Buckeye Breed Thread

[jenjscott]

yay for springtime. I just had my first buckeye hatch of the season too. Great looking bunch, Marci!

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

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LOL i cheated i been hatching all winter.

 

[Arielle]

I'm so jealous you all have buckeye babies already!!!

I'm still researching the breed and learning on my hatchery-bred girls. They are fun, and pretty ,too.

I have read many sites about the Buckeyes and see a bit of variation in their production. Some list 3 med eggs/wk and others 4-5 large eggs/ week. What do your hens produce ?How well do they produce thru a cold winter and for how many years. I've read some breeds lay well for many years but no breed was actually listed. ANy info is helpful!

 

[jenjscott]

Mine has been a mixed bag. Last year they laid well all through the winter. This year we had a triple whammy. They slowed way down in the long extreme heat. When the temps dropped they went straight into a molt and quit laying and never really picked back up much across the winter. I was doing a lot of showing and hauling and moving various birds, which I am sure also discouraged the laying. My eggs are medium size for the most part I think. Who has that list of what the egg weights are for the different size eggs?

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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It must have been in the air. I left all the girls at home last fall and still did not get production till a few weeks ago. We have fertile eggs in our incubator and Jen's! Thanks Jen. Now filling those Presale orders.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

These DO NOT look right.....I know, you have them in the WRONG brooder!

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[punky rooster]

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Which one is the right one, yours?

 

[punky rooster]

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Just remember, they are a dual purpose breeds, to provide eggs and meat. So, they will not lay as well as leghorns and other egg laying breeds. With that being said, I have three girls I get at least one egg a day usually 2 or 3 and they are a year old. Over all I think they are superb choice for any one that wants a all in one breed.
Punky

 

[capayvalleychick]

My Buckeyes do not lay as well as my other heritage breeds. They lay well the first year, but not the next.
That said, I do not have Buckeyes from the best breeders, which is something that I want to change in the future, when I can.
Also, my hens got too fat a couple years ago. I gave a couple non layer Buckeyes to someone to eat. They said that the hens were full of eggs but there was so much fat that they thought the eggs couldn't get out. After that, I switched feeds to a ration with more protein, less fat & excess ingredients, no scratch. They free range a huge grass pasture.
The strange thing is that my other breed was still laying fine at the time, and now. I even have one EE hen, left over from my original flock, who must be at least 8 years old and is still laying.
I can't figure out why my Buckeyes continue to be such lousy egg layers. I like the breed and don't like to be critical of it, but this is an issue.

Those Buckeye chicks are sooo cute!!!
Kim

 

[punky rooster]

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-2.pdf
This page will help you select for improving egg production.
punky