The Buckeye Thread

[homeworkin]

I don't see this reasoning. Where is the mistake? They are not my mistakes but my accomplishment. Nature provides us with as many cockerels as pullets and one cannot keep all those cockerels. I had more cockerels than pullets this season by a wide margin. All the cockerels I grow out are better than the male I began my breeding with in 2005-2006. What is nice about Buckeyes is that once your flock is up and running (and you are selecting for type & weight), nearly all of the progeny make weight & they produce good meat birds for the table. Ideally, this should be your goal. If I want, I can now select for traits I used to ignore (color, black on breast; black on wing bar, bad comb) -- however, I will still keep the best type bird from a group even if it has a one of these traits (though it would not make the cut in another group).

From the same breeding pen, you will have variation.

I put "mistakes" in quotes because excess birds are not a bad thing if they are useful for something. If I were breeding championship gerbils or something, the extras would be of far less use. I like the idea of dual purpose birds because they are intended to be useful in more ways than one. For a dog breeder, for instance, extra dogs that are not show quality can be hard to place and many end up in bad situations. With a meat bird - the excess birds are welcomed to our table even if they are not what we are breeding for. I am a pragmatic person - I like useful animals as well as nice ones.

 

[007medic]

I put "mistakes" in quotes because excess birds are not a bad thing if they are useful for something. If I were breeding championship gerbils or something, the extras would be of far less use. I like the idea of dual purpose birds because they are intended to be useful in more ways than one. For a dog breeder, for instance, extra dogs that are not show quality can be hard to place and many end up in bad situations. With a meat bird - the excess birds are welcomed to our table even if they are not what we are breeding for. I am a pragmatic person - I like useful animals as well as nice ones.

I understand usefulness. We have a rule that our animals on the farm must have a use & serve some purpose. I remember when I was a kid, we had white leghorns that were large and made a good meat bird too. I don't know what happened to those leghorns. All the American Class of chicken breeds are dual purpose fowl -- people needed them for both meat and eggs. Our buckeyes are consistently growing out to make good carcasses. I have started keeping La Fleche -- they do not eat nor grow like the Buckeyes but they do at least, make a meal.

I am against breeding dogs (no offense to anyone as I do not mean it critically in that way) because our animal shelters here are full of unwanted dogs -- you can find any breed you want in the shelters.

 

[Canieldonrad]

A very special thank you to Pathfinders! I appreciate all of your advice, I appreciate the birds (which are really nice and red Buckeyes thru & thru), and I appreciate you being patient with the Reds going into extras today.
Folks, if you want some good birds, and you want them from someone who is passionate about the Buckeye breed, Laura will put you right!

That was an irritatingly long game.

 

[Pathfinders]

A very special thank you to Pathfinders! I appreciate all of your advice, I appreciate the birds (which are really nice and red Buckeyes thru & thru), and I appreciate you being patient with the Reds going into extras today.
Folks, if you want some good birds, and you want them from someone who is passionate about the Buckeye breed, Laura will put you right!

Thanks! It was a pleasure to meet with you, and I know we'll continue to be good friends. Best of luck with the chicks, and do let us know how they do!

 

[Pathfinders]

I was discussing undercolor in the Heritage Breeds thread here, and 3riverschick sent me this wonderful link where in Everybody's Poultry Magazine they were discussing it as far back as 1921!

See pages 595 and onward for an interesting article comparing red color between RIRs, Red Sussex's, and Buckeyes:

http://bit.ly/169agsq

 

[chickensnew2me]

I need opinions on this guy. Is it a cockerel or pullet? I think cockerel but I am not sure.

 

[chickensnew2me]

Second one I am not sure about. I think cockerel but not positive. It is the one in the corner.

 

[cgmccary]

I need opinions on this guy. Is it a cockerel or pullet? I think cockerel but I am not sure.

Cockerel

 

[cgmccary]

Second one I am not sure about. I think cockerel but not positive. It is the one in the corner.

Hard to tell from a picture but what I see, looks like a PULLET to me.

 

[chickensnew2me]

Hard to tell from a picture but what I see, looks like a PULLET to me.

I could not get a better picture. I took 10 and that was the best. Kept getting behind the others. I'll try to get better pictures. Thanks Chris.