Buckeye Breed Thread

[Pathfinders]

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Okay, here's an idea for an agenda: since it's supposed to be informal, why not set the one rule for this meeting as "No Chickens. Not a peep out of anyone about history, or shows, or judges, or breed clubs, or preservation, or type, or color, or eggs...
Make this strictly a meet and greet; talk about your families, your car, the weather, the traffic; the point is to find some common ground that does not involve the main (wish)bone of contention. No one is right or wrong, you're just showing off pictures of the kids and grandkids, talking about the family pet, hell, talk about a TeeVee show if that's neutral enough.

You know, like:
Jeff "So, Laura, who do you favor in the finale of dancing with the Stars?"
Laura "That's a tough question, Martinez is the odds on favorite, but recently twisted ankle his ankle, and it's already impacted his performances so i've haven't picked a favorite. What about you?"

And the next thing you know, you're both doubled up with laughter reminiscing about that episode of I Love Lucy where she's frantically stuffing candy in her mouth.

There. See how easy it is?

All that would work, except, I don't watch that show!

Good idea though...

 

[catwalk]

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Poor dears! I have gotten out of Buckeye bantams at this point, and torn down the pens we were using for them. I hope someone else in the area can take them. Where are you located?

I'm on the wester edge of Ohio, right in the middle. I live near BuckeyeDave, so I already emailed him. I'm hoping some young girl with 'chicken doctor" aspirations sees my CL ad for them, as they are really sweet birds. I brought home a pair of Sebrights in even worse condidtion, also looking for a home.

 

[gamefowl guy]

I read somewhere (I forget where) that Buckeyes do better on a higher-protein (like 26 or so) because they will grow faster then most breeds. Is that true, is it only in certain strains, and is that unique to Buckeyes (If you put another breed like a Dominique or Delaware on higher-protein feed will they grow significantly faster)?

 

[Gresh]

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That's correct. Mrs. Haggarty (I think I spelled that right) can testify. Almost any larger breed needs a high-protein diet to get big and look the type.

 

[gamefowl guy]

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That's correct. Mrs. Haggarty (I think I spelled that right) can testify. Almost any larger breed needs a high-protein diet to get big and look the type.

Well do buckeyes grow faster then other breeds though? Say if you put a Buckeye and another breed on the same protein food, will the Buckeye grow faster? Thanks for the answer!

 

[Gresh]

Quote:
That's correct. Mrs. Haggarty (I think I spelled that right) can testify. Almost any larger breed needs a high-protein diet to get big and look the type.

Well do buckeyes grow faster then other breeds though? Say if you put a Buckeye and another breed on the same protein food, will the Buckeye grow faster? Thanks for the answer!

Well, depends on what breed you plan on comparing it to. Buckeyes are slow maturers, I know that for a fact, but I don't know the rate because I haven't done a lot of research on them and haven't ever kept standard-abiding Buckeyes before. I have a couple hatchery Buckeyes. The female seems to have matured quite quickly but is still undersized due to hatchery origins, and the male is very slow in coming. He just started filling out a couple weeks ago, and he's 6 months old now.

 

[gamefowl guy]

Quote:
Well do buckeyes grow faster then other breeds though? Say if you put a Buckeye and another breed on the same protein food, will the Buckeye grow faster? Thanks for the answer!

Well, depends on what breed you plan on comparing it to. Buckeyes are slow maturers, I know that for a fact, but I don't know the rate because I haven't done a lot of research on them and haven't ever kept standard-abiding Buckeyes before. I have a couple hatchery Buckeyes. The female seems to have matured quite quickly but is still undersized due to hatchery origins, and the male is very slow in coming. He just started filling out a couple weeks ago, and he's 6 months old now.

Thanks!

 

[cgmccary]

gamefowl guy: I read somewhere (I forget where) that Buckeyes do better on a higher-protein (like 26 or so) because they will grow faster then most breeds. Is that true, is it only in certain strains, and is that unique to Buckeyes (If you put another breed like a Dominique or Delaware on higher-protein feed will they grow significantly faster)?

There is some misinformation out there about this. When ALBC was doing their breed recovery of the Buckeye, they noticed a profound difference in the growth of chicks (all from the same stock equally) which had a higher protein starter. A Buckeye doesn't need anything different otherwise than your other breeds. It was found that Buckeyes CHICKS that had a 28% or higher protein the first 8 weeks grew optimally. After 8 weeks or so, you'll need to lower their protein % (or I've been told, there is some evidence you can have them on it too long). For me, I've kept the chicks on it for up to 16 weeks and as short as 8 weeks, and I do not notice any difference so I usually have them on the higher starter 8-12 weeks depending on when the bag runs out.

Please realize that I did not say that your Buckeyes won't do well unless you have them on a high protein starter the first 8 weeks. I also did not say that Buckeyes over 8 weeks need any different protein % than other breeds. What I propose is that for optimum growth, your Buckeye chicks need a high protein starter. I've seen this for myself with different groups of Buckeye chicks. How this translates with other breeds I do not know. I imagine that for breeds that have moderate to fast growth, it would work well (i.e. a higher protein starter) but a slow growing breed like a Brahma, it would be counter-productive.

The other aspect about a Buckeye that a higher protein starter benefits is the Buckeye physique. The Buckeye is a very muscular bird. It is a very active fowl. It has more dark meat than white & the dark is darker than usual indicating fast twitch muscle (associated with more active). Buckeyes are not the fastest growing breed but they aren't the slowest either. They grow moderate to fast.

The other equation seems to be that SOME part of the protein in poultry feed should be derived from animal sources. Again, I did not say all the protein. This goes to feather quality, fertiity, etc.​

 

[cgmccary]

catwalk: Hey guys! I need to butt in to this thread, as I have come into possession of a pair of unwanted bantam Buckeyes, and I need help finding them a new home. These birds were left at the Ohio Nationals, probably abandoned by a seller who couldn't unload them. There were a couple of other birds there that seemed like they came from the same guy. I took them home at three in the afternoon, after tear-down, so rest assured that nobody is looking for them. If you come across somebody who is, tell him that I need to speak with him regarding his birds' condidtion! They have suffered frostbite on their feet, and the female has difficulty getting around. They are both friendly and healthy, though, and I think they would make great pets. I don't know if I can drive down to Cincinnatti to deliver during your get-together, but if someone is passing through on his way down there, I'd love to contribute a couple of pets!

If I were closer, I would take them. I know someone who would want them (she lives in Florida), and I would get them to her. That is really horrible that someone left them there & in such poor shape.​

 

[buffalogal]

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Actually, because of the topography we don't get any broadcast reception and I refuse to pay for television, so (shhhhh) I don't watch that show either. Undaunted, I resourcefully typed in "popular television shows"at Google and then picked one.