ntiveheart: my original stock came from jeff lay and they look pretty good
Yes, you are right, overall a pretty good looking bird. I don't see many bad Buckeyes.
One thing I don't like about Mr. Lay's birds and all of them look the same in this regard are the males' combs. The combs look like they are carrying a recessive gene for a single comb. This trait would lead me to believe that his Buckeyes have recently had some RIR introduced (??).
In a recent issue of the American issue of "Fancy Fowl," they featured some of the UK's Buckeyes (on the cover and in the article inside). I noticed the same comb type as Jeff Lay's Buckeyes & I wondered, "if the stock came from the same source as Lay's." Then I noticed Lay's comments on a group posting that he had sold eggs in the UK [so that would explain the UK's birds' combs]. It is my understanding that Jeff Lay has large hatchings & has been breeding Buckeyes for many years (many more than I) so I do not understand why he has not selected for a better comb.
Also, many of his males looked "pinched" in the saddle area which if bred to a Dam which also exhibits a "pinched saddle," then laying could be reduced.
Here is a picture of a Buckeye Male that won at the APA annual show and gives you an idea of what I am talking about (a result of the ALBC's recovery of the breed) & a superb specimen:
and I was able to acquire a brother of the winner that looks similar:
The pea comb should be "medium size" and have three distinct ridges with the middle one being the the most prominent:
AND another:
