The Buckeye Thread

[knittychickadee]

Thanks. These are from my own matings. Hatched last night.

 

[PA Farmer24]

Ok heard this the other day over on FB. There is a so called line/strain of Buckeyes called "Mean as Snakes" where, who and how did this happen? I find it amusing if anything.

I would have to guess that those birds had to come from a hatchery as I have heard a lot of negative on hatchery stock over the past couple of years. Anyone know about this topic?

 

[knittychickadee]

I'm not planning on them going through the winter; they are going in the freezer in Nov. Someone talked me into selling some of the spring hatched birds that I had planned for our own freezer, so I'm making it up with this late hatch. I figured it will be an interesting trial to compare weight gains to what I get with spring chicks.

 

[007medic]

Knitty,
Those are some awesome looking chicks

! Did you just hatch out the baker's dozen that I see or did you actually get more? (And in the spirit of 20 questions) What kind of incubator did you use? How many eggs did you set and how many made it to lock-down? I'm kind of ridiculous about those kinds of details. You should see me during hatching season- the better half sees the irrational gleam in my eye and for some reason always allows their better judgment to be pushed to the limit with my hatching fever. I'm currently lobbying for an August breed pen to be set up so that we can take advantage of the broodies as summer wanes (and so that we might be able to go to some spring shows!).

And PA Farmer24, years ago when I spoke to the folks at the ALBC when the Buckeye project was reaching it's culmination, both Jeanette Beranger and Don Schrider both said that the 'Mean-as-Snakes' line/strain was named thus for lack of any other better descriptors. The steward of the flock was unsure of their origination, only that the provenance went back some decades and that the males were "mean as snakes"

.

 

[buffalogal]

Ok heard this the other day over on FB. There is a so called line/strain of Buckeyes called "Mean as Snakes"

I would have thought 'mean as snakes' referred to every Polish male of any age that I have ever met. Absolutely untrustworthy around, well, everyone.

 

[knittychickadee]

Knitty,
Those are some awesome looking chicks

! Did you just hatch out the baker's dozen that I see or did you actually get more? (And in the spirit of 20 questions) What kind of incubator did you use? How many eggs did you set and how many made it to lock-down? I'm kind of ridiculous about those kinds of details. You should see me during hatching season- the better half sees the irrational gleam in my eye and for some reason always allows their better judgment to be pushed to the limit with my hatching fever. I'm currently lobbying for an August breed pen to be set up so that we can take advantage of the broodies as summer wanes (and so that we might be able to go to some spring shows!).

Medic,
I know what you mean, I have notebooks full of 'chicken details' lol. I set 19 and hatched 15 in a Brinsea. Had a few infertiles which I blame on the terrible gnat problem this summer (the same birds were 100% earlier in the year). The birds are either trying to hide from them in the long grasses, or stomping and shaking constantly when they are in the coops. I had some broodies I could have used, but I thought they would do better in an enclosed building to keep the gnats off them for a while.

 

[PA Farmer24]

I would have thought 'mean as snakes' referred to every Polish male of any age that I have ever met. Absolutely untrustworthy around, well, everyone.

So buffalogal are you saying that the Polish Male Chicken is untrustworthy? Not familiar with that breed. Please explain.

 

[Metella]

Lovely !!!

I've heard a lot of talk about physical breeding goals ....

What about Roo behavior ? For me - I live on a little hobby farm, my girls free range when they are old enough and I need a roo that will fight for them - warn them and such but not have aggressive tendancies toward its caregiver (me) I don't even care if it is aggressive toward other people.

 

[Pathfinders]

I would have thought 'mean as snakes' referred to every Polish male of any age that I have ever met. Absolutely untrustworthy around, well, everyone.

Only had a couple of Polish over the years, and it was a long time ago. I do remember the males being flighty idiots who tried to flog us whenever we chored their pen.

 

[Pathfinders]

Lovely !!!

I've heard a lot of talk about physical breeding goals ....

What about Roo behavior ? For me - I live on a little hobby farm, my girls free range when they are old enough and I need a roo that will fight for them - warn them and such but not have aggressive tendancies toward its caregiver (me) I don't even care if it is aggressive toward other people.

Here's the thing. I know that I breed for calmness and non-aggression in my Buckeye males. Other people may not, but I do. My feeling is, I want a bird who is respectful of all humans, because I want him to pass that along to his offspring, because I do sell them to other people, who may have small kids.

My personal opinion is, I don't count on my roosters to protect my flock. Their job is to warn when there is trouble, but for protection I rely on the pen they're in - be it electric poultry netting for the day rangers, or hardware cloth for the tractors. My Anatolian does a good job of keeping hawks away with his barking. But the natural instinct of most roosters is to warn, then run.

There is the occasional male in any breed who will stand his ground and fight, that's not a hard and fast rule. But I don't think there's a rooster alive that could fight off a determined fox, coyote or raccoon, which are the predators we deal with the most here.

My advice is, consider investing in a good Livestock Guardian Dog, and bear in mind, it takes time to train them to do their job well.