The Buckeye Thread

[RedBugPoultry]

I have a question...I hatched 7 Buckeyes this summer out of about 20 shipped eggs. Bummer but it is what it is...well, 6 of the seven have turned out to be cockerels. I would like to pick out the best of the 6 to keep with my one pullet. Some of the cockerels have kind of medium wattles which look a little too big to me--are smaller wattled what I should be looking for? Most of the birds with larger wattles have pretty steep tail angles(more than 40 percent) which makes their backs look kind of short. Two of the birds have pretty flat backs and tails which I like the looks of but this might be from raising my heritage RIRs. All seem to have pretty good combs. Any help on what I should be looking for? I just like the flat backs with small to know wattles for looks but not sure if that is what I want.

 

[knittychickadee]

I have a question...I hatched 7 Buckeyes this summer out of about 20 shipped eggs. Bummer but it is what it is...well, 6 of the seven have turned out to be cockerels. I would like to pick out the best of the 6 to keep with my one pullet. Some of the cockerels have kind of medium wattles which look a little too big to me--are smaller wattled what I should be looking for? Most of the birds with larger wattles have pretty steep tail angles(more than 40 percent) which makes their backs look kind of short. Two of the birds have pretty flat backs and tails which I like the looks of but this might be from raising my heritage RIRs. All seem to have pretty good combs. Any help on what I should be looking for? I just like the flat backs with small to know wattles for looks but not sure if that is what I want.

I would study that pullet and make a list of her good and bad points, then pick the cockerel that can help fix her bad points in the offspring. Back should slope slightly downward, not be flat. Do you have a copy of the Standard? On the first page of this thread, post 10, Laura has posted several links that will help you assess your birds.

If you have the space, you may want to keep a backup cockerel just in case. I don't know why, but it always seems if you just keep one, something seemingly impossible will happen to injure or kill it. (by the same token, if you keep 2 or 3, nothing will happen to any of them .)

 

[Tailfeathers]

I stopped medicating and vaccinating my birds years ago. Happy I did.

I'm not positive but I think I saw an article in the Poultry Press, probably by Kenny Troiano, that said the feather-legged gene was dominant vice recessive. I just read a couple of times that stubs is a mutation.

Can anyone provide their source for that. I like to keep those things on hand.

God Bless,

Royce

 

[Pathfinders]

I have a question...I hatched 7 Buckeyes this summer out of about 20 shipped eggs. Bummer but it is what it is...well, 6 of the seven have turned out to be cockerels. I would like to pick out the best of the 6 to keep with my one pullet. Some of the cockerels have kind of medium wattles which look a little too big to me--are smaller wattled what I should be looking for? Most of the birds with larger wattles have pretty steep tail angles(more than 40 percent) which makes their backs look kind of short. Two of the birds have pretty flat backs and tails which I like the looks of but this might be from raising my heritage RIRs. All seem to have pretty good combs. Any help on what I should be looking for? I just like the flat backs with small to know wattles for looks but not sure if that is what I want.

If you don't already have an APA Standard of Perfection, that's the first thing to do, get one. Reading that and looking at the photos will help you determine which bird to keep. As well, there are a number of good pages at the ALBC website about how to assess birds (I don't know if I can list them in this message, will send you a PM with the links.)

Also, check the "old" Buckeye thread, which is chock full of good info and photos, which will help you determine which one you want to keep. Find it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/271644/buckeye-breed-thread

 

[007medic]

Redbug, when you're evaluating your cockerels I encourage you to make observations of them separately as well as in the group. When in the group you can see who is more dominant, who has the larger shanks, wider head, broadest back etc. but, when you observe and evaluate individuals you get to see them unaffected by the flock dynamic. The two cockerels that have the lower tail angle may be keeping it lower because they are lower on the pecking order. Once you get them off on their own, you may find that they hold their tail at a completely different angle. While your doing your individual assessments, be sure to check for a decent slate bar in the back, too much fluff (being where you are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down at the bottom of SC you want to select for less fluff), a good heart girth and wings with uniform primaries with correct color. An old breeder once told me "you get your color and size from the boys and type and productivity from the girls" so bear that in mind.

 

[buffalogal]

Quote: www.google.com. With internet search engines, the more specific you can be with your request, the more relevant the results. For example, type in "feather stubs chicken recessive" and you'll get close to 60,000 results in 0.14 seconds.

 

[buffalogal]

That is interesting to me. I have three sweet grass poults we are running with the chickens and peafowl. I will have to research this further. The one thing I worry about is black head as its transferable to peafowl and I've "heard" chickens are carriers lol! Thxs for the tidbit.

You will also find www.google.com to be a valuable resource, with enough information on the transmission of blackhead from chickens to turkeys and peafowl to keep you busy all day. It's why you don't want to put poults and peachicks out with chickens, and why you will want to put your flock on a regular worming schedule if you are planning to range them together once they are grown. There are also a number of papers available about why the herpesvirus of turkeys helps confer an immunity to Mareks in chickens.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Yes, that is it! and it makes the news often ... they think the fungus is actually something that has been around a long time, but pesicide usage has reduced bat immunity and they are dying....... they think the very same thing is happening to honey bees and their being infested with mites.

When done right - most farms don't even need pesticide OR fertilizer ..... ;( I don't mean to preach - but jeez, I don't want to hand pollinate all my apples. !

 

[cgmccary]

New topic as I didn't see the original question answered. Who vaccinates their hatches and what type of vaccines do you give? I've been trying to decide if we will start.

I do not vaccinate for anything NOR do I use medicated starter. I did both when I first begin keeping chickens; however, I found it is better to breed for resistance and that has worked for me. I have virtually no disease. Last year, I had a couple of birds to succumb to heat stress.

I also breed from older roosters & hens who have survived heat stress (in the South, the heat and humidity are atrocious), Marek's (I no longer see it but used to have a couple of cases per year) and fowl pox has been eliminated (I never had the bad kind).

Chris

 

[Metella]

Chris - that is what I was thinking ... that once I get a little flock going that is hardy in Vermont - I will use the birds that are older as the parent birds - ensuring they have what it takes in my area .... and then not feeding the medicate starter .... knowing at first I may have a higher loss rate.

What ages do you consider "older" ? I would say for my situation at least living and coming out in good shape from 2 winters ....? but am just forming my ideas on this.