalf used to create the Buckeye? The reason I ask is that some of us were discussing this at the show and I said I think that LF Cornish had to be part of the equation. They have a very distinct eye formation and the Buckeye has it. Also, it's pretty well known that they are a heavy bird, have widely set apart legs, and huge legs that are very big around. All of which the Buckeye has as well. only the Brown line has cornish in their blood as far as I know.
She crossed buff cochin on barred rock hens and took thee hens and crossed them to a BBR game

(1) Yes as Punky R. says, the females should have it too. Don't obssess very much about the slate bar in the back. It will be there to varying degrees.

(2) There are no perfect birds. I think what some people are referring to as "black specks" are not exactly what I am referring to as "black splashing." I don't think I have one female who doesn't have a "black speck" on some feathers-- some many. What I am referring to (and I think Laura too) is a black splashing-- large splotches of black bigger than a black speck on a feather-- almost dirtying the bird, if you will.

(3) Yes as Punky R. states. Let me say that the Cornish of 1890- 1905 was NOT the Cornish of today & those lines and that kind of Cornish does not exist today anywhere so you can debate and debate what the BBR game was she used-- I think we all agree it was something of Asian persuasion, but one could not recreate a true Buckeye today because those lines do not exist today, whatever it was. Now with that being said, Mr. Brown told me he had infused today's Cornish in his strain to get a thicker, shorter leg and improve the body appearance. I agree with OSUMAN that Ms. Metcalf only said she was breeding for modified Cornish shape & she never actually said she used a Cornish.

Chris​

 

[OSUman]

Ok since we are talking about the creation of them I saw a post about the creation of RIR on the RIR thread and I was wondering if it were possible that the buckeyes were created with the same type of "Cochin" as the RIR were created with.

 

[cgmccary]

OSUMAN: . . . and I was wondering if it were possible that the buckeyes were created with the same type of "Cochin" as the RIR were created with.

I don't know; I don't think at the time of the creation, Metcalf knew or had knowledge of the RIR and vice versa -- it was a Buff Cochin male used for Buckeyes.​

 

[OSUman]

I know that she didnt know of RIR when she was making the buckeyes but what I was wondering is if they she used Royal Cochin Chinas instead of the feathered legged cochins that we have now.

ETA pic of Royal Cochin Chinas from the RIR post by Chris09

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
What are you feeding them?

Layer and broiler crumble 50/50, broiler is 20% layer is 15% protein, animal and vegetable source.

Is this too little Protein for Buckeyes at this stage?