Buckeye Breed Thread

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Standard weights:
Cock..... 9lbs
cockerel.8lbs
hen.........6.5lbs
pullet.......5.5lbs
punky

 

[meriruka]

I just hatched my first batch of buckeyes.

What surprised me was a few came out very light colored (almost yellow) and a few are very dark (almost all brown). Do they normally hatch out with that much color variation? Is there a way to tell early on the boys from the girls or do you have to wait until something crows? (I usually tell by comb growth and leg thickness but have never had a pea combed breed)

 

[Arielle]

Congrats!

Interesting colors on the babies--maybe an experienced hatcher can shed some light on the color variations among Buckeye chicks.

 

[Arielle]

Punky wrote:

Standard weights:
Cock..... 9lbs
cockerel.8lbs
hen.........6.5lbs
pullet.......5.5lbs

These are the standard. How often does the buckeye meet this standard? I know some breeds that have been neglected have lost size, how about the buckeye?​

 

[Janet Hatch]

Mine are pretty consistent. Here' the latest hatch once they arrived in their new home in Rhode Island:

Janet Hatch
J Squared Farms
NW MO

NPIP 43-727

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
These are the standard. How often does the buckeye meet this standard? I know some breeds that have been neglected have lost size, how about the buckeye?

Feedthem the right feed and get them from The right breeder, most should.
Punky

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Congrats Janet!

 

[Arielle]

Hi VMdanielsen, you wrote

This may not pertain just to buckeyes and be slightly off topic, but I am following what you are saying. I am new to chickens, but have studied genetics in college (equine). Can you recommend a good poultry breeding book?

I'm also a horse person (and breed them, too) and we covered cattle genetics in college. Dr. Congleton did not prepare me for chickens! But there is lots to discover here on BYC. Try a search for "spiral breeding" it's one of 2 methods I have found here on BYC for chickens. It may lead you to the other breeding pattern which I cannot Remember!

 

[cgmccary]

Meriruka: I just hatched my first batch of buckeyes. What surprised me was a few came out very light colored (almost yellow) and a few are very dark (almost all brown). Do they normally hatch out with that much color variation? Is there a way to tell early on the boys from the girls or do you have to wait until something crows? (I usually tell by comb growth and leg thickness but have never had a pea combed breed)

I see variation like that in my chicks. I've heard some knowledgeable people say that it can translate into a darker or lighter adult individuals, but I cannot say that I have seen any such correlation.

There is no way to tell males from females in chicks. I tried wing pin feather length (even/ uneven) & rate of feathering but these are not very accurate. I can USUALLY discern males from females at about 6 weeks by the redness of their combs-- males will be bright red and the females duller. Also, at 8 weeks, the males weigh more and will start to have some shiny feathers -- this becomes more obvious as they get older.

So, three good indicators of sex: redness of comb; 8 week weight and later, shiny (or not) feathers -- but all are later not as chicks-- no way to discern. There will still be an occasional bird that will fool me until they are about 3 months old -- a heavy pullet; a very small cockerel -- these happen from time to time so better not to go on one characteristic. Some cockerels will crow early (8 weeks) and some not until they are much, much older (4-7 months old and all in-between). Pullets make their little sing-song & honk sounds at about 12-16 weeks.​

 

[vmdanielsen]

Quote:
I'm also a horse person (and breed them, too) and we covered cattle genetics in college. Dr. Congleton did not prepare me for chickens! But there is lots to discover here on BYC. Try a search for "spiral breeding" it's one of 2 methods I have found here on BYC for chickens. It may lead you to the other breeding pattern which I cannot Remember!

Equine gentics did not prepare me for chicken genetics. For starters, in mammals, gender of offspring is determine by the male by giving a Y gene. In chickens it is the female who determine gender??!!! WHAT!!!! I still don't get it!! Somebody tell how this happens!! Please!