The Buckeye Thread

[Pathfinders]

Not sure what you're asking about. Do you mean the red color on his legs?

 

[MunchiesChicks]

Yes sorry... been a busy morning my thoughts are everywhere. His legs were so pretty and yellow and today they are red. None of my other chickens legs are red.

 

[Pathfinders]

Aha! Nothing to be worried about. The redness is actually a sign of virility, meaning he's mature enough to breed females. Probably excited to be around your girls.

 

[MunchiesChicks]

Aha! Nothing to be worried about. The redness is actually a sign of virility, meaning he's mature enough to breed females. Probably excited to be around your girls.  

Oh! Haha I was thinking I was going to pay for not keeping them away from my main flock no thanks to my teen lol. None of my girls want anything to do with the big brute hes 2-3 times bigger than them. One actually started pecking and chest bumping him. So will it go away? Will it affect judging? I'm sure in his teenage state this is going to be a norm for awhile?!

 

[Pathfinders]

Not going to go away, and not going to affect judging. Normal as can be. Judges will just take it as a sign of a male mature enough to breed. No worries.

 

[Wynette]

Folks, after discussion, and due to the fact that this thread has required such heavy moderation on more than one occasion, it was decided that this thread would remain closed for a day.

We would like for everyone to heed this note, refer to the very first post by Happy Chooks, and refresh yourself by re-reading the rules (which are found under TOS below).

BYC welcomes ALL Buckeye folks; we honor everyone from the judges who so graciously give of their time to submit feedback & suggestions, club members, show winners, and top breeders, right on down to the novice and everyone in between. A L L must follow the rules of BYC, which exist for peace, courtesy, and friendliness. This is the ethos of BYC. We do not permit verbal brawling or sniping.

We take no "sides" as to one vision of the breed vis a vis another. We take no sides in differing clubs and their members. We do not judge posts as being "factual" or accurate in content. In fact, many posts here (just as in all the breed threads) are not accurate nor give the best information; however, we allow a friendly, helpful discussion process, by which good information rises to the top and we allow our members to sort out this information for themselves.

We do not discuss moderation of members and grant everyone that courtesy. You may not know if the staff has moderated another member's posts, nor the nature of that moderation. Therefor, do not make assumptions.

Folks, the bickering, arguing, name calling, arrogant behavior we have seen in this thread all too often is not doing the breed any favors. I have personally received several PMs from "both sides" indicating that the arguing occurs because misinformation is posted and the truth needs to be stated.

Just stop.

If you are TRULY here to learn, share knowledge, offer feedback in an effort to celebrate the Buckeye and move the breed forward, you will stop all the arguing. Please be mature enough to look past personal issues, and set good examples for our youth.

 

[slfarms]

We are back open for business. Let's talk buckeyes.

What kind of winter prep does everyone do?

 

[cgmccary]

I am glad to see the thread open again. Thanks to the moderators.

I did want to comment about bathing birds before shows. I have bathed some of my show birds, and some I have not. I have not shown enough or have enough experience to notice whether it makes a difference in showing or not with the Buckeye. I would think it would make a bigger difference with a white bird (or a lighter colored bird that showed dirt OR a visibly dirty bird).

Another point: I raise my birds free range, and I have always felt like my younger birds were wilder acting than they should be for a show (especially the cockerels). I worried about this at my first show in 2009. ( I envisioned my birds jumping and bringing down the cages.) However, I noticed a bath seems to calm them down a bit. {I am told the wildlife rehab centers bathe birds of prey as soon as they arrive at the center because of the calming effect of a bath. Several times, I have rescued hurt birds and taken them to the center in Birmingham.} My birds dig in cow, donkey and mule manure so their legs sometimes are covered or stained with the black poop. A bath thoroughly cleans them.

If you do choose to bathe your bird for a show, then you should do so about a week before a show. Otherwise, their feathers won't recover the natural oils if done close to the show date. Also, if I bathe a bird once then show at more than one show, I do not bathe the bird a second time. I noticed one time when I did this, it made the bird look ragged.

I am curious to hear other's opinions & experiences and am open to differing points of view.

 

[PA Farmer24]

I am glad to see the thread open again. Thanks to the moderators.

I did want to comment about bathing birds before shows. I have bathed some of my show birds, and some I have not. I have not shown enough or have enough experience to notice whether it makes a difference in showing or not with the Buckeye. I would think it would make a bigger difference with a white bird (or a lighter colored bird that showed dirt OR a visibly dirty bird).

Another point: I raise my birds free range, and I have always felt like my younger birds were wilder acting than they should be for a show (especially the cockerels). I worried about this at my first show in 2009. ( I envisioned my birds jumping and bringing down the cages.) However, I noticed a bath seems to calm them down a bit. {I am told the wildlife rehab centers bathe birds of prey as soon as they arrive at the center because of the calming effect of a bath. Several times, I have rescued hurt birds and taken them to the center in Birmingham.} My birds dig in cow, donkey and mule manure so their legs sometimes are covered or stained with the black poop. A bath thoroughly cleans them.

If you do choose to bathe your bird for a show, then you should do so about a week before a show. Otherwise, their feathers won't recover the natural oils if done close to the show date. Also, if I bathe a bird once then show at more than one show, I do not bathe the bird a second time. I noticed one time when I did this, it made the bird look ragged.

I am curious to hear other's opinions & experiences and am open to differing points of view.

Chris do you believe that maybe just bathing their legs and not the feathers would be better and still have the calming affect? Not sure I never tired to bath a bird so I don't have any experience on it. But I can see and agree on what you are saying regarding birds that are free ranged and thes do and will be cruddy over time. I guess that's why a lot of OEGB showers tend to keep their birds in special pens/cages and only let them out certain times.

 

[cgmccary]

Chris do you believe that maybe just bathing their legs and not the feathers would be better and still have the calming affect? Not sure I never tired to bath a bird so I don't have any experience on it. But I can see and agree on what you are saying regarding birds that are free ranged and thes do and will be cruddy over time. I guess that's why a lot of OEGB showers tend to keep their birds in special pens/cages and only let them out certain times.

I don't know if just their legs being bathed would have the same effect. When I am weighing birds, I clean their legs and feet so my scales don't get filthy. Probably, the young cockerel, being under water with just their head exposed, calms him. I know the first time I bathed a chicken, I thought it was very difficult, but it got easier with practice. Sometimes I have not had the time to bathe or had to substitute so they did not get a bath.