Buckeyes, opinions, and how to improve.

[HumbleHen207]

I recently purchased a pair of Buckeyes for $45 at a local fair. The rooster was show champion, the hen has slightly crooked toes due to and incubation malfunction but I merely intend to breed her. What do you guys think? Would like some more detailed expertise than merely what was written on his cage tag.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm not a Buckeye expert but had planned on breeding them.
Sounds like a good start. My best advice is to get another good line. Do line breeding and then when you've culled anything that isn't perfect after about 7 generations, cross the lines.

It's very difficult to develop a line from a pair no matter how nice they are. The worst thing is that they could be brother/sister.

Good buckeye breeders are few and far between.

There's at least one show quality breeder in this PDF.

http://agriculture.mo.gov/animals/pdf/poultry_yearbook.pdf

 

[HumbleHen207]

There is another well known breeder in Maine. She seems to have some pretty nice birds from what I have seen of them. May see about getting some eggs or chicks from her in the spring to add to my pair.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That sounds like a good plan. You need at least 2 lines otherwise you may be inbreeding too much.
Also, show quality birds of many breeds may have lost some of their productive qualities for which they were originally developed.

 

[HumbleHen207]

Im not to worried about potential lack of eggs, I have plenty of hens designated for that role in other pens. So far she has laid an egg every day since I have gotten her. The rooster has an interesting back story, according to his breeder he escaped at a young age with another roo and she never bothered to catch him. He was left to his own devices for 6 months, and she caught him only days before the show, therefore he hasn't filled out a whole lot yet. He is a little aggressive, and has little fear of human contact. I find it interesting how truly amazing how good at foraging, and how bold these birds are.

 

[Canieldonrad]

Off toes are generally incubation. But I would keep my eyes open for the future to be safe.

You will need to stay on top of width, length and depth. Natural tendency is to down size so it is important you select your birds with the best shape and size.

I typically keep birds with the best bone size at around 12 weeks(I really like a bird with huge bones, just me). After that I wait until they are about 5 months and start giving the pullets to friends and family and we butcher any cockerels I don't care for.

I will not go down the road of color because that is Pandora's Box for some people. I will just say, if you want to breed them darker, do so. But don't let people badger you into breeding to what they prefer. Mahogany Bay is what is required in the Standard and that is quite subjective to say the least.

 

[HumbleHen207]

I prefer to breed to better shape before I tackle color. I picked the best shaped hen, with the most acceptable color (some of the others were super light or had flecking). Its a start, this is my first real attempt to breed to standard so it will be a learning process.

 

[Blueface]

go take a look at my website. There is a bunch of information as well as my show record with the breed for the last 4 or so years. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to help you. The buckeyes are one of the easiest breeds to breed and exhibit!

 

[Blueface]

My two cents is make sure the head is correct, work on color AND type together and stay away from anything that has ALBC attached to it. I've yet to see a decent bird ever produced with the ALBC DNA in it!!

 

[HumbleHen207]

Your birds are beautiful! I will reference your website during my progress in this breed project. Also joining up with the ABC.