The Buckeye Thread

[slfarms]

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

Yay! Congrats on the cuties.

 

[sumi]

I just found this thread in another section:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/893580/murderous-buckeye/0_30

I've heard a lot about Buckeyes, but this is the first thing I heard about them being aggressive.

 

[Blueface]

I just found this thread in another section:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/893580/murderous-buckeye/0_30

I've heard a lot about Buckeyes, but this is the first thing I heard about them being aggressive.

I find that very hard to believe. To-date, I've never witnessed an overly aggressive buckeye female, especially a younger bird of only 14 months old. Buckeye females are simply not aggressive. It is entirely possible that internal/unforeseeable health ailments could be the culprit. I reared and have fed out hundreds of buckeye pullets/hens......the only time I've ever noticed a small spat would be when I introduce a new face to the hen lot and there is a small tussle to establish pecking order and even then it lasts all of about 2 minutes.

 

[sumi]

Thank you, Joe, for your thoughts and replying. I was very surprised when I read that thread. It does not fit the impression I have of Buckeyes at all.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Doesn't fit my experience with them either. Quite possibly an environmental factor, but could be a breeding factor as well. I have a friend who hatched some Buckeyes (I won't name names) and the males ended up being so nasty she couldn't even go in the pen. She is not a shy or wimpy person in the least, but they were berserk.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I agree, it's certainly not typical. But there are always exceptions to generalizations, so I won't say it's impossible. My first rooster was a snot, and while he never did any damage to me or my husband, he would occasionally charge us and he drew blood on my 4 (then 3) year old. In fact, he died when he tried sneaking up on my husband to flog him just as my husband stepped backwards out of the storage shed at the coop, right onto the rooster. And last night we lost one of our new chicks in the coop, but we aren't sure exactly what happened and frankly I'm leaning more towards the chickens panicked (and there were several hatchery birds, leghorns and easter eggers) and accidentally trampled the poor chick. But for the most part they've been very mild mannered. The current group of cockerels I have are behaving themselves nicely. This weekend I took my 4 year old and my 18 month old out to help me feed the chickens and see the babies and no one made any real moves towards them. One of the cockerels gave the kids a bit of a hairy eyeball, but all I had to do to avert any further action was take a deeper breath to "puff up" my chest and hold my elbows away from my body and he moved on no problems.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Any of the birds start getting uppity with me, they get a good kick in the pants with a, "Knock it off!" and they go back to being good boys again. The only time I have had to do anything like that is when I am in the mixed flock where I have too many roosters to hens and they all want to gang up on one hen at a time, so I give them a good kick in the butt to remind them 'she is MY hen, so back off'. It does the trick, at least while I am in the pasture with them.

 

[Blueface]

Hey everyone, exciting news for Buckeye Nation and myself. The Buckeye breed officially has its first Grand Master. I confirmed it with secretary of the APA. I successfully earned enough APA exhibition points to be recognized as a Master Exhibitor last year and will be recognized in the APA yearbook. I had 91 points towards the Grand Master honor going into 2014. After winning in Marietta, OH and in Frankfort, KY this year, I have enough points to recognized as the first ever Buckeye Grand Master! Frankfort was a very important show and the Ohio Buckeye did GREAT!

 

[sumi]

Congratulations! That is quite an achievement and quite fitting, a breeder from their home state got the honours with Ohio born and bred Buckeyes. Nettie would've been so proud of what you are doing with her "mongrels". Well done!

 

[slfarms]

Hey everyone, exciting news for Buckeye Nation and myself. The Buckeye breed officially has its first Grand Master Breeder. I confirmed it with secretary of the APA. I successfully earned enough APA exhibition points to be recognized as a Master Breeder last year and will be recognized in the APA yearbook. I had 91 points towards the Grand Master honor going into 2014. After winning in Marietta, OH and in Frankfort, KY this year, I have enough points to recognized as the first ever Grand Master Buckeye Breeder! Frankfort was a very important show and the Ohio Buckeye did GREAT!

well deserved for all the work you've put into Nettie's birds. Kudos