North Carolina

[Regin]

Where did you get your Buckeye? I would like some for my spring flock. Pictures?

What do you plan on doing with your Buckeyes? Do you want SQ or utility birds? Egg flock, meat birds, or pets? Combination?

I currently have 7 pullets and 14 Cockerels. And am choosing (or trying) which ones to breed. It looks like I'm probably going to have 6 pairs.

I am actually just over the line in SC, south of Charlotte Area. I am waiting on my NPIP / AI testing right now. By spring I should have eggs and chicks available.

My Buckeyes where hatched here this spring. My eggs came from Jeff Lay at Crains Run Ranch in Ohio. He takes orders for eggs and chicks starting in January.

 

[InvertedKitty]

Our family is looking to raise chickens that are decent layers and when they reach the end of their laying period we were looking to eat them. My son loves birds of all kinds so we wanted companions as well on our road to self sufficiency. I really love what I have read about the buckeye breed, and we are looking for a mixed flock to include orpingtons and Sussex as well. I haven't settled on breeding of any kind yet, though I may get an itch to hatch meat birds, since I imagine I will grow quite attached to my laying hens.

 

[crazyhen]

You may end up like me having hens that lay for many yrs. Although they have taken a stop on eggs for their heavy molt. If you get birds for meat get one that has some meat on it. Few have very much. The orps are one and I believe the Del. from breeders are another. The ones you get from a hatchery are smaller in size so less meat. If you decide on meat and quickly get the cornish cross at 6-8 wks they are fryers. The others take a full 6 or 7 months to get to a size I like. The egg layers that would fit both does not really exist to me. I get 3 to 6 eggs from a dominigue but the meat would not be there and the red sexlinks lay almost steady for two yrs then quit. Not much meat there either. I like the orps for generally everything but do not get as many eggs also the barred rocks lay well and get to a good size. What happens with them being here for so long I get really attached to them. They end up living a very long time for hens. Less eggs each yr but still my babies.

 

[InvertedKitty]

I can imagine it will be the same for me to lol.

 

[Regin]

Of the breeds that we have now. The Bresse grew out pretty fast. Not like X-Rocs, but good enough size by 5 months. The Buckeyes are pretty solid now at 5 1/2 months too. The ones I have now are my breeding stock, but we will be choosing breeders and culling soon. A few will got to freezer camp. I have some Dominiques (not SOP bred) that are growing out quite large too. When I grow any specific for meat it will be the Bresse, I think.

I have a few "egg layers" but the meat and dual purpose breeds are good layers of LARGE eggs.

 

[crazyhen]

I can imagine it will be the same for me to lol.

Well i can't help it. They get personalities. How could I kill a Sassy, a Hope, a Lizbeth an Adam etc.

I think if I got the cornish cross I would not mind for them as bad. By the time they are ready to kill they can barely get around anyway, But for some reason I don't like the Idea and growing out something and killing it. Even when I give them the best life I can. But we have to have protein in our diets and that is best as meat. I fight with myself every time I kill chickens. I get it done but not with pleasure.Maybe next yr. I will grow out some and get someone else to do the deed and defeather them. I don't mind the cleanning and disecting them.
Is there anyone in Macon cty that I could hire to kill, bleed out and defeather chickens for me next season??? I really like to have some in the freezer.

 

[InvertedKitty]

If we lived close I'd borrow you my other half, he is good about that kinda stuff. I am new to the area and have no idea where Macon Ct is lol.

 

[Regin]

Quote:
Absolutely, killing a creature should not be easy, even when it must be done. However, I have one cockerel in particular that I'm going to be glad to have gone.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hello again!!! I hope you all are still active, I've been gone a couple months and only missed about 50 pages (it used to be that in a week).
I hope all is well with everyone's animals. I started watching a 2 year old and a 6 month old 11 hours a day, so I haven't had time to be online at all.


I'm looking for some bird advice... I ordered eggs from Greg Mignot at ultimateorpingtons.com awhile back. 2 Cuckoo Lemon Orp Eggs and 2 Jubilee Orp Eggs. Of course, only one egg of each hatched and both are roosters! I'm in a tough spot-- Keep (I'm in town), Sell (can I get close to what I've put into them?), or process?

Both are 5 months old. Neither crow, so I don't know if this is because I already have an Alpha Rooster (BCM that hatched same time) or because Orps are longer to mature. I think they're beautiful.

Thoughts on what you think of them, what you think they'd be worth to sell (NOT at auction!), or what I should do with them? They're all very calm and easy to handle (as they're our pets and we handle daily)

THANKS!!!

 

[ramirezframing]

Hey Dutch, glad to see you are doing alright. I wouldn't bother selling or keeping the cuckoo lemon orpington as he is totally the wrong color (should be buff with lighter bars in him from what I understand).