Buckeye Breed Thread

[punky rooster]

sand hill's birds are from Urch!

 

[knittychickadee]

Quote:
They are many yrs removed from Urch and don't look anything like his strain now.

 

[cgmccary]

cg,
can one get organic game bird feed? I am not sure if you can or not. Game Bird feed is excellent in that it always has the animal protein and the other nutrients that game birds need. Since game birds fly, their feathers are important to them. Purina and the other game bird feed manufacturers have done the research for us & the feed is superb. -- just my thoughts. I may have to make the choice of getting organic or regular feed that contains GMO's. Thought I would try the hamburg first. Have also considered supplementing with cat food. I am still in the expierimntal stages. Thank you for your thoughts!
Ginny

The high protein is needed by Buckeyes because they are a muscular bird. Muscles need a good high quality protein to grow and develop. The growth is most profound in the Buckeyes' first 4-5 months of life. If the Buckeye does not get optimum protein in its first few months, it can never "catch-up." They never do. This is why this whole question of feed is so important.

Punky R. said: sand hill's birds are from Urch!

Punkster: you are becoming quite the Buckeye expert. I predict one day, you are going to be the country's foremost Buckeye breeder / go-to person. I hope you stick with the breed for life.​

 

[Sjisty]

I am a first-time Buckeye owner. I have ten 3-week-old chicks and have noticed that they are quite a bit more chunky than any of the other breeds I have hatched. I have them on chick-starter, plus an occasional mealworm. Should I switch them over to game bird feed sooner than for other breeds?

 

[OSUman]

Quote:
Are they Urch line or do they dropship from them?

 

[cgmccary]

Sjisty: I am a first-time Buckeye owner. I have ten 3-week-old chicks and have noticed that they are quite a bit more chunky than any of the other breeds I have hatched. I have them on chick-starter, plus an occasional mealworm. Should I switch them over to game bird feed sooner than for other breeds?

Yes, unless your feed is higher protein and some of the protein includes animal protein. You need them on a high protein feed (at least 28% protein). I feed Purina Game Bird Chow because it is 30% protein and the protein includes some animal protein. Most regular chiken feeds only have plant protein. Your chicks will not achieve optimum results without the better feed. Most game bird feeds and turkey starters have the higher protein. Check the label to make sure it includes some animal protein. I feed for 8 weeks and then move them to a lower protein -- 19% (Purina Game Bird Chow-- Conditioner) -- it also includes animal protein.

I rasied my Guineas (now 4 months old) on the same feed and they look great.​

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
They are many yrs removed from Urch and don't look anything like his strain now.

I'd have to say Sand Hill needs to be given credit for the results of their own breeding program.

We also got Black Ameraucanas from them which their catalog stated were from two show lines. One of the birds had multi-colored feathering. Another had no facial feathers and a single comb. Another had more correct plumage, but incorrect leg color. I am guessing their original birds were from two show lines, no one has lied, but the current breeding program is not consistently producing show winners.

I know any breeding program is going to throw the off bird from time to time and I probably just got som bad luck. I'm just saying it probably does not take more than a generation or two of bad combination choices to result in poorer quality birds than what you started with. So once you start selecting and breeding your own birds, you need to be judged by your own results, rather than those of a source flock even one generation away.

At this moment, I am not that impressed with Sand Hill's show quality, but they are propagating breeds that might otherwise disappear. The birds were healthy, they lay fine, and the folks were easy to deal with. I'm not going to knock them too hard as a hatchery. Just need to match our expectations to what they can honestly provide.

I am gathering that Mr. Urch's birds will be of a different stamp, but I would still have to get possibly 25 chicks to find a trio of pullets that I could start my flock with. And all coming from the same flock, any rooster would be at least half-sibling, so I have to look for a roo from elsewhere (maybe my JamesA bird will improve?

).

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
Are they Urch line or do they dropship from them?

Sand Hill states they do not drop ship any breeds. I am guessing their original Buckeyes were from Urch, but the susequent breeding flocks are on their property and have been under their dirrection for many generations.

 

[cgmccary]

Sandhill has their own LINE of the URCH STRAIN. I would not call Sandhill's Buckeyes a strain but they definitely have their own LINE.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Punkster: you are becoming quite the Buckeye expert. I predict one day, you are going to be the country's foremost Buckeye breeder / go-to person. I hope you stick with the breed for life.

I agree with you, Chris. Isn't it great to see this?! Good for you, Punky!