The Buckeye Thread

[Blueface]

She carries her tail just fine Walt .....them legs are plenty yellow with a lovely reddish horn surface. My old I-phone can only do some much

 

[fowlman01]

Her tail is okay, I was talking about the male.

Walt

 

[Blueface]

The male?!?! Heck he's just a baby still growing his tail.....lol he'll be Ok....let his nuts drop

 

[slfarms]

The male?!?! Heck he's just a baby still growing his tail.....lol he'll be Ok....let his nuts drop

Lol let his nuts drop.....

 

[cream puff]

Hi! I'm new here. I am looking into getting Buckeyes, a friend mentioned them to me yesterday, he said they are good at defending themselves against predators and that they are good hunters. Is there anyone who can concur with that? Maybe share some experiences with buckeyes. Do they get along well with other breeds like Sussex (for example) or Orpingtons (the heavey dual purpose breeds).

Thanks!

 

[fowlman01]

A chicken. ..No chicken can defend against a predator that eats chickens. There are lots of fun stories about that online but that only happens in the middle of the day with a very unsophisticated small birds of prey...maybe.

Walt

 

[Turk Raphael]

A chicken. ..No chicken can defend against a predator that eats chickens. There are lots of fun stories about that online but that only happens in the middle of the day with a very unsophisticated small birds of prey...maybe.

Walt

You may be right Walt but I have a young cockerel that repeatedly thwarts attacks on our goldfish pond by savage Kingfishers. Without the bravery of the cockerel, there wouldn't be a goldfish left.

The beginning of a legend!

Turk

 

[slfarms]

I agree with Walt. I've watched a coyote take off with a buckeye, seen the carnage after a fox attacked and also watched a buckeye cockerel take on a hawk and lose. Nine times out of ten the buckeyes run for cover with the rest of the birds.

 

[sumi]

Walt, I've watched one of my broody hens beat the tar out of a hawk (twice her size) that was after her chicks once. I've watched one of my brave cockerels attack a mongoose that was after the hens. They were not Buckeye chickens, but still, give them some credit, there are heroes out there. They may not always win, but some of them can put up a darn good fight

 

[Minniechickmama]

Yes, you can get a chicken on occasion that will try to defend their flock and/or babies, but it is not the norm and you can make the blanket statement that all birds of a breed are the same personality or temperament.
As for being mousers, some people think that means Buckeyes will go hunt for mice like cats do. Not true. Most chickens will go after any little thing that hops or skitters and peck at it out of curiousity. They learn that some of those things are yummy and will more aggressively go after them. Even our beloved Buckeyes vary in temperament based on their breeding (mostly).

cream puff, that all being said, the Buckeye is, in my book, the perfect dual purpose breed if you get a good line of them. I realize your options are limited, but they are just an all-around wonderful breed to have, especially here in the Northern parts I have had several breeds and they really do hold up better in both hot and cold weather better than any other I have had.
Good luck with yours when you get them!