Size of 2-Month Old Buckeyes: Normal???

[Gresh]

Hey all. I ordered some Buckeye chicks from IDEAL Poultry awhile ago and, despite my initial displeasure with IDEAL, I have been happily surprised at how well the chicks have turned out and therefore hope to buy from IDEAL in the future. However, I noticed that they were rather small when they arrived (I mean, smaller than the chicks I got at a local feed store that were under a week old) and they are still, at 2 months, slightly smaller than my 5-month old OEG bantam cockerel. I didn't order bantam buckeyes from IDEAL (they don't sell them anyway), so I'm slightly confused. I've never kept Buckeyes before and I don't know if their present growth rate is normal or not.
To help, I've included fair estimates of their present sizes and weights for your consideration:

Height (when fully erect): eight inches

Girth at widest: 4.5 inches

Weight: roughly less than the weight of a full 12 fl. oz. soda can


Their appetites are very healthy and they appear to have no health problems. One of them, a cockerel, had a leg problem when he was younger (stiffness and paralysis in lower joints) but has fully recovered from this and walks just as normally as any chick. The pullet seems to be bigger than the cockerel, but she also has a good deal more feathering than he does, which is deceiving.

I'd include pictures, but I'm a very inexperienced newbie and have no idea how to do it. If you all could give me some tips, I'd appreciate it and upload some pics of them.

Also, if anyone could tell me the normal growth rates for Buckeyes (like whether or not mine seem to be growing normally) and also your experience with the size of IDEAL Hatchery's baby poultry on arrival, I would be obliged.

Thanks, and God bless!

 

[gryeyes]

I have a few Buckeyes and they are about the same age as yours. Henderson's Handy Dandy Chicken Chart lists them as slow maturing, but mature weight around 6.5 lbs. I believe they are a "compact" bred, due to their ability to forage so well. Mine are smaller than other chickens their same age, too.

But then again, I ordered them from Ideal Poulstry....

 

[Illia]

No experience with Buckeyes, but I will tell you two things - 1) They're slow maturers and 2) hatcheries almost always have very small or skinny versions of what the breed truly should be.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Buckeyes are not as slow maturing as RIRs, I think they are more of a "moderate" maturing rate. But, as you said, you have no experience with them, and information on the web is not always accurate.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
I think that's about normal, and I don't think you have anything to worry about presently.

Mitch

 

[Pathfinders]

What are you feeding them? Buckeyes need a good high source of animal protein while young or they will wind up on the small side. What percentage of protein is in your feed, and is it all vegetable protein or is there some animal protein in there?

 

[Gresh]

Quote:
Well, the feed brand that I give them--DUMOR--doesn't give protein percentages on the bags (at least, the bags that I have bought). I wish I could give exact percentages, but I'm between a rock and a hard place

I can give you the exact feeding schedule that I've placed them on. Hopefully this will be helpful:

Weeks 0-7: DUMOR Chick Starter and Grower
Weeks 7-present: DUMOR Poultry Grower/Finisher

I guess if you know the protein percentages for these two DUMOR feeds, than you know what protein my Buckeyes have gotten. I will add, however, that at an early age (about Week 1), I began to feed them a handful of crickets and other bugs each day, which they gobbled up ravenously. I also introduced them to the outside at about 2-3 weeks, and they have since been expert insect-catchers.

So, based on this, do you think my Buckeyes are a bit on the--stunted side?

Thanks!

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Well, the feed brand that I give them--DUMOR--doesn't give protein percentages on the bags (at least, the bags that I have bought). I wish I could give exact percentages, but I'm between a rock and a hard place

I can give you the exact feeding schedule that I've placed them on. Hopefully this will be helpful:

Weeks 0-7: DUMOR Chick Starter and Grower
Weeks 7-present: DUMOR Poultry Grower/Finisher

I guess if you know the protein percentages for these two DUMOR feeds, than you know what protein my Buckeyes have gotten. I will add, however, that at an early age (about Week 1), I began to feed them a handful of crickets and other bugs each day, which they gobbled up ravenously. I also introduced them to the outside at about 2-3 weeks, and they have since been expert insect-catchers.

So, based on this, do you think my Buckeyes are a bit on the--stunted side?

Thanks!

For the starter

Crude Protein (min.) 20.00%, Lysine (min.) 1.00%, Methionine (min.) .50%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.50%, Crude Fiber (max.) 4.50%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) .70%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 1.20%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) .65%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) .25%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) .75%, Ruminant meat and bone meal free

for the finisher

Crude Protein (min.) 15.00%, Lysine (min.) .65%, Methionine (min.) .29%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.70%, Crude Fiber (max.) 5.00%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) .60%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 1.10%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) .60%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) .20%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) .40%, Selenium (Se) (min.) .30 ppm, Ruminant meat and bone meal free.

The finisher is really low...​

 

[Fred's Hens]

DuMor does provide that information. Sometimes it is on the side shoulder of the bag and not that easy to find. Sometimes it is on a sewed in paper tag.

Finding animal protein in Purina products, (of which DuMor is Purina house branded for TSC), is not going to be easy. For some odd reason the marketing gurus have decided that vegetarian diets impresses people and they proudly splash it on their bags to increase sales.

I, for one, am not impressed, as a chicken is an absolute omnivore and loves/needs meat. They are but little, feathered dinosaurs after all.

 

[Eggcessive]

Dumor I believe has 20 % protein. I'm new to chickens this year, but didn't most major feed companies quit putting animal protein in their feeds after the mad cow scare in the 90's? I have found animal protein in some feeds from local mills. Plus, vegetable protein may be cheaper to use.