Buckeye Breed Thread

[knittychickadee]

Chris,

As usual your birds always have the most exquisite shape, and the legs are always the correct length; medium, not too short. Very nice! Bob should have good luck with them and the cockerel from Don. -Marci

 

[Tailfeathers]

WRT Laura's previously post, I agree as well. I would only add that one needs to be very cautious about bringing in another breeder's birds to add a trait that is stronger in their and you want to improve on. The reason is obviously that you will likely bring in other numerous unknown traits as well.

Chris, it's nice to put a face to the writings. Isn't it funny how you kind of get a picture in your mind of how somebody looks and then find that's they're nothing like that at all. I remember the first time I saw Paul Harvey. It's like, "Wait a minutes, it don't sound like that!" LOL

And Chris, I do like the length of the legs on those birds but boy oh boy do I wish I could get that leg color on all my Buckeyes. Barnies and Wellies too!

God Bless,

 

[cgmccary]

Tailfeathers: . . . And Chris, I do like the length of the legs on those birds but boy oh boy do I wish I could get that leg color on all my Buckeyes. Barnies and Wellies too!

The nice yellow color in the legs is all diet related. I let those pullets out on the weekends when I am home to eat grass and other such stuff and also, I also fed them (daily) some whole corn. That yellowed up their legs. Because of their varied diet, the birds that were raised by a hen outside have the best color -- they are so yellow, it almost appears orange.​

 

[Tailfeathers]

Thanks Chris. I've heard that too but I'd say you are also doing something right with the breeding as I know that the leg color can be lost if not watched when breeding. I read somewhere that the yellow leg and yellow skin is a recessive gene and requires dual recessive to get the best color.

My birds free range and get all the green grass and other they want. I don't give them scratch until it starts getting cold and given the water froze last week, they're on it. Have been for a month or so now but I put about 1 scoop of scratch in to 4-6 scoops of feed. They also get catfood and VigorPlus.

Plus they got 3 pumpkins in the last couple of days. I've got a show in 3 weeks so I plan to step up the scratch, pumpkins, carrots, and anything else with betacaradine.

God Bless,

 

[eggdd]

Quote:
what exactly is 'scratch'?

 

[punky rooster]

Scratch is feed (more of a treat), that contains a lot of cracked corn, wheat, and oats. Corn helps yellow the legs.
It's also fattening, correct?
Mitch

 

[cgmccary]

Scratch is feed (more of a treat), that contains a lot of cracked corn, wheat, and oats. Corn helps yellow the legs.
It's also fattening, correct?
Mitch

Fattening yes. I don't feed them exclusively corn or too much, just as a treat. Whole corn has some nutritional value that cracked corn lacks. The scratch I feed as a treat has cracked corn, sunflower seed, milo & popcorn to which I add whole oats, whole corn and more sunflower seed.​

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Scratch can be anything from straight cracked corn to a mixture of grains depending on the producer.

God Bless,

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
Do you have a wire cage you can put her in? Sometimes a day or two of cold air on a broody's butt is all it takes to break them.

I tried that, caged & outside in the yard, caged & suspended & swinging from the clothesline, still, she is relentless.

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
Corn is fattening, but is necessary for birds going into a hard winter.
They burn fat to keep warm.
Corn is great (and necessary ) to yellow legs & skin.
Purina products boost they have "marigold extract" (which is food coloring as far as I am concerned) to "promote healthy yolks" !!!!!!
Scratch is a crumbled version of COB, which is corn, oats & barley, very good for your birds, way better in my opinion, than distiller's leftover STUFF that is in most poultry feed.
I got "basic poltry 17% from a feed store here, ripped the bag open, and it reeks of beer.

Much rather have whole & cracked fresh UNUSED grains, the way our forefathers & mothers fed their heritage birds!