Buckeye Breed Thread

[franciena fancy]

This year I ended up with just one little Buckeye that i call Monica.She happens to be the only one of that breed living in my backyard coop with her 5 sisters.One R.I.Red,two Barred Plymoth Rock,and two Jersey Giants. Is such a mix of breeds going to cause any problems? I just hope the bigger birds don't pick on little Monica to much.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I think Monica will get along just fine with the other breeds you've mentioned. Size really isn't what's important in the pecking order, for chickens it's all about attitude. My biggest hen was a blue orpington, and she was second lowest in the pecking order in spite of being significantly larger than the next largest hen.

We started letting the buckeyes out in the afternoons to share the back yard with my mixed breed flock (speckled sussex, wyandotte, ameraucana, orpington, easter egger, and one marans/barred rock black sex link). The first day out, my blue ameraucana Malificent, who is quite the bully, picked on them mercilessly. One of my buckeye pullets stood up to her (puffed out her chest and raised her hackles) when Malificent came at her and Malificent backed down pretty quickly (then went on to pick on one of the more docile cockerels). The next day, she went after another one of the cockerels and he decided he had had enough. My husband was outside at the time and heard a thud as he knocked her hard in the head (not sure if he got her with a wing or a foot). I haven't seen her being too hard on the buckeyes since then. She still chases them off the food bowls if she thinks she wants it, but she's stopped pulling their feathers for no reason other than just to watch them run.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I'm so happy right now! Candled tonight, and all but two of the 23 buckeye eggs we set are showing definite signs of development!

Bob Gilbert had said that the eggs from the B2 pen may not be fertile, as he had zero development of eggs from that pen on the last three settings, but he was hopeful that the problem had been resolved. Looks like he was right! The two clear eggs were B2's, but that's still better development/fertility than we had with eggs from the same pen back in January. I'm really excited to see how many of these eggs hatch and how the chicks develop. We only got one B2 to hatch successfully, and the other 6 chicks are from a different pen than the other half of the eggs in the incubator. Now let's just hope I don't go and screw something up with the temperature or humidity. We meant to get a new incubator after the last hatch, but we never got around to it. Still researching something that's reasonably priced but more easily cleaned than the styrofoam incubators.

 

[Pathfinders]

I'm so happy right now! Candled tonight, and all but two of the 23 buckeye eggs we set are showing definite signs of development!

Bob Gilbert had said that the eggs from the B2 pen may not be fertile, as he had zero development of eggs from that pen on the last three settings, but he was hopeful that the problem had been resolved. Looks like he was right! The two clear eggs were B2's, but that's still better development/fertility than we had with eggs from the same pen back in January. I'm really excited to see how many of these eggs hatch and how the chicks develop. We only got one B2 to hatch successfully, and the other 6 chicks are from a different pen than the other half of the eggs in the incubator. Now let's just hope I don't go and screw something up with the temperature or humidity. We meant to get a new incubator after the last hatch, but we never got around to it. Still researching something that's reasonably priced but more easily cleaned than the styrofoam incubators.

Great news! I have to say, I had dismal results with the Little Giant I had 'way back when, I ended up tossing it and saved my money and got a GQF. I have heard good things about the Hovabators.

Can you search for a used GQF on Craigslist near you perhaps? Might be worth looking for.

 

[duckhunternate]

T-minus 4 days to chicks!! I can hardly wait to see the little buckeye buggers. I talked to my buddy and he said he ended up with 10 for us; they're supposed to hatch Saturday and we're heading down Sunday afternoon. Yay!! Lots of work to get the coop ready yet, and lots of learning to do but I'm looking forward to the adventure. I just wanted to share my excitement!

 

[MeanV2]

Chris, and anyone else that feeds the Purina Game Bird Startena. What do you pay for a bag? I was just curious to see how the price varied across the country or if it did.

Dan

 

[Pathfinders]

Just for fun I pulled an average sized egg out of the basket from the (Buckeye, of course) hen pen yesterday and weighed it. 2 and 1/8th ounces. According to egg grading charts, that puts it firmly in the Large category (a Large egg fills a carton at 24 ounces per dozen.)

So anyone who sputters or mumbles when I say "Buckeyes lay medium to large eggs" needs to understand that the medium refers to pullets, and large refers to hens.

 

[cgmccary]

Chris, and anyone else that feeds the Purina Game Bird Startena. What do you pay for a bag? I was just curious to see how the price varied across the country or if it did.

Dan

Hey Dan:

I am almost embarrassed to say what I have to pay as the Purina Game Bird Chow is so expensive. It would be interesting to compare some prices of different feeds across the country.

Purina Game Bird Chow Startena cost me $21.65 for a 50# bag. (I can remember when it was less than $15 per bag.)

The Purina Game Bird Chow Conditioner costs me $20.60 per 50# bag.

Contrasting that with the 22% Super-Mini Laying pellet I buy from a nearby mill, it is only $14.90 per bag per 50# bag. It has animal protein and my birds devour it.

The Super Fightin Scratch I buy is $14.95 per 50 lb bag (it has cracked corn, popcorn, sunflower seed, milo, wheat) from a nearby mill.

The rolled oats costs me $20.35 per 50# bag. Sunflower seed varies by the month but I think I paid about $24 for a 40# bag last week. Whole Corn costs me $11.35 for a 50# bag.

 

[MeanV2]

Chris, I drove about 30 mile to get the first 100# of Purina Game Bird Starter and it was $21.80 a 50# bag including tax. The feed store here in town said they could order it for me and yesterday I went and picked up a 50# bag and they charged me $18.50 including tax. I was a Happy man but never let on!

Dan

 

[MeanV2]

Chris, Laura, or any experienced flock owners. If you get time can you give a quick overview of your maintenance schedule for dealing with internal & external pests/parasites? What you use? Time schedule for treatment & retreatment? It would be a big help to me and I am sure others as well.

Dan