The Buckeye Thread

[CanadianBuckeye]

At one point I was reading a thread, possibly in the meat birds section, where someone was stating how this breed was great for producing a decent amount of meat faster than most dp breeds, apparently this is not true? I want to say there were claims of a 4 to 5lb carcass by the 20 week age. If they grew that week I would consider them a good bird to work on a meat project

From what I've read, it seems to be really important to start off with good, true representatives of whatever breed you decide on. A hybrid cross of two good meat lines would probably give you the best meatie chicks. If I were crossing Buckeyes for meat, I'd choose a cross with dominant white like the white laced red Cornish so that you'd get a meat bird with light pin feathers. Or crossing with something like a Delaware would give you a lot of white in the feathers too - if you crossed a Delaware rooster to the Buckeye hens.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I'd like to breed my Buckeyes primarily for egg production. Does anyone know how about how many eggs per year you could expect from a good egg-laying line of Buckeyes, that still fit the SOP?

 

[blucoondawg]

From what I've read, it seems to be really important to start off with good, true representatives of whatever breed you decide on. A hybrid cross of two good meat lines would probably give you the best meatie chicks.  If I were crossing Buckeyes for meat, I'd choose a cross  with dominant white like the white laced red Cornish so that you'd get a meat bird with light pin feathers. Or crossing with something like a Delaware would give you  a lot of white in the feathers too - if you crossed a Delaware  rooster to the Buckeye hens.

Yes, I'm not new to chickens I know all about crosses etc. I was specifically wondering if what has been claimed of the buckeye breed is actually true, apparently it is not true and buckeye are no different than any other dual purpose breed or nobody on here has really kept track of weights in a meat project to be able to comment about it.

 

[hellbender]

At one point I was reading a thread, possibly in the meat birds section, where someone was stating how this breed was great for producing a decent amount of meat faster than most dp breeds, apparently this is not true? I want to say there were claims of a 4 to 5lb carcass by the 20 week age. If they grew that week I would consider them a good bird to work on a meat project

It is true. several conditions could have lent to your cockerel being overly thin...like running hens and running from other cocks. We closely confine all birds meant for slaughter and feed them a finishing ration for at least 30 days and often 2 extra weeks

#1Son

 

[blucoondawg]

I do

It is true.  several conditions could have lent to your cockerel being overly thin...like running hens and running from other cocks.  We closely confine all birds meant for slaughter and feed them a finishing ration for at least 30 days and often 2 extra weeks

#1Son

I do not have a thin cockerel, I am asking out of interest in the breed in that I am considering getting them to work towards a decent sustainable meat bird either pure bred or as part of a cross if necessary. I would be curious to know if certain lines of buckeye would be best for this purpose

 

[hellbender]

I do
I do not have a thin cockerel, I am asking out of interest in the breed in that I am considering getting them to work towards a decent sustainable meat bird either pure bred or as part of a cross if necessary. I would be curious to know if certain lines of buckeye would be best for this purpose

In that case, based upon my experience, most Buckeyes have more than adequate meat if allowed to mature and are cared for properly. We have hatchery birds and they are more than meaty enough to work with and I can only assume the SOP birds might be even more so.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

@blucoondawg , check out Blueface's Buckeye pullet chick on this thread. He's posted some weights. One of them is Post # 4226

 

[NanaKat]

I'd like to breed my Buckeyes primarily for egg production. Does anyone know how about how many eggs per year  you could expect from a good egg-laying line of Buckeyes, that still fit the SOP?

I have 4 Buckeye hens, each laying 5 eggs a week. They go broody once a year and don't lay during their moult. The youngest hen did not lay for two months in winter. These are SOP bred birds.

The hens are paired with two cock birds as trios. A third cock is running with the layer flock. Fertility test hatches for the two pens has been zero. A huge change over last year. They are on an 18% feed. I'm going to switch in the third male and test hatch eggs.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Thanks @NanaKat that's actually very very good! I would have expected 3 eggs from 5 a week. Bummer about the rooster fertility- I'll have to watch mine carefully. He's just turned a year old, and I've just set some of the eggs from his hens, but most of these eggs will be crosses as I only have three Buckeye hens in the flock. Overall my dark cornish have laid more eggs than my Buckeyes- started earlier, larger eggs

so I'm trying to get egg production up in my Buckeye chickens.

 

[hellbender]

Thanks @NanaKat that's actually very very good! I would have expected 3 eggs from 5 a week. Bummer about the rooster fertility- I'll have to watch mine carefully. He's just turned a year old, and I've just set some of the eggs from his hens, but most of these eggs will be crosses as I only have three Buckeye hens in the flock. Overall my dark cornish have laid more eggs than my Buckeyes- started earlier, larger eggs

so I'm trying to get egg production up in my Buckeye chickens.

Our hatchery Buckeyes don't lay large eggs, they simply do not. Can't speak to the SOP birds. Only from what I hear, they might lay larger eggs but less often...again only based on hearsay.