Buckeye Chickens

[onafixedincome]

Whoa, this *is* a slow forum...

I'm in CA and just obtained six Buckeyes I haven't yet met.

The hens are older, barely laying, and a roo from Sandhill Preservation Center (don't know where the hens came from, suspect the same source, different hatch).

I'm more concerned about making more Buckeyes to disperse to those who can appreciate them (hopefully of good quality, of course!) than I am about egg laying frequency...but since I have a bunch of banty Orpingtons (love love LOVE them!), I figure I can put Buckeye eggs under whomever is setting at the time...I hope!

So...any advice, anybody else out here on the West coast (N. Central CA)??

Thanks!

 

[Pathfinders]

I guess this is an old thread that I missed. I am surprised by the OP's experience, because I have found Buckeyes to be the best dual-purpose breed I have ever worked with, and I've raised the following large fowl breeds of chickens over the years:

Large Fowl: Silver Laced Wyandottes, Blue Cochins, Light Brown Leghorns, Ameraucanas, Orpingtons, Black Australorps, Polish, Marans, Dominiques, Production Golden Comets, Production White Leghorns, and of course, Cornish Cross meat birds.

No one can beat a production egg layer breed for laying eggs. But Buckeyes aren't meant to even try.

In my experience, a properly fed Buckeye will provide between 150 to 200 medium to large brown eggs per year, and the extra cockerels are nice and meaty, and dress out well.

I suspect the OP wasn't perhaps feeding her birds adequate protein, especially animal protein, which Buckeyes do need, no question. Fat birds to me sound as if they were getting a lot of scratch/corn, and not enough meat products. I also wonder if the birds were permitted to range, which would allow them to add to their diet, as they are excellent free and day-rangers.

Buckeyes are also, (more in some lines than others) very broody, and once a hen goes broody, she will stop laying, of course.

Buckeye males that are aggressive should be culled, as they are NOT the norm, and should not be allowed to perpetuate themselves. Most good quality lines of Buckeyes have males who are calm and respectful of humans, and kind to their wives (pullet rapers are made into soup on our farm.)

I hope the OP will return to this thread and let us know more about her birds, so we can help her. They really are a wonderful breed, the only one we work with at this time. Just love 'em!

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Laura

Do you have a handle on how many Buckeyes that there are in the US? Breeders?

I havent been around them for at least fifteen years but was always impressed by them as a homestead breed.

 

[Pathfinders]

Hi Jake,

I helped the ALBC with their Buckeye census last year, and according to the spreadsheet I have, there were then 2409 Buckeyes of breeding age in North America. That was almost a year ago, I would imagine there are at least another 200-300 (with attribution and culls) more this year, as I know a lot of people sold a lot of chicks this year (I myself sold about 500.)

They're a wonderful homestead bird, and my favorite breed (we've had a lot of different breeds over the years!)

 

[kathyinmo]

Buckeyes aren't for everyone. Don't get me wrong, I am glad there are those who are interested in preserving the breed, but I'm not one of them. I have had several breeds, and Buckeyes were one of the first to go. Additional protein for one chicken breed was one thing that turned me away. Another was that the ones I had were not hardy. Supposedly, the ones I had came from good lines. I dunno.....

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
That's very strange. . .

 

[Pathfinders]

Yes, we've heard about Kathy's problems, and I believe the final consensus was that it was a highly irregular anomaly, and not typical of the breed at all.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
It very well could have been the strain or line I got my birds from. Very true.
However, I did not like that Buckeyes require additional protein. Too much protein (in other breeds) can cause problems, and because I have other breeds, I just wasn't really up to dealing with this issue. No, I don't like the additional protein issue. I can't really understand why one breed of chicken needs more protein than others.

Just as Seremas, Silkies, Delawares, Barred Rocks, (or any other breed) aren't for everyone; this breed just isn't for everyone. No offense intended. I do wish all Buckeye breeders the best!

 

[Jake Levi]

How much extra protein? What percentage? Now I am curious . This doesnt seem to gibe with a breed developed that long ago on a farm.

What was the source for Kathys birds?

 

[kathyinmo]

This is from an old thread........
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3484513#p3484513


Quote:
It may work for some other breeds as well. I would not think it would be good for the slow growing breeds and in fact, the least protein would be better for those breeds (e.g. Javas, Brahmas). I believe you would need to experiment with the protein % in other growing breeds to see what worked best. I cannot say the Buckeye formula would work for all breeds.

It is a fact that at least 28% protein feed is best for Buckeyes. The ALBC Buckeye recovery project discovered this rather accidently. 25 experienced breeders were each given 25 Buckeye chicks to raise as they saw fit. The chicks were all from the same breeding stock. The Buckeye chicks were thoroughly handled & examined and weighed at 8 weeks of age and again at 16 weeks and finally at 1 year of age. The ALBC took notes on the conditions of rearing and exactly what the chicks were fed taking into account protein % and other things. The breeders were told to keep up with this information. What the ALBC found was that chicks on higher protein grew and developed the best (at least 28%) and the better the feed, the better the results. In fact, the chicks on the highest protein (>28%) grew at twice the rate of the chicks on the lowest protein %. The ALBC found that chicks on lower protein diets during the first 8 weeks NEVER met their potential at 1 year of age. They have tweeked their research since and found that the first 8 weeks are critical and that it is better to then bring down the protein % in feeds after 8 weeks (for me, this has been down to 19% but still a Game Bird Chow (Conditioner)). The higher protein after about 10-12 weeks can actually retard growth in Buckeyes (also discovered by ALBC breeders).

It is my opinion that the formula of >28% protein for the first 8 weeks decreased to below 20% protein works for Buckeyes because of the Buckeye's rate of growth the first 8 weeks is the greatest and also because the Buckeye is a very muscular and highly active fowl with a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle (darker meat) than the usual. Muscle and fast twitch muscle require additional protein. In my opinion also, decreasing the protein % after 8-10 weeks makes sense because the Buckeye chick's rate of growth slows down accordingly.

The kind of intense study and recovery as the ALBC conducted would be helpful with other chciken breeds, but realize, the Buckeye project was very labor intensive as you can imagine. I did not take part in the project but have personally talked with those who did (at the ALBC convetion in 2007, at poultry shows and by email)-- this is the source of my knowledge. I quickly changed my Buckeye chicks diet in 2007 due to this information. The improvement I noticed after increasing the protein %, while I would like to credit to my own breeding selections, is really all about the feeding.

The reason I feed Purina Game Bird Chow is because it contains animal as well as plant protein. It is generally accepted that IF you are breeding birds or showing birds, for whatever reason, animal protein is necessary for fertility & vigor and better feather quality. After the Mad Cow Disease scare, feed companies went to making their feed with all plant protein and non animal products (thereby removing the possibility that a cow or some other mammal would eat animal brains, parts, etc.). Immediately, poultry breeders noticed a decline in the fertility of their brids and poorer feather quality-- simultaneously, they were all seeing the same thing and commeting about it & it was widely discussed and the general concensus was that the animal protein was the difference. I don't think there is much debate about this conclusion anymore in serious poultry circles.

I hope this helps.