Buckeye Breed Thread

[Tailfeathers]

I think Jen is probably right. Certainly I get lots of birds come thru here. Every day when I go out to make my rounds I see 50-100 wild mallard take flight off of and around from my pond. I swear, it's no wonder my Flock Raiser goes so fast. I think I'm feeding half the North American flock at times!

Plus I have crows, eagles - both Bald & Golden, hawks, owls, and God only knows what else. But that being said, I had those before. I think I read somewhere that mites can hibernate for like 6 months or something. More than likely, there were some still in the coop, breeding pens, on the ground, and who knows where else and they managed to finally find their way back on a bird or two.

Still, it seems odd that they Buckeyes are always the ones that seem to get the most infested - most of the time. I have had an Ameraucana get pretty infested once. But before, and even this last time, and currently my Welsummers don't have a single bug on them. At least that I saw when I looked them over. And I don't think the Barnies did either. Strange.

Thanks for the idea of the dust baths in the coop, Robin. I've noticed the birds are using them and when I checked them all last night, the mites had been knocked back to next to nothing. I'll keep this up and hopefully the mites will all starve out.

Btw, just in case anyone is wondering, since I wrote about taking infested birds to a show, my birds all get a good bath with Zodiac Flea & Tick Shampoo (contains Permethrin) before a show and I look them over before bathing to see if they even have any. I would not take a bird to a show that was infested because not only would I not want to give anyone else bugs, the judges would obviously see the scabs and scarring and who would want that?

God Bless,

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
Hi Robin, I have the same Permethrin bottle. Got it from the Co-Op just five minutes away. I mix up a solution in a gallon jug, then pour that into a spray bottle that I washed out to use. Works great but I have found that I need to go heavier on the dosage than is recommended online for chickens. I have also found that while it will knock back the mites, it won't keep them away like the DE does.

I also use Cedar in my coops and despite what so many others rant about, I have never had any problems with using Cedar. I'm convinced it helps. I'm also lucky in that the Cedar costs the same as the white shavings here. I also use the "Small Flake" white chips because I find they go farther than the regular and they make skimming of the top shavings under the roosts easier.

I have some Eprinex but save it for worms twice a year. For it, I pluck the feathers in the underneath part of the wing where the thin layer of skin is and then apply it there.

God Bless,

It can be maddening trying to eradicate the problem...before I got mine all under control I only had mites in fall until I wormed & got the dust baths going.
I often wished I could just give each bird a cat-type flea & tick collar...but that would be so expensive !

 

[Tailfeathers]

Robin, and others who may be interested, my good friend Erhard tells me that he gets a product called "cattle dust" instead of the "Garden & Poultry Dust" you showed in the pic. He was telling me that he checked the ingredients and it contains the same thing (which I would imagine is Permethrin) as the "poultry dust" except you get like 10x as much for the same price.

I'm gonna check into it the next time I go to the Co-Op. Haven't yet but thought I'd pass that along.

God Bless,

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
Thanks Royce !!!
I will look next time at Feed Stores here.
I also wanted to tell you, instead of actually buying the dust to add to your dust baths, you can simply spray the Permectin II into the dust bath...mix, spray, and so on, but not wet completely.
It does help prior to sifting with the cat litter spoon, to keep dust down.
Since I have raised my dust bathes off the coop floor by 2x8s in an X & DH screwed them to the wood so they would not slide off,,,and now not hardly any shaving kicked in.

 

[dentech]

I have a new question. Why are there two Buckeye Clubs? Is one more "official" than the other? Which is better associated with APA and the ABA? Sorry fairly I'm new to Buckeye ownership and am looking to join a breed club.

 

[knittychickadee]

The American Buckeye Poultry Club (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanBuckeyePoultryClub/) is the only one with any association with APA and the ABA. That's the one you want if you want the normal poultry club.

 

[Stuck in the Coop]

Hi all. My Buckeye chicks are now 10 weeks old. They have moved from the indoor brooder to the coop with the 'big birds'. Everything that has been said about these wonderful birds is absolutely true. They are the nicest, calmest birds I've ever raised. Instead of fleeing in fear when you come near they run to you. There is something so calming and tranquil about the personalities. Yes, they are busy birds but in a calm, business sort of way.

The biggest surprise is the amount of food 16 Buckeyes can consume. They have been on 29% Gamebird Starter since birth (highest meat-based protein locally available) and I cannot imagine them surviving on less. I would like to add fresh meat to their diet, but they are only now starting to be interested in anything but crumbles.

Thanks to everyone that shares their vast knowledge on this breed. I was prepared to do what is best for them and I know it will be evident upon reaching adulthood.

 

[007medic]

You know,

That twigged a blurb I read not too long ago about getting liver, suet, and mixed grains equal parts, giving 'em a good blitz in the food processor, put it in a mould, pop it in the freezer and voila': slightly disgusting but highly nutritious treat for the birdies especially at the time you're trying to bolster nutritional status going into the breeding season. Anyone else heard of similar?

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
I have NEVER given my birds any MEAT based feed.
I start them on Chick Start N Grow, MEDICATED to prevent Coccidiosis, and at 1 Mo of age, I start them on 50% Flock Raiser Crumbles & 50% same chick starter.
They also have at this time, access to free range in the chick yard, seeded with various grains & grasses...and covered with netting.
The chicks eat tons of grass & have little interst in feed.
After a few weeks I switch their feed to 100% flock raiser, and so they have 0% Amprolium, I add Corid to their 1 gallon water font at 1/4 tsp per gallon.
Still, they have little interest in feed.
What they want...is grasses, bugs, worms and an occasional mouse.
Yes they are the most freindly breed I have ever had, so much so as it has been hard to clean coops with them underfoot & flying up on my shoulder.
If you have issues of chicks eating so much feed, I ask 2 questions 1) compared to what?
and 2) do your birds have free range & pasture grasses ?

The green grasses are so healthy, and supply many nutirents to the birds.
Bugs, worms & fruit or scraps & peelings from your local market produce man will be so much appreciated.
I grow many winter squash, namely the "sweet meat" which is hard as a rock, but rich & dark orange & sweeter than any pumpkin and spaghettir squash...which all my breeds love for the many spaghetti strands inside.
I break them open & the birds are all around my feet.
Many, many breeders grow good food for their birds.
Giving them grass is #1...they will love to mow your grass.

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
As I said, mine have never had mite issues.
And also, as I said, we live on the salt marsh with millions of water fowl in the flight pattern here to de louse in salt flats (right across the street)

I am willing to bet it is why you have so many mite problems.
But I said that days ago.
Mites do not just appear, they are air lifted in...so look for the source.

And no, out of all my breeds, my Bucks have been the most healthy & my Javas of any poultry I have ever had.
Iron clad against CRDs & parasites.
And they adore & thrive on pasture.