The Buckeye Thread

[slfarms]

Nettie was developing a breed that was dual purpose so that she could sell the eggs and meat to bring income into her family. My interpretation is that she wouldn't have wanted a broody breed on the property as that would have decreased income to her family.

Why do we keep throwing the word "heritage" around? They are standard bred fowl as are all other large fowl per the APA. This thread is for discussing breeding, showing and maintaining the breed per the APA guidelines. "Heritage" is a marketing term to draw in newbies. Let's not confuse them more by having them think that there are different breeds of buckeye based on that term please.

 

[slfarms]

One of my two week old biddies. It wasn't happy I wanted to do a photo shoot.

 

[Blueface]

My birds will become broody if I let them build a nest but they are not inclined to broodiness. Rick, you made an excellent point referencing literature. I was thinking of adding the same material but you beat me too it. Plus my hens aren't all that fluffy so they don't cover large numbers of eggs. As for their laying abilities, I get eggs year around but the older hens tend to slow down at the peak heat of the summer during the molt due to the body using the moisture intake to help keep their body moisture regulated and to grow new feathers; but they still lay. They also slow down at the peak of the cold weather because of the lower moisture intake due to water freezing. The pullets take up the slack in both cases though. It should be noted that I don't use lights either and that doesn't effect my production.

 

[Blueface]

As for broodiness and the families that created the buckeye; the Indian game/Cornish were not known for their broodiness because of their very tight feathered body and higher body weights; they would regularly crush their eggs. Aseels have that same problem. I find that my bucks act a great deal like my aseels. They will go broody if you let them build a nest much like my buckeyes act but the number of eggs actually being incubated were low. The buckeyes exhibit or should exhibit more of the Indian game traits than the other breeds utilized in creating the breed. The slightly more feathered body, tail angle and longer back were derived from the Cochin/rock cross while the Indian game headed their personalities, body type, head, comb, and color. There are a bunch of buckeyes becoming really short in the back that feature very little to no tail angle. They are reverting back to the true Cornish type while they are getting so fluffy in the saddles and thighs....like the other breeds utilized. Breeders must be persistent so these flaws aren't utilized to propagate future generations. This reverting back toward the fluffier Cochin/rock traits may have an effect on broodiness....but that is just a theory. I'd really be interested in Nettie's opinions on how versions of this breed has evolved as well as some of the mentalities that are breeding Them. In everything that I've read about the woman, she never made excuses and was a very stern, strong minded person that stood up for what she believed and NEVER tried to be a martyr to gain favor. She took the RIR breeders head-on because she believed in her creation! She was an amazing person that was passionate about her creation and not how much money she could make off of it! My kind of lady, I wish more breeders thought this way because this breed and its breeders would be much farther along than they are today!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

It has been my experience with the line of Buckeyes I have, that they do not go broody much. When I read Nettie's quote, I feel perhaps she meant they weren't like those stinking fluffy Cochins who will brood at the drop of a dime and stay that way for weeks. Breeds like that will sit on a splinter if the mood strikes them, whether they have a nest or not, in my experience. The Bucks I have had go broody were easy to break by removing from the nest every day for a few days. I have never tried to let them brood because in my operation, I don't have the space to put one hen with a few chicks, and I have too many breeds in the pasture to take the chance of having adults kill them. A lot of this is about what you want from your birds. We can argue about whether the breed fits a certain trait or not, but the truth is, each line or strain is bred for what the breeder has deemed important. The one thing we can look at and should be able to agree upon was the intent of the breed by the developer based her own words. We are fortunate that people like Jeff Lay and Joe Shumaker, have put so much time into finding the documents to show us what Nettie wanted from this beautiful and superbly functional breed. And it is fortunate also that it wasn't so long ago that we don't have such documentation.

I will add that I had another line of Buckeyes that I thought I would try to outcross with, but aside from their many other faults, the pullets that did stay long enough to start laying, went broody less than a month after beginning to lay. They were also crabby has he** and pecked at me viciously. The Urch line Bucks I have, will let me do whatever I want with them without much fuss and they haven't gone broody until they were quite mature and had been laying for a few months. They are also the only breed I have here that I continued to see at least a couple of eggs a week from their pen even though we had an unbelievably cold winter and I have an open-air breeder building they were in.

 

[slfarms]

 

[007medic]

There are a bunch of buckeyes becoming really short in the back that feature very little to no tail angle. They are reverting back to the true Cornish type while they are getting so fluffy in the saddles and thighs....like the other breeds utilized. Breeders must be persistent so these flaws aren't utilized to propagate future generations. This reverting back toward the fluffier Cochin/rock traits may have an effect on broodiness....but that is just a theory. I'd really be interested in Nettie's opinions on how versions of this breed has evolved as well as some of the mentalities that are breeding Them. In everything that I've read about the woman, she never made excuses and was a very stern, strong minded person that stood up for what she believed and NEVER tried to be a martyr to gain favor. She took the RIR breeders head-on because she believed in her creation! She was an amazing person that was passionate about her creation and not how much money she could make off of it! My kind of lady, I wish more breeders thought this way because this breed and its breeders would be much farther along than they are today!!

Very well said and I agree 100%. Our birds here do go broody but aren't difficult to break from it in about 3-5 days if put in a elevated wire cage like a dog kennel devoid of nesting material. I would estimate that 30-50% of our layers will go broody at any one time during the year. This suits us just fine since letting a hen raise and brood chicks is a heckuva' lot easier than brooding with lamps, heaters, pens etc, etc. Currently have 5 of the girls raising biddys on free range and will probably let one or two more raise a clutch as well.

 

[Chickielady]

It has been my experience with the line of Buckeyes I have, that they do not go broody much. When I read Nettie's quote, I feel perhaps she meant they weren't like those stinking fluffy Cochins who will brood at the drop of a dime and stay that way for weeks. Breeds like that will sit on a splinter if the mood strikes them, whether they have a nest or not, in my experience. The Bucks I have had go broody were easy to break by removing from the nest every day for a few days. I have never tried to let them brood because in my operation, I don't have the space to put one hen with a few chicks, and I have too many breeds in the pasture to take the chance of having adults kill them. A lot of this is about what you want from your birds. We can argue about whether the breed fits a certain trait or not, but the truth is, each line or strain is bred for what the breeder has deemed important. The one thing we can look at and should be able to agree upon was the intent of the breed by the developer based her own words. We are fortunate that people like Jeff Lay and Joe Shumaker, have put so much time into finding the documents to show us what Nettie wanted from this beautiful and superbly functional breed. And it is fortunate also that it wasn't so long ago that we don't have such documentation.

I will add that I had another line of Buckeyes that I thought I would try to outcross with, but aside from their many other faults, the pullets that did stay long enough to start laying, went broody less than a month after beginning to lay. They were also crabby has he** and pecked at me viciously. The Urch line Bucks I have, will let me do whatever I want with them without much fuss and they haven't gone broody until they were quite mature and had been laying for a few months. They are also the only breed I have here that I continued to see at least a couple of eggs a week from their pen even though we had an unbelievably cold winter and I have an open-air breeder building they were in.

It has been good to talk to you,

 

[Regin]

My newly hatched Buckeyes (and one Buckbar pullet)

 

[sumi]

Very nice, Regin!