Buckeye Breed Thread

[buffalogal]

It's probably just me, but unless you're raising feather footed breeds, if someone is seeing matted, torn, or filthy dirty caked feathers on their free ranged birds, they might want to rethink the area they have for the birds. Maybe it needs to be larger to prevent crowding and feather picking, or have better grass cover, or more places to dust bathe, or even drier places to get out of the rain. But a bath isn't going to help damaged feathers in time for a show.

 

[delisha]

My birds free range and they might have there stinking feelings hurt if they thought you were calling them filthy.

Honestly..I will wash my English Orpingtons.... they are filthy because they love to live in the dust pile and all of them feathers are hard to keep clean, and do not free range as much as other birds..and unless the other birds are *filthy*, I have not wash them except feet, claws, comb and wattles. My other birds would not look much different with a bath. They are certainly not filthy.

Perhaps people have different conditions and some have filthy birds and some do not. I would not know.

 

[Tailfeathers]

It's probably just me, but unless you're raising feather footed breeds, if someone is seeing matted, torn, or filthy dirty caked feathers on their free ranged birds, they might want to rethink the area they have for the birds. Maybe it needs to be larger to prevent crowding and feather picking, or have better grass cover, or more places to dust bathe, or even drier places to get out of the rain. But a bath isn't going to help damaged feathers in time for a show.

Or they might want to move to another state besides Washington.

I have 5 acres and where there used to be grass in front of the coops and where the breeding pens are there is now mud. Most folks who have chickens will find that the high traffic areas and the areas which get most of the droppings will be bare ground in no time at all. Here in WA, bare ground means mud about 8 months of the year.

I would also take exception to the notion that a bath won't help damaged feathers for a show. One of my Wellie pullets too BB and Champion Continental last November, one of my Barnie pullets too BB and Reserve Continental behind her, I got BV and RV with a couple of my Ameraucanas, and unfortunately my Buckeyes were the only ones there this time but I did get a "check +" for condition on the coop card.

God Bless,

 

[buffalogal]

Anywhere you have birds congregating and even a little water, you're going to get mud. I put down woodchips (not sawdust) in the high traffic areas to keep mine and my birds feet high and dry. (Which, hey, we finally got some rain so I actually got to wear my muck boots this past week)

Tailfeathers, I'm afraid I'm not following you. A "damaged" feather is just that; one that's been roughed up, broken, chewed on my a parasite, etc. Washing doesn't repair anything, and even if your birds are squeeky clean, if they have bad feather condition, they're still going to get marked down for it.

 

[larry529]

Laura,

Can you give me an idea of amount of eggs they lay and how soon till they do? Also do you have any experience in their taste vs maybe a Delaware or Plymouth Rock?

 

[Pathfinders]

Laura,

Can you give me an idea of amount of eggs they lay and how soon till they do? Also do you have any experience in their taste vs maybe a Delaware or Plymouth Rock?

Buckeyes typically lay between 150 and 200 medium to large brown eggs.

When they begin to lay depends on when they were hatched, what they're being fed, weather conditions, the amount of light they are getting, a whole host of factors, so I can't accurately answer that except to say, most Buckeyes hatched in early spring should start to lay around five months of age. There are exceptions to every rule though, and those hatched later in the year may not start to lay until the following spring.

I do not think the taste of an egg will vary that greatly from breed to breed, but perhaps I am wrong. I have raised a number of different breeds of chickens in the past 13 years (since we started back in MN), but didn't notice any particular difference based on breed. I have noticed a difference based on the feed we used, as well as items that were fed to the birds or things they ate, for instance if you use garlic for some reason, you will taste garlic in the eggs, or if you use an herbal tonic (as I do twice a year to boost immune systems), the eggs will taste somewhat "earthy" from the herbs for a short time afterwards.

But by breed? Not that I've noticed.

 

[Pathfinders]

And in regard to washing birds for shows, a wise judge once told me, "Only wash those birds that you want to win."

Since that time, I've washed any bird I wanted to be considered a serious contender for winning (which is all of them!)

 

[Outrun Acres]

My husband would really like to get some of these birds this spring. They don't have to be show quality, he just really likes them. Do any of you have a good hatchery to recommend or a breeder close to where we live (Northwest Arkansas). Any and all input would be appreciated!

 

[Pathfinders]

My husband would really like to get some of these birds this spring. They don't have to be show quality, he just really likes them. Do any of you have a good hatchery to recommend or a breeder close to where we live (Northwest Arkansas). Any and all input would be appreciated!

Jen Scott lives in AR, and frequents this thread. You can contact her (I don't think she'd mind me posting this info) at jenjscott AT hughes.net (just replace the AT with an @ symbol when you send her an email.)

Cheers,

Laura

 

[DarkRedBird]

My husband would really like to get some of these birds this spring. They don't have to be show quality, he just really likes them. Do any of you have a good hatchery to recommend or a breeder close to where we live (Northwest Arkansas). Any and all input would be appreciated!

If your husband would like to learn more about the Buckeye breed, here are a few links.

Just about everything you could ever read about them is listed in the files section here: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanBuckeyeClub/

There is a breeder directory along with much more info here: http://americanbuckeyeclub.blogspot.com/p/breeders-directory.html

A great facebook group about the breed and anything poultry related here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/buckeyechickens/

Any questions you have, feel free to ask on facebook. We are a great group and really enjoy the dark red buckeye breed. Good luck to you and your husband.