Thanks Ralphie, the Buckeye is a heritage breed from ohio, great weather resistance and temperment, an excellent forager, plus good egg production. I'm actually heading down to Minnie's place tomorrow to get another girl, but I appreciate the offer.
Oh, Ralphie! If you haven't tried Buckeyes up nort, you should give dem a try! I will be hatching as early as I can after January 1 and I have about 16 hens/pullets in the breeding pens for this coming hatching season. They are perfect for Minnesota weather, good hardy birds and lay well too. You should look up the history of the breed. I will PM you a link. Phil can tell you what a nice hen his last one was, so he got a replacement pullet this afternoon.
Why thank you, Bogtown! They are a surprisingly thicker bird. So many look at them and think they are small, but you get your hands on them and there is a good sized bird in there. Not a lot of fluff either. My hens weigh between 6-6.5# when mature. I have one who is 6# 8oz. Good, solid birds who don't let a little white fluff on the ground scare them. And such nice personalities! I had to kick the mouse trying to nest under the heated dog bowl out yesterday and one of the girls went right after it and then ran all over the pen. I don't think the rest even knew she had anything. LOL
Just so you know, they aren't actually "mousers", not like a cat, that is. They do go after mice when they skitter through a pen, but so does every other breed I have had, even Silkies! It is kind of a stretch of the truth to say they hunt mice. I was happy to see her take it out. I have had my LF Cochins go after them pretty well too.
Now I'm going to have to get rid of it unless one of the chickens does it. 
