The Buckeye Thread

[Sparky1999]

One study of the benefits.
https://sig.ias.edu/node/588

What a fascinating article! We also plan to have plenty of garden produce. I will have to look up those peppers they mentioned to try. What a fun experiment to do with our kids too!

 

[buffalogal]

The sad thing about the article is that the researcher hopes that by proving there is a benefit to feeding peppers, he can help Uganda develop a thriving export market. The reality is that if US and Chinese corporations decide that it's worth it to add peppers to chicken feed, they will probably end up lowballed out of the market. Unlike coffee, peppers are simply too easy to grow for it to be otherwise.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Sarah,
Very good articles. Another way chickens can benefit an impoverished nation. I love it!
I am going to talk to our 4-H club this next meeting about donating chickens to the Heifer organization. I think it will be an inspiring thing for us to talk about.
I do feed peppers to the chickens from the garden. They are not their favorite thing to eat, but they will eat them after a while. They prefer the cukes and tomatoes and the softer tissue items more. I am going to ask friends for the pumpkins after Halloween to give to my birds since I didn't grow any this year. I love seeing them halfway into a jack-o-lantern with their butt sticking out! Or a watermelon.

So, it is tabasco peppers that were mentioned. We like growing a lot of peppers, so maybe these will go in the garden next to the pasture and we can dehydrate and grind them for feeding in winter. Now, to find the time to do it all.

 

[slfarms]

Sarah,
Very good articles.  Another way chickens can benefit an impoverished nation.  I love it!
I am going to talk to our 4-H club this next meeting about donating chickens to the Heifer organization.  I think it will be an inspiring thing for us to talk about.
I do feed peppers to the chickens from the garden.  They are not their favorite thing to eat, but they will eat them after a while.  They prefer the cukes and tomatoes and the softer tissue items more.  I am going to ask friends for the pumpkins after Halloween to give to my birds since I didn't grow any this year.  I love seeing them halfway into a jack-o-lantern with their butt sticking out!  Or a watermelon.  
So, it is tabasco peppers that were mentioned.  We like growing a lot of peppers, so maybe these will go in the garden next to the pasture and we can dehydrate and grind them for feeding in winter.  Now, to find the time to do it all.

Thanks . I grew peppers this last summer to dehydrate for the parrots. I think I'll give some to the chooks as well and see if the benefits both articles talk about work.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Thanks . I grew peppers this last summer to dehydrate for the parrots. I think I'll give some to the chooks as well and see if the benefits both articles talk about work.

Kind of cool that it can effect the flavor of the meat. I can see the benefits of using the peppers if someone is raising the CRX too to keep the fat content down. There is always a glob of it on those when I raise them.

 

[cgmccary]

I know why people feed cayenne to poultry. I was hoping to give Lee a chance to answer and further contribute to the conversation, but thanks for looking those links up on Google anyway.

I was asking about why the lack of salivary glands means birds aren't bothered by capsaicin. I suspect it's because it's an oil. The same reason why drinking water when you've eaten something spicy hot won't 'cool' your mouth, it only serves to spread the oil around. (instead, drink milk, as the oil binds to the fat in milk.)

What do you say Lee?

Buffalogal: This sounds plausible to me. I wondered about it getting in their eyes. When I fill feeders with cayenne pepper in the feed, the cayenne has blown in the air in minute amounts and caused me to sneeze and my eyes to water. It never seemed to bother the chickens' sinuses and eyes though.

The mice do have salivary glands, lol, and initially, the pepper kept them out of the feeders. Over a period of time though, I am assuming they started growing accustom to the heat because they returned and it did not seem to phase them. I now remove all the feeders each night and put them out each morning which is very labor intensive.

I buy the 5 lb cayenne pepper bags at the farmer's market; it is cheaper in bulk.

 

[MunchiesChicks]

Nice setup Angelina. Do you have better pics of your show roo and the new one you're saying you're going to be using for breeding?

I keep looking at the new boy vs the show boy and from this pic in MOP I wouldn't use the new one for breeding. I'd like to see more pics and possibly help you select if you are willing

I got them at the same time. BB has better type, Jr. has great coloring and temperament. I got Jr. because I just like him for no other reason. We were going over type and what to look for and another person who was there was holding a couple and I took one to help out. Jr. Was completely calm the whole 20 minutes I held him. When I put him with the ladies he keeps them together, prunes them not picking, and is calmer and nicer. BB he just crows and struts.

Bawk Bawk

Jr

 

[slfarms]

I got them at the same time. BB has better type, Jr. has great coloring and temperament. I got Jr. because I just like him for no other reason. We were going over type and what to look for and another person who was there was holding a couple and I took one to help out. Jr. Was completely calm the whole 20 minutes I held him. When I put him with the ladies he keeps them together, prunes them not picking, and is calmer and nicer. BB he just crows and struts.

Bawk Bawk

Jr

Good morning Angelina. I like how you point out the temperament differences on BB and JR. MHO is if you are going for a show line I would use BB as he appears to have better type from the pics you've shown.

If you are wanting egg layers only then use JR or leave him with your egg layers as protection and companionship for the hens.

You said when you bought JR the person selling was going over type with you. I'm sure they told you to look at width of back, distance between legs, are the legs under the bird in a way to show balance of body, when you look down on the head if you can see the eyes the head is to narrow, pull back the feathers and
look at the slating- is there any and if so it shouldn't be all the way to the skin and on and on and on.

Biggest thing have fun, read the sop and breed for the buckeye you envision as an winning type

 

[knittychickadee]

I got them at the same time. BB has better type, Jr. has great coloring and temperament. I got Jr. because I just like him for no other reason. We were going over type and what to look for and another person who was there was holding a couple and I took one to help out. Jr. Was completely calm the whole 20 minutes I held him. When I put him with the ladies he keeps them together, prunes them not picking, and is calmer and nicer. BB he just crows and struts.

Bawk Bawk

Jr

Munchie you follow the advice of the breeder you got them from. He had his hands on them and wasn't just going by photos. Photos alone is no way to evaluate a potential breeder.

 

[MunchiesChicks]

Munchie you follow the advice of the breeder you got them from. He had his hands on them and wasn't just going by photos. Photos alone is no way to evaluate a potential breeder.

My plan is to breed them both with the same hen and go from there. I'm also putting my leghorns with Jr. As for show, I'll let the judges point out what is good and what isn't and learn from experience. That's what my husband said, would be good to hear from them and it will also give me practice grooming and preparing. photo is never a good representation of the bird, dog, cat, horse or whatever animal that is photographed. I would never buy a horse via a photograph only hands on feeling, looking and seeing with my eyes. My sexlinks look so well rounded but when you pick them up they are pretty thin and I'm surprised they lay and egg a day and a big one at that.

I just wanted to show my boys and give an update as just a month ago I was afraid I wouldn't get one at all. If I ever have any concerns or questions I will ask the breeder. I learned a great deal from hands on at the farm for 3 hours and I'm sure I could use hours more. Everyone is an expert with their own ideas of what should be and how it should be. I don't mind advise, it is just that.