Buckeye Breed Thread

[cgmccary]

Quote:
In general, my Buckeye roosters are very gentle towards me, walk toward me (instead of fleeing from me), very curious (like the hens), and I can easily pick them up. They follow me and like to be where I am (and this is while they are free ranging so they could go off anywhere if they wanted). They are not as bad as the hens about getting under your feet which you have to be careful all the time not to step on them.

Sometimes one or two Buckeye males will run at me if I grab one of their hens and she screeches, but will stop short of attacking me. Roosters react different toward other Buckeye roosters. Most of the time, they will stay with "their" hens and won't go in the other males pen (so I can leave out 3 roosters at the same time with their groups to free range and they will respect one another and one another's space. I only have a fight when it is the rogue cockerel without a pen of hens so I have to let them take turns going out & run around.

Toward their hens, I think my Buckeye cockerels are particularly rough sometimes. For instance, yesterday, I penned a cockerel that kept covering the same hen over and over in a span of time it took me to change a waterer or two (and not covering very well I may add). I give my hens a break from the younger Buckeye males; otherwise, it is bare backs and necks. Some of the Buckeye hens are so timid & easy-going, the aggressive males scare them. Just my experience.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Be prepared for the rush to protect a sqwaking bird. They look a bit like a troop of Marines when a group of Buckeye boys are responding to the cires of the bird you are examining.

I have one young male bird now who follows me around the pen pecking my ankles. I believe this particular bird has been hand fed one too many times and thinks any exposed skin is food. If it keeps it up much longer, I may have to remove it. It is starting to hurt as the bird gets bigger.

We did have one boy who got human aggresive over time.

 

[MA Mama]

Does anyone have pics of 2-3 week old Buckeyes that they'd like to show off, I mean share? I'd like to be able to compare them to my own. All of mine seem to developing exactly the same, NO gender distinctions, not even slight differences in the comb, head shape and legs, are visible. I'd like to see other Buckeye chicks to see how they differ from my own. I think I have 3 of the same gender, i just odn't know which gender it is! Thanks in advance!

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Pea combs are the trickiest to distinguish for sexing. I've been fooled many times by Buckeyes and Ameraucana's. Your best bet at this age is to go by thickness of legs.

 

[cgmccary]

At about 4-5 weeks old, the males' combs will USUALLY be redder (the females combs will usually not be red but pale) -- not always & I've been tricked as well. Heck, I have even been tricked at 8 weeks old.

I can't tell anything about sex of the bird at 3-4 weeks.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I had a great time at the MO State Poultry show last weekend. It was a double show. Janet Hatch was there giving out trophies. Met some great people and got to see some familiar faces. There were 20 buckeyes entered and 6 exhibitors, great show!! I'm thinking about going to their fall show also.

 

[tandersphoenix]

I had a great time at the MO State Poultry show last weekend. It was a double show. Janet Hatch was there giving out trophies. Met some great people and got to see some familiar faces. There were 20 buckeyes entered and 6 exhibitors, great show!! I'm thinking about going to their fall show also.

Yes was a good show for the Buckeyes! Also congratulations to Janet Hatch for winning Reserve Champion in the American class with one of her Buckeye males!

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Is anyone planning on attending the Avoca, IA show?

 

[cgmccary]

Quote:
Congratulations Janet! "Show Me" a picture of him if you got one.

 

[Rebecky54]

My buckeye chicks came today -- I am so excited.

I currently raise Buff Chanteclers and LF Blue Cochins, but I have wanted to try Buckeye's for several years. I've been raising chickens for 25 years and have many different breeds, both hatchery and breeder stock, and I can tell already these chicks are different!!

I've read that Buckeye's "hunt mice" but I didn't think that was a big deal because I had some Buff Orps years ago that ate mice. I overwintered a bag of mulch and I happened to open it in the spring when my chickens were near. In the bag was a nest of pinkie mice, and the chickens went nuts -- they saw them before I did and gobbled them up, but these were grown chickens.

Well, I put my new chicks in their brooder with a thermometer with a red bulb. Put the same type of thermometer in with my week-old Chanteclers and Cochins and the difference was amazing. The Chants pecked at it a few times, but then became disinterested and left it alone. The Buckeye's went nuts! They would not leave the red bulb alone -- one even picked it up and ran off with it!! I had to remove the thermometer for their safety.

I love their vigor and color -- I think they will quickly become my favorites.

Becky in North Dakota