The Buckeye Thread

[AinaWGSD]

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.

Speaking of fat content, what is typical for young buckeye pullets? I was surprised by the amount of abdominal fat in the 6 month olds, especially the pullets, we processed last weekend. It was more than any of the spent hens I've done in the past and more than I remember the broilers we did this spring having too.

 

[Lee]

on second thought, never mind.....

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ditto all this. My Jersey Giant mentor has asked me to send her a video rather than pictures when she is helping me evaluate a chicken. I think it's much easier to evaluate via video, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I just said it was better......lol

If you can't wait, post a picture and hope the person evaluating it actually knows one end of a chicken from the other. You will really be going in the wrong direction if someone gives you some incorrect online evaluation based on a picture of a chicken. Getting a good picture of a chicken is very difficult....getting the color of the digital picture to match the chicken is almost impossible.

Finding a good mentor is a very good idea.

Walt

Note: Walt said a GOOD mentor. Just because someone breeds birds, myself included, doesn't mean they know everything and that should be your only source.

 

[cgmccary]

If you are unable to find a good mentor, then read the SOP's description of your breed, compare it with the descriptions of other breeds and then read and look at the first 40 pages of the SOP.

I also suggest you read The Call of the Hen by Walter Hogan (1918); it is available here for free:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Di...C8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=call of the hen&f=false

Also, The Livestock Conservancy has print-outs of "Selecting for Meat Qualities & Rate of Growth," "Selecting for Egg Production," "Ongoing Selection of Breeding Stock" and even a "Buckeye Chick Assessment Form." These have pictures illustrating how to do an assessment yourself. If you cannot find these Livestock Conservancy forms online, then PM me and I will send you the links.

Without a mentor, with the above, you will have a good idea of how to evaluate the birds yourself.

 

[Wynette]

good point, cg - I will often take good profile pictures of birds to evaluate and then color them in with a black Sharpie marker, and compare their profiles to the SOP and the pictures of the breed in the SOP. By coloring the pictures in, my eye focuses more on the type than color or other issues such as tightness of feather, etc.

 

[Minniechickmama]

good point, cg - I will often take good profile pictures of birds to evaluate and then color them in with a black Sharpie marker, and compare their profiles to the SOP and the pictures of the breed in the SOP. By coloring the pictures in, my eye focuses more on the type than color or other issues such as tightness of feather, etc.

Most computer photo programs now allow you to turn your picture Black and White and perhaps that can be a good way to look at your birds with a new set of eyes as well.

 

[Wynette]

Most computer photo programs now allow you to turn your picture Black and White and perhaps that can be a good way to look at your birds with a new set of eyes as well.

great idea!

 

[Minniechickmama]

great idea!

I don't mean silhouettes, just change them to black and white. I think you start seeing things that get masked by color.

 

[buffalogal]

Yes but why do you have to wait until it is show time to get your bird evaluated.You could be going in the wrong direction until show time. I think pictures are a good way to point out the color, comb, waddles, feet, and overall appearance(snip)

If I read her correctly, she had the birds evaluated by the breeder when she got them. If he or she is a knowledgeable, reputable breeder, as opposed to someone who has only had birds a year or two, then she's probably not going too far off course.
Also, FWIW, I think if her chicken waddles, she might want to get it a swimming pool.