Buckeye Breed Thread

[cgmccary]

savannahchickmom: If anyone in NW MO has any culls, please let me know.

Janet Hatch resides in your neck of the woods. Janet's culls are good quality Buckeyes.​

 

[Gresh]

Here's a picture of my Buckeye cockerel. Please tell me his weakpoints and strong points. He is about seven months old.

~Gresh~

 

[greenpeeps]

Quote:

I see I must get some Game Feed this weekend. Beautiful Birds!

 

[bobbi-j]

Other than personal preference, is there another reason to feed Buckeyes game feed instead of regular chicken feed?

 

[jldaniel33]

Quote:
First, thanks greenpeeps for the compliment. I am a first timer and am really trying to start off right and despite appearances don't think things through too overmuch...I did get chicks in winter afterall!!

I read other long ago posts that there was a study done for buckeye conservation (please jump in anyone and correct me if I am off) that revealed that these heirloom chickens need not only higher protien in thier first 8 weeks (30%) but protein from animal sources for the best early start. Apparently Wild Game Bird Startena feed is made with animal protein as the others no longer are because of the Mad Cow thing. I am not sure about the turkey starter. It is somewhat difficult to find so I just went on the Purina site to find it and it was being carried by one local feed store.

This info is all in the archives here, but this is the summary.

Happy New Year to all!!! Looking forward to eggs (must build next boxes I guess)!

 

[ga_goat]

I got 22 buckeye eggs around the first of Nov , I broke 1 unpacking it ( very well packed ) , to make a long story short , only 2 of the 21 that was left hatched, one of the 2 is small ( compared to the other one ) and the larger one has feathers on the legs , did I get non purblood eggs or is this a trait of the breed (strain ) , still looking for eggs but maby a bit later in the spring .
The previous breeder has offered to ship me 24 more eggs a bit later with me only paying the shipping ,, but if the feathers on the legs is not common to the breed then I don't need to order and hatch mutts ,,,, I already have plenty of those .

 

[bigzio]

Buckeyes should have smooth legs...

bigz

 

[cgmccary]

Gresh: Please tell me his weakpoints and strong points. He is about seven months old.

Nice cockerel & especially for 7 months old. I can only tell so much without hands-on (only way to really tell).

Strong points: he carries his wing properly (this I really like seeing); good body depth and overall shape; leg length & leg color are perfect; shank size looks good; tail angle looks right.

Weak points: bird doesn't appear to have many weak points for a 7 month old. He'd be a keeper with me. However, I'd like to feel his heart girth, know his skull width (his head "appears" a little small in comparison to his body but I would need to see it from above -- I like a thick brow above the eye); I'd like to know his weight. His color is decent but I'd never choose on color as I have said many, many times.

Select for 1. Type; 2. Type 3. Type 4. Size (heart girth, weight, skull width) 5. vigor -- these are the things to select in that order. I also never keep a bird that is a man-fighter. As a result, all my cockerels are very gentle.

bobbi-j: Other than personal preference, is there another reason to feed Buckeyes game feed instead of regular chicken feed?

No reason that it should be game feed & not a personal preference for me (just no other choice). The reason I use Purina's Game Bird Chow Startena is because it is the only Chick Starter I can find that has >27% protein consisting of both animal & plant protein (it has 30% protein), and it is unmedicated. There is no reason you can't feed your Buckeye chicks regular 16% Starter; they will be just fine. They will be good birds. However, if you want to achieve optimum growth & size in your Buckeyes, then they need a Starter with a higher protein (at least 28% is best) for about their first 8-12 weeks. After that, protein % needs to be brought down to any other feed levels. For me I feed the Game Bird Chow Conditioner (19%), and it has both animal and plant protein.

Is there a chick starter which is not a game bird feed that has my protein requirement? If you know of one, tell me and I will just as quick to switch if it is cheaper (and has SOME animal protein derivatives), but I have not seen such a Starter. The other chick starters available around me all average 16% & all are medicated which is simply not acceptable for my standards, that's all.

Ga-goat: has feathers on the legs

Ga-goat: Will you send me a PM on here and tell me from whom you got your Buckeyes with this problem? I have heard of "feathers on the legs" from only ONE breeder, and I would like to know if it is the same one (but PLEASE keep the name off the forum, just Private Mssg me)​

 

[bigzio]

I've never had a Buckeye roo that was a man fighter. They have all been friendly even during breeding season in the Spring when days get longer and the best come out of them, however I've had other breeds that were terrible for man fighters. One can cull all those male birds and still have the problem because the hens are the ones passing those genes, in my opinion.

bigz

 

[cgmccary]

bigzio: I've never had a Buckeye roo that was a man fighter. They have all been friendly even during breeding season in the Spring when days get longer and the best come out of them, however I've had other breeds that were terrible for man fighters.

I have had two. One was as mean a bird as I have seen; he would try to get you through the fence / pen. The other one was my first cockerel which I had to breed from & he could be pretty bad. I bred him through only one mating. The "mean gene" lurks in my birds heredity.

bigzio:
One can cull all those male birds and still have the problem because the hens are the ones passing those genes, in my opinion.

Well now, that is an interesting point you make there. Probably correct since the trait could pass undetected.

HAPPY NEW YEAR YA'LL​