The Buckeye Thread

[cvamoca]

Thought I'd post a picture of my best Buckeye cockerel, he's around 18 weeks old in this picture. It's the same one as I posted on p.363. I only have a choice of 3, so my selection was extremely limited but I like this guy, he's very friendly and personable. I hope his eyes darken a bit, but he does have nice even colouring.

I may be biased because I think I have a sibling of yours--but I really like this guy- he has a nice neat comb. Like his colour as well. You are lucky to have more than one to chose from. I only have one- so he'd better be good enough.
I lost one pullet to a predator- so I only have 4 pullets now and the one cockerel with one younger one coming up. 2 of the pullets are kind of ditzy, they were the super slow feathering ones I believe. The other 2- one is broody on her first set of eggs- and the other has a modified almost single type comb--it's pea, but messy. Both are beautiful though. I turned down a lighter coloured male only because I was afraid he might be too light. I love my guy- he's wicked (a Newfoundland expression for really nice and has a very good personality, good with hens and chicks alike. And doesn't get into fights or pick on others.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Thanks cvamoca! we'll see how he turns out. This is not the fellow that's related to yours. The older he got the less and less he looked like a Buckeye- I was convinced he was crossed with something else at some time so he didn't make it to the breeder list. He did have a super temperament though, and I still have an East coast hen (maybe half sister or ?) that looks pretty good. Personality is a must on my list too, some chicks from your rooster would be a good thing! My East coast Buckeye hens are definitely more shy than my Ontario ones.

 

[stryker]

Thanks cvamoca! we'll see how he turns out. This is not the fellow that's related to yours. The older he got the less and less he looked like a Buckeye- I was convinced he was crossed with something else at some time so he didn't make it to the breeder list. He did have a super temperament though, and I still have an East coast hen (maybe half sister or ?) that looks pretty good. Personality is a must on my list too, some chicks from your rooster would be a good thing! My East coast Buckeye hens are definitely more shy than my Ontario ones.

Isn't there a song about the east coast hens/girls? Believe it was produced by the Beach Boys but not sure.

 

[cvamoca]

LOl- yes there is.
Sounds so exotic when it's sung by the Beach Boys.

California Girls

"Well East coast girls are hip​

I really dig those styles they wear​

And the Southern girls with the way they talk​

They knock me out when I'm down there"...​

(But he wishes they all could be California Girls!)​

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I wouldn't mind seeing one of those California bred White Sullys someday! Monster chickens.

 

[Justso]

I have two Buckeye cockerels and would like to choose one. Which of the two is best?

I can't help you choose but I can say those are some pretty awesome pictures! Good job

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Thanks Justso, the two roosters were hatch mates but I don't know how closely related they were.They were the only 2 Buckeye roosters I had to choose from out of this hatch.
I did decide to keep rooster #1, I believe he was the best of the two. I'll have to find a long backed large hen to cross him to.

 

[cvamoca]

One of my Buckeye pullets pulled a fast one and hatched out one Buff Brahma as a surprise. Surprise! This was her first clutch of eggs- she laid her first clutch and went broody immediately, I stuck some eggs under her to check fertility in the Brahmas, thought better of it and swapped them out for old eggs, but apparently I missed one. She's being a great mother though.

I do like the rooster you chose- like his overall shape and colour and his NEAT COMB! But I liked the lighter guy too, so I'm not that helpful...

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Cvamoca congratulations! You're a chick grandma!

That was fast. I'd read that some Buckeyes were broody. It's good to have a few reliable broodies, I think, but of course that doesn't help with egg production

.
I'm not exactly sure if my Buckeyes are laying, I think they are, but I have a feeling someone's hiding eggs. One day when I kept them indoors later than usual there were way more eggs in the nest boxes. I'll have to start watching.

I really do hope this rooster matures nicely. I still feel bad about the other guy but he had fewer things I liked about him. It does help to have a lot to choose from, so with that thought in mind I treated myself to a new-to-me Sportsman cabinet incubator that holds 180 eggs. Not bad for 300 bucks! 2016, I'll get serious about chickens.

 

[stryker]

That is a good deal. You better watch out with that incubator. It tends to get addictive to the point that a person will come close to buying store bought eggs to eat because there is not enough eggs for the incubator.
Trust me because I built a 200ish egg incubator last spring and it would take 14 days to fill. My results were poor as there were way too many hens to one roo (20 to 1). I would toss about 5 -6 dozen eggs out due to being clear on day 18.


Those broodies are WAY better and cheaper at raising chicks.