OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[loveourbirds]

Hello All! Newbie just starting out in NE Ohio. I've helped my best friend on her farm and she has a yard full of layers but ready to start my own little flock. Hoping that I can keep it down to usable volumes . . . but then again, I've got rabbits and I know how quickly it can get out of control, lol. On a related note, if anyone knows where to get a hold of buckeyes and CCLs around Northeast Ohio let me know I've got my breeds picked!

just wanted to throw a little note out there, i have both breeds. the buckeyes i *might* keep, im far from impressed with the breed. the CCL's are on their way out, they dont lay well, autosexing is not easy, they need to be crossed back with the barred rocks often. disease resistance is awful and the large combs make them very susceptible to comb freeze with our cold climates.

my personal advice to a newbie is go with wyandottes, orpingtons and rocks - they are by far better breeds.

 

[pucksfolly]

I have a little experience with raising them in the past, I really appreciate the input on the legbars as I had not heard that. The buckeyes I really want. I take care of a flock with my best friend of mixed layers, rocks, wyandottes, brahma, orps, a few easter eggers. I honestly don't like the personality on the wyandottes though that may just be the birds I have . . . and the rocks are a dime a dozen, I want something pretty that I don't have to sneak up on. I was honestly thinking about orpingtons too if I can find any but the buffs around here .

 

[sunnyllama]

I have actually been looking for some buffs around here! Let me know if you have a lead on any

 

[loveourbirds]

someone else mentioned eagle's nest hatchery. they have some descent buff orps, if your not planning on showing. i do have some lemon cuckoo english orps that i will hatch some eggs for in a month or so. they are bigger than the buffs most of us are familiar with. my complaints on them is they can turn white with improper breeding, and again large straight comb that freezes easily.

my issue with buckeyes is when i hatch them i end up with about 60-70% male chicks. the roosters can be ornery - of course that can happen with any breed.

my favorite breed is probably cochins, but they arent great layers - so i typically dont recommend them to someone looking to get a flock started.

for laying and dual purpose i love heritage rhode island reds, but its hard to find heritage birds - and they can be moody towards other breeds. with my (nearly) selling out, someone would have to pay pretty dearly to get my white rocks, and my RIR's but i have alot of work and time in finding the ones i have.

all of these "rare" breeds are leaving my farm, im realizing why people didnt work on breeding them now. the lines are so tight on the remaining birds that offspring are starting to show issues from inbreeding. the problems can be fixed, but i think i am just going to start over - recreating the chickens from heritage american lines, with good disease resistance. someone else made a comment about greenfire farms and the lack of genetic diversity in what they sell. im finding that its all to true.

 

[loveourbirds]

please dont let me talk you out of a breed that you truly love. your the one feeding and caring for them, not me. im just putting some input from my own observations for you all to read.

i know several of us have spent a fortune getting into rare breeds and are having troubles. some with fertility, some with laying, and some with genetic disorders. to you guys, i am going to recommend getting a good barred rock (if *bar* is in the name of the chicken) and recrossing the lines to get the best genetic diversity. if the red color is light in the lines you have, try crossing back in the red or brown of the other breed, but you will have 4 generations to get the auto sexing right again.

 

[sunnyllama]

Loveourbirds- do you ever sell fertile eggs? I am looking to get my hands on a few lemon cuckoo orps but cant find any eggs currently

 

[loveourbirds]

i do, but i havent tested the fertility on the lemon cuckoo orps. if the fertility is good $25 a dozen on them. towards late spring if i get several hatched off for myself i will drop the price.

 

[sunnyllama]

Thanks, Ill keep that in mind but I am actually looking for them now

 

[bunnibird55]

Wow, I have Buckeyes and their personality is far superior to any of the New Hampshires and red sex links I have been raising for the past 5 years. You must have gotten ahold of some inferior stock if you found them to be ornery. I have started out with good breeding stock on the Buckeyes and I have nothing but good things to say about their personalities, their hardiness in the NW Ohio winters and their laying abilities! They have been my top choice for all around chicken!

 

[pucksfolly]

Hmm . . . I namely wanted the CCL rooster more than anything else, as they will be joining a few EEs that are already on the property that tend to go broody and I wanted to work on egg color for future birds . . . The buckeyes mostly because they are reputed to be fairly good foragers. For this shot I'm just trying to get eggs and future layers more than anything else. Any suggestions for breeds that I should look into for foraging ability? The orps won't be coming until I can build them a bigger shelter, I've found them to be snuggly but unfortunately easy to be hauled off by whatever predator happens to be around. No snuggle orps in my free range flock .