The Buckeye Thread

[Blueface]

Was going through my buckeye bantams today. I hatched out 24 from only a pair, there were 20 pullets and 4 cockerels. Not bad!! They are growing out pretty well and a couple will make FINE show birds!!! I'm excited; this is a great start; they'll only get better from here on out!!

I was pleasantly surprised....there are a couple obvious culls but I'm pretty happy with them up to this point.....there is a cockerel that is a real dandy!! He has "brood bird" all over him and possibly one heck of a show bird.....I like the pullets better though....there is one little pullet...she is tiny but has a real thick body, great head with a little Cornish beak....her color is great with a nice bar of slate.....what is most impressive is how nice her comb is.

Compared to where I started with my LF, it would appear that my start of bantams far exceed in quality. I hope to put a couple hundred on the ground next year

 

[gootziecat]

Do you have pictures to share of your bantams?

 

[Blueface]

Do you have pictures to share of your bantams?

I need to take a few pics....I don't have any at the moment.

I weighed a pair of my 16 week old bucks this afternoon; cockerel weighed exactly 6 lbs and the pullet weighed 4.13 lbs....,they are growing great this year.....a few are going to make excellent fall show birds .....far better than last year

 

[gootziecat]

Great! I'd like to learn a lot more about the Buckeye bantams.

 

[007medic]

The first of this year's cockerels got processed this morning. Now is the time when I get to see exactly what's under those feathers and I'm really encouraged. Been aiming for a fuller breast and that's just what I'm getting- really beautiful balanced carcasses. Dressed weights at 16 weeks are averaging 3.5 - 4.0 pounds. Spring chicken is on the menu for tomorrow night's dinner!

 

[slfarms]

The first of this year's cockerels got processed this morning. Now is the time when I get to see exactly what's under those feathers and I'm really encouraged. Been aiming for a fuller breast and that's just what I'm getting- really beautiful balanced carcasses. Dressed weights at 16 weeks are averaging 3.5 - 4.0 pounds. Spring chicken is on the menu for tomorrow night's dinner! 

What did they weigh prior to butchering?

 

[007medic]

Oh, they weighed between 5 and 6 pounds, about the same size as Joe's birds at the same age.

 

[Blueface]

Oh, they weighed between 5 and 6 pounds, about the same size as Joe's birds at the same age.

I bet they taste nice! I sure like mine I like to wait a few more weeks to process mine though. I like getting a 5 lb carcass that feeds my family with a single bird per dinner. I keep telling people that type wasn't a problem with birds that are bred and fed properly. All this breed ever really needed was the weaker birds culled off while the stronger/broader birds bred back to and fed properly.....there really isn't much to it.

 

[AinaWGSD]

We have biddies! Not Buckeyes, but my 2 Buckeye broodies have successfully hatched at least 5, maybe 6, cuckoo marans.

 

[sumi]

We have biddies! Not Buckeyes, but my 2 Buckeye broodies have successfully hatched at least 5, maybe 6, cuckoo marans.

Congrats! Next time you must give them some Buckeye eggs to hatch