Buckeye Breed Thread

[Pathfinders]

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.

Chris has answered that question far better than I ever could.

What I will say is, I find that my birds do much better when they have a source of animal protein, as opposed to vegetable. That could be a whole thread in and of itself!

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
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.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/72823_interwebs.jpg

Funny grrl, that pic just had me it tea on my keyboard! So funny...

 

[popsicle]

Hi all!
I'm new here, and am considering Buckeyes once I get moved to my new home in MT and turn one of the sheds into a coop.

Currently I have some Buff Brahmas and one lone Black Copper Marans. I haven't decided if I want to put them through the stress of moving, especially since I have a good friend here that would be overjoyed to keep them. In the past I've had BR, easter eggers, and unknown mixed breeds.

So now for my questions:
How would they do in a mixed flock with some of the breeds mentioned above? I'm also very interested in Chanteclers and other cold-hardy breeds.

Are any of the hatcheries (Meyer, Ideal, Sandhill, Welp, Cackel) worth buying from? I'd like to have a couple different breeds and I don't know that I want to shell out the money to get 12-24 birds + shipping from several sources. I'm all ears if somebody wants to try and convince me that I'd be happier with one breed for now from a dedicated breeder. For now, I do not intend to show or breed--I'm mostly looking for eggs and nice birds. I do have a toddler that I hope will be interested in 4-H in the future.

I am soo sorry if these exact questions have been answered, but I'm having a hard time searching when the topics are so many pages. Is there a way to have the search function bring up the specific posts where the query was mentioned rather than the entire 300+ page topic?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:

No worries, we're happy to answer your questions even if the info is found elsewhere in the thread (it is getting huge!)

We moved to northern KY from northern MN back in '03, and decided to leave our chickens behind. We had horses and dairy goats to move as it was, and I just felt it would be easier to leave them. As well, there's always the issue of the various strains of coccidiosis, which differ from place to place. Your birds might be fine with their cocci load at home, but between the stress of moving and adjusting to a new strain of cocci, might fall ill after a move.

Not to say you shouldn't take your birds with you if you really want, but just a couple of things to consider. And fwiw, Buckeyes do fine in a mixed flock, so that shouldn't be an issue.

I don't know of any Buckeye breeders in Montana, but there are enough in states closer to you than me (for example) who you could contact to have birds shipped. Some work with other breeds, so you could get a box of several different breeds in the spring and that would work. In fact, Duane Urch of MN raises many different breeds of poultry, both large and bantam, and has been raising Buckeyes for over 50 years now, so you may wish to contact him. His prices aren't cheap, but his birds are good, and I have ordered from him several times to add his lines to my flock. You can reach him at 507-451-6782, and I encourage you to place an order now, not wait, as he gets sold out early!

You can email me offline for other breeders in surrounding states to MT who might be able to ship to you (I don't post folks' contact info without their permission, Duane has said I can with his.)

I hope this helps with some of your questions, if you have any more, don't hesitate to ask!

 

[jenjscott]

Quote:
At the very end of the search screen, the very last choice is show results as: make sure it says posts, because it defaults to topic.

 

[popsicle]

Thanks much to both of you!

I will try to give Urch a call when I have a chance and know when we'll finally get to move to our new home.

 

[Blueface]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

[Janet Hatch]

We lost a good one yesterday. #59, who didn't get a name, died defending the flock from a hawk. The hawk got him, but the rest were safe.

RIP #59 hatch date 2-7-2011

Res Ch Large Fowl, Best American -- Sedalia, MO October 22, 2011, Larry Denny Judge
Res American -- Sedalia, MO October 22, 2011, Monty Fitzgerald Judge

9 Buckeyes shown, 35 American and 140 large fowl

 

[bigshawn]

So sorry to hear that, beautifull bird..............

 

[Pathfinders]

Oh Janet, what a shame. He's gorgeous! Do you have any of his offspring? Brave bird, to defend his flock so (many roosters run in the other direction.)