The Buckeye Thread

[stryker]

You bet! I printed off the pics along with the information so I don't have to try to find it later.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Thanks for posting the pictures MCM, I read how you sexed young chicks in an earlier posts but wasn't sure what you meant. I will try this next time and see how it works for me. So is this difference in shape just the difference between slower feathering males, and faster females? Do the females ever look like the males, with the primaries poking out, when they are younger than 1-3 weeks?

Stryker, bummer about the 100% cockerels, but at least you know how to identify them next time!

Not that I have seen.

I find it easiest to sex this way from about 5-days to 2-3 weeks. After that, the cockerels start growing their wings more. This actually works on a few breeds, but I can't really say all of them, only ones I have raised and observed this with. The only reason I have sexed chicks that young though is if I had pick up orders that wanted pullets only, or to try to get an even split on the straight run orders.
I felt terrible when one guy got a batch of Cochins from me this year. He got all that were in the hatch, about 15, and as I was putting them in the box I thought that I was seeing an awful lot of cockerels. Turned out there were only 3 pullets. That is about the ratio I hatched of those this year too. I have a handful of pullets and quite few cockerels out here. It happens though.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Thanks Minniechickmama. It's going to be fun next year playing guess- the- chick's- sex with my young buckeyes. This is a very handy thing to know. It seems to take forever to tell male from female once they feather in fully. If I don't get enough pullets I can very quickly set another batch of eggs, rather than waiting months longer.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Here's what I meant by baggy eyelids. This is a Buckeye, 8 weeks old:



Here's a cross bred chick, 16 weeks old:


and another:


You can easily see the difference in the eyes and eyelids. the Buckeye has eyelids that seem to big for the eye, the middle rooster is "in between" and the third rooster has what I'd call beady eyes, too round. Are these loose eyelids normal for Buckeyes? All mine seem to be that way. I checked the Cornish, they have a baggy eyelid too but it's not as extreme as the Buckeyes. All my crossbred chickens have tight eyelids. Is this something like too loose eyelids/visible haws in dogs, that should be bred out?

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Some pics of my favourite chick. 8 weeks old, a little miserable, it was cold, windy and rainy today,

 

[Minniechickmama]

I see what you mean about the eye, I don't think it is a bad thing. I like how the head is shaped, actually and the eye set.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Oh good! that's encouraging. I am very pleased with my Ontario bred chicks so far they look like they will be nice Buckeyes. I have two cockerels and three pullets to choose from, not a lot but a start.

 

[stryker]

It is better to have a small number of good quality than a large number of not so good quality birds to work with in my opinion. I just love that look of the buckeye eye. Makes him look dignified.

 

[bbhorsefly]

Here's what I meant by baggy eyelids. This is a Buckeye, 8 weeks old: Here's a cross bred chick, 16 weeks old: and another: You can easily see the difference in the eyes and eyelids. the Buckeye has eyelids that seem to big for the eye, the middle rooster is "in between" and the third rooster has what I'd call beady eyes, too round. Are these loose eyelids normal for Buckeyes? All mine seem to be that way. I checked the Cornish, they have a baggy eyelid too but it's not as extreme as the Buckeyes. All my crossbred chickens have tight eyelids. Is this something like too loose eyelids/visible haws in dogs, that should be bred out?

I see what you mean about the eyes! It's kind of freaking me out! Haha it gives it much more of a human look and expression.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I like the Buckeye eye ridge- that bony brow makes them look like they are thinking. I just love the Brahma head too, but not the feathered feet in wet cold and muddy ground so I don't have that breed. I do like a chicken with a large-,ish , substantial head. Buckeyes- Perfect!