Buckeye Breed Thread

[te dave]

thanks guys, already knew about those and have just about commited them to memory (go back there often to make sure the pictures stay fresh in my mind) was really asking for books on actual breeding practices ie; hen to roo ratios, line breeding, spiral breeding, flock breeding etc. guess i didn't phrase my question properly.

thanks

david

 

[te dave]

oh yea almost forgot, i am able to fin the game bird feed easily enough, and the one that's 26%protein is supposed to have animal protein in it, but doesn't say so on the label, i'll have to get further clarification on this. and the purina gamebird would have to special ordered and the shipping alone would kill me. i guess what i'm asking is short of grinding up meat from the grocery (kinda defeats the point), is not having animal protein going to make that much difference? and if so, what else can i use? too hot down here to grow mealworms. i've read further back that some folks use cat food, i suspect this is the dry kind, any certain brand? and how much to give per x birds (i can do the math to fit my flock size) and a what age do you start using it?

thanks again

david

 

[BuckeyeDave]

Quote:
Slooooow down, they are chickens... they want to live more than you want them to, they will be fine.... no worries.

Not long ago they were basically wild animals, they are omnivores, they will eat anything. Feed them a well balanced diet with plenty of protein and they will be fine. Higher protein feed, Purina Game Bird Starter, dry small morsel cat food (any brand), black oil sunflower seeds (I grow my own in the garden), Omeline 100 Horse feed, table scraps, bacon grease, left overs, etc.

Also, when they are brand new chicks, take a clump of grassy sod with dirt and place it in their brooder, they will pick at it and it will help them with digestion.

Don't over think them, they will be fine.

 

[Five Points John]

I was woundering are you feeding that high protein diet to just show birds? Can you just go with a 20 %? I'm feeding Rock-n-Roster Booster from Southern States. It is 20% protein 1% lysine 3.50% fat 6% fiber plus, free range. Don't lysine act like a form of protien? they do seem like they are growing weeds Thanks John.

 

[te dave]

5 pt john,
from what i've learned on here and way back when in college, is they will do ok on the 20% feed, but you will not have the initial wt gain and growth in the critical first 8-10 wks (and never recover it later) than if you fed a higher
percentage protein ie, 28-30%. also the lysine and methione are amino acids (protein chains) and if they are added individually like in plant based protein feeds then they are synthetic, if in animal protein then they are naturally occuring, and i've yet to find one thing that we (humans) have made better than mother nature!!! in fact the highest protein feed that i can find locally is made at a mill about 45 min away, its a 26% and i confirmed today that they use blood and poultry meal along with the soy meal to make it. i personally think it would be better since it is more complete and natural, than if i used they 28% protein i could find elsewhere (its all soy based). that's how i understand it, and if i'm wrong then someone with more intelligence please, please correct me, because i do not want to lead anyone astray.

david

 

[bigzio]

Go with your heart David. Everyone does it their way to a point. Makes Life fun, eh! Rules always have to be broken at some point.

 

[te dave]

where or where is everyone?

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
Working.

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
Working.

working, gardening, canning, freezing, butchering, building, and taking care of thee birdieeeeeeeessssssss

We are having fantastic clear skies (finally) and a whopping hot 80 degrees here !
It has rained, and been cloudy & foggy up until now.
I love it!
Beats the California 11 degrees we had for the 5 years we lived there !
I am soooo glad to be home on the coast of WA.

Hope you all in the heat get relief soon..hard to get anything done when it is deathly hot...hard on birds & animals too.
take care all-

 

[retiredwithchicks]

Well, my good intentions of starting my own Buckeye flock have gone away. While DH and I were away a week for his son's wedding, something broke into the pen and got the beginnings of my flock of Buckeyes, lavendar orps, black orps, and a few other odds and ends. Can't decide what to do now. Forget chickens or start anew is the questions. I still have several young buff orps, silkies, pair of white orps, and a few BCM's. I had my prize ones in what I thought was a safe pen and that is what was broken into and eaten. I was so excited about the Buckeyes, I had 2 trios from two different breeders so was going to have diversity and on my way to my own program. Oh well, things happen!