Buckeye Breed Thread

[JamesA]

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Those are some great looking babies!!!

 

[JamesA]

Do buckeyes lay more Double yolked eggs than other breeds.I have never had a double yolker till I started with buckeyes and I seem to get one about once a week.I am not sure if it is the same hen or not .They are almost three times the size of the regular eggs I get. They are neat to get so I was wondering if anyone else gets them?

 

[sekinkead]

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Thanks, I got the eggs from Laura and I hope I get at least 1 good one. I will keep them all since I am just getting started but only breed the best ones.

 

[cgmccary]

Hey sekinkead, great looking chicks.

I noticed on some of your other posts that you've experienced a weaker chick in past hatches that had to be separated for a time, so I thought I'd share some golden tips that I'd gotten from folks with much more experience than I have. For weaker chicks that are less able to get up on their feet and are walking on their hocks, have a weak leg or that have splayed feet (that are first braced); I've found that unflavored cod liver oil is just short of miraculous. A couple of drops 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days has gotten chicks with all the afore mentioned conditions (some I seriously worried that I'd have to cull) running around and competing with the rest for food water and a choice spot under the heat lamp. I've been so impressed with results that I don't hatch unless I have some to hand and will give a couple of drops to any chick that looks as if they're having trouble keeping up. On another note, if you do separate a weaker chick in a separate brooder, be sure to include a clutch-mate. A clutch- mate will keep it company(important) and serve as an ally against bullying when reintroduced to the rest of the brood(even more important).

Chris

 

[cgmccary]

James: Do buckeyes lay more Double yolked eggs than other breeds.I have never had a double yolker till I started with buckeyes and I seem to get one about once a week.I am not sure if it is the same hen or not .They are almost three times the size of the regular eggs I get. They are neat to get so I was wondering if anyone else gets them?

Your Buckeye pullet gets it honestly. I have a hen that lays double yolkers from time to time-- she is one that would be one of the mother/aunts to your pullet(s). They are such large eggs, impressive in size that I have weighed them. One pullet egg (double yolker) last year weighed 104 grams.​

 

[Germaine_11.20]

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Thank you! Where do you buy it?

 

[cgmccary]

rustywoman

You can get unflavored cod liver oil at just about any pharmacy. Usually you'll find it located near the laxatives (an old-time remedy usually given to children to keep them regular) or by the health supplements as it is a true fishoil. Unflavored cod liver oil, as you may guess, can also help the newly hatched successfully and competently pass their first critical stool -the meconium. This a really important stool to pass as it purges the chick of natural excess bilirubin that it developed while in the shell. Though it is a rare occurrence, if a chick does not pass the meconium within 24 hours, the excess bilirubin (a byproduct of the blood producing cycle) can be fatal.

Chris

 

[PrinceSandwich]

I've read that Buckeyes are very cold hardy, so do you think they would stand up to the -40 we get here in Alberta? Also has anybody ordered buckeyes from Performance poultry?

 

[Germaine_11.20]

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Thanks! I didn't notice this.

 

[Pathfinders]

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Ah, the lovely winter temperatures of Western Canada, I remember them well (my husband is Canadian, and we lived for the first six years of our marriage in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.)

Honestly, I can't speak to how the birds would do, as we didn't have chickens when we lived in Toontown. But I would imagine that if you created a well-insulated, well-ventilated, draft-free environment for your birds, they would likely do much better than any single combed bird ever could.

I have found a breeder in Ontario who has Buckeyes, email me offline if you'd like contact info.

Cheers,