The Buckeye Thread

[Pathfinders]

And here is my (out of focus) attempt at a head shot of her. She has a lovely kind eye, really like her head. The judge liked her too, wrote "Nice!" on the card.

 

[MeanV2]

Dave, I am going to politely disagree with you on this.

Therapeutic treatments (which electrolytes are not, really) should not be diluted by offering plain water, that reduces the dosage the bird gets, and therefore reduces their effectiveness. Things like de-wormers and antibiotics, given in water, should always be offered without access to other water, to ensure the birds all get an adequate dose to deal with the issue at hand.

Electrolytes are not what I would term a treatment for an existing condition, they are rather more a preventative thing, like a vitamin. I don't have any packages of antibiotics at hand right now (upstairs in my office) but I would venture to guess the package for most will say something like "make this the only water available for X number of days."

And ACV, being used as a treatment in this instance, IMO should not be diluted. It won't harm the other birds, and if the affected birds don't get an adequate amount, it won't be effective.

CEDavid, yes, Buckeye eggs should be brown. Shellless eggs however will not have pigment.

Have you had any birds showing any signs of illness of late? As BuffaloGal says, there are several poultry illnesses which can cause problems with eggs, which might include a loss of pigmentation.

Good Information! Thank You!! Congrats also to your pullet on her win.

Dan

 

[cedavid2012]

It's not unusual for a bird to lay a few soft shelled eggs at the beginning of, or more commonly, at the end of lay. once she finishes her molt, she should go back to laying normal eggs.  If the issue is lack of calcium, it can take a few weeks for her system to right itself  because she's got to put that calcium into her bones first. They're also a symptom of too much phosphorus, and, as a worst case scenario, can indicate the bird is infected with Infectious Bronchitis or laryngotracheitis.

 

So maybe these eggs are actually from the older hen that is going into molt? There was another one on the floor of the coop this morning that was even thinner, more like just a membrane with evidence of the white but no yolk. All three Buckeyes seem very healthy. They eat and drink well, forage in their run and poops look normal. Would there be other symptoms to look for of the infections mentioned above? Her comb and wattles appear to be as red as the cockerel's, but her shanks and feet are pale. The pullet's feet are much more yellow, but comb and wattles are not very red yet. All of my other pullets are healthy and lay very well with no shell issues. All of the chickens receive the same feed and water with ACV. I did travel a little over five hours to get theses Buckeyes home. Could that much travel and changing from what they were used to do this?

 

[cgmccary]

Dave, I am going to politely disagree with you on this.

Therapeutic treatments (which electrolytes are not, really) should not be diluted by offering plain water, that reduces the dosage the bird gets, and therefore reduces their effectiveness. Things like de-wormers and antibiotics, given in water, should always be offered without access to other water, to ensure the birds all get an adequate dose to deal with the issue at hand.

Electrolytes are not what I would term a treatment for an existing condition, they are rather more a preventative thing, like a vitamin. I don't have any packages of antibiotics at hand right now (upstairs in my office) but I would venture to guess the package for most will say something like "make this the only water available for X number of days."

And ACV, being used as a treatment in this instance, IMO should not be diluted. It won't harm the other birds, and if the affected birds don't get an adequate amount, it won't be effective.

CEDavid, yes, Buckeye eggs should be brown. Shellless eggs however will not have pigment.

Have you had any birds showing any signs of illness of late? As BuffaloGal says, there are several poultry illnesses which can cause problems with eggs, which might include a loss of pigmentation.

Hello Laura: Congratulations on the pullet winning Reserve American -- impressive any time a Buckeye female wins like that! -- not common as usually a cockerel wins but sometimes a cock, very rarely a pullet or hen. Great skull / head on her from what I can see.

I agree with you that you should NOT dilute water with ACV, nor electrolytes, nor wormers, etc. In fact, I have never heard nor read that one should provide an alternate plain water when using those additives & would think that if one did, how could tell whether a bird used the one with ACV, wormer (whether it got any of it? My wormers say on the label to "Provide medicated water only." I too use ACV with the "mother" in it, but I use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon.

Also, when I add anything to their water, I change the water the next day.

 

[Pathfinders]

So maybe these eggs are actually from the older hen that is going into molt? ... Could that much travel and changing from what they were used to do this?

Yes, these eggs could be from the older hen that is molting.

Or, they could be from the birds you recently purchased. Travel of any real sort (five hours is a lot for a chicken) is going to throw a female off her game, possibly disrupting or delaying laying for as much as a week. Each bird is different, some lay in the travel crate and continue with no problems, some stop for a week or more.

 

[Pathfinders]

Hello Laura: Congratulations on the pullet winning Reserve American -- impressive any time a Buckeye female wins like that! -- not common as usually a cockerel wins but sometimes a cock, very rarely a pullet or hen. Great skull / head on her from what I can see.

Thanks! I am pleased to have won RCH American with a pullet not once but twice now. I do love my cockerels, but to me there is something so special about a beautiful pullet, with all her feathers fresh, just at the point of lay. Love them!

 

[Apdeb]

Yes, these eggs could be from the older hen that is molting.

Or, they could be from the birds you recently purchased. Travel of any real sort (five hours is a lot for a chicken) is going to throw a female off her game, possibly disrupting or delaying laying for as much as a week. Each bird is different, some lay in the travel crate and continue with no problems, some stop for a week or more. 

 

[Apdeb]

iS SHE RELATED TO MY SWEETIE?

 

[Pathfinders]

And I had to laugh at Daniel yesterday, who when reading my cage card from the BPA show quipped "The BV gives me a maniacal idea... Buckeye Whites. I wouldn't have to deal with all the **** feather ink in a White Bird's skin."

Of course, with Buckeyes, there is only the one Variety, as they come in only one color. If a judge puts a BV on the cage card (as the judge did yesterday), it's just a pro-forma move. BV refers to Best (of a given) Variety, which is applicable when there is more than one color in a breed, ala Silkies, for example, that come in White, Black, Blue, etc. A BV on a Silkie's card would mean it was the best bird within that Variety, of all the genders. Then the BV's are judged to reach BB, Best of Breed.

In the Buckeyes, BV is superfluous. The BB comes from all the 1s, 1st C, 1st H, 1st K, and 1st P.

So don't be put off if a judge omits that notation, as there is no need for it.

 

[Pathfinders]

iS SHE RELATED TO MY SWEETIE?

Of course she is! Half sister at least. I didn't trap nest, so don't know exactly for sure, but from the same general breeding pen.