The Buckeye Thread

[knittychickadee]

My Buckeye pullets have always kept laying straight thru the winter, no heat lamps or lights. If they don't, select those that do and cull the rest. Hens, I have always selected the ones that molted the latest and the quickest, and culled out the others. This keeps them laying as long as possible into fall/early winter. A couple months to molt and they are back to laying in Jan-Feb when natural daylight starts lengthening. And no, molting in Nov or Dec doesn't seem to bother them coldwise, in the least. I have gone out to pick up a prickly pinfeather hen off the roost to check her warmth in the night and she will be as hot as a little stove. The other important things, for me, for winter laying are high quality feed, making sure they go into the winter weather in excellent condition, checking the birds condition often throughout the winter (by putting my hands on them) to make sure they are getting enough calories to both hold their weight and put out eggs in frigid temps, check them regularly for mites etc, going to roost with a full crop, and PLENTY of fresh water. I also like to treat with fresh veggies/fruits that are full of moisture. Zucchinis, squashes, apples, bunches of kale, etc keep them busy in nasty weather and well hydrated.

 

[Blueface]

I was under the impression that the weighs are an average so to speak,  with 20% up or down as acceptable. Is this not applicable to the buckeyes too?

My 12000 post! whoot!

Nope, it's not an average. The standard weight is the numbers I listed. Anything that exceeds 20% either up or down from the weight listed for the breed, sex and age is a disqualification. That being said, there is no deduction in points for the first pound over or under by the APA standard based on sex and age. That is why I mention 10+ lbs; anything larger would considered breeding away from the SOP.

I recently read about a breeder breeding a 10+ lb (almost 11 lbs) cock and bragging about size.......size is all well and good but males that big are going to literally destroy the females! The poor things are going to get broken down and backs/hips tore open by the spurs and prop toes due to the weight! Not to mention the increased feed consumption. Nettie Metcalf wanted approximately a 9 lb male! Good luck breeding this season

 

[Blueface]

I also encourage everyone to do their homework when looking into purchasing new fowl in general. I bought some eggs from a "breeder" in Indiana last year thinking I might actually get something useful....boy was I wrong! They were complete junk........not even worth killing......I'm lucky if the males will even make 6 lbs! Skinny heads, real narrow built birds, terrible feather quality.....they are a mess! There was a person here who publicaly took some credit for these things! More or less told me that they would help my breeding program .

The point to my story is not everybody looks at buckeyes the way Nettie Metcalf wanted them bred. Do your homework!!

I'd also like to add that a real "breeder" doesn't change their breeding stock every 2-3 years! That barely offers enough time to get two generations of birds. That is not a breeder.......they are propagators or a better term is a peddler! Just because someone is showing their birds doesn't necessarily make them show quality or actually competitive!

Just food for thought, so those thinking about purchasing new birds of any breed should think about it and find the breeders that take pride in what they are producing.

 

[JoshU]

I love buckeyes. I love the descriptions that are written in history on the breed. I have done a lot of studying on the buckeyes back to their inception. I have said many times that it isn't very difficult to keep them within the SOP and the correct color, type, size, shape, etc according to Nettie Metcalf descriptions and details at the same time. I want the perfect buckeye, but I won't accept anything else. That's just me. Also the reason I plan on dying with these birds in my yard. I think that all of the SOP matters, not just the color, not the type, the size or the heart girth. If it is in there, it is important.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: OK. I see.

QUestion to you and anyone with an answer--- will a larger male, say a 10 poundish male, increase the size of the adult females, or is she still more liekly to remain significantly smaller.

I think what I am trying to ask, and making a total mess if it is: as a male becomes larger and larger because of selection pressure, will the females in the flock also increase in size, or max out while male keep increasing??

 

[Blueface]

OK. I see.

QUestion to you and anyone with an answer--- will a larger male, say a 10 poundish male, increase the size of the adult females, or is she still more likey to remain significantly smaller. 

I think what I am trying to ask, and making a total mess if it is: as a male becomes larger and larger because of selection pressure,  will the females in the flock also increase in size, or max out while male keep increasing??

Yes, using a larger male will produce larger females; you run the possibility of egg production falling off a bit...I noticed it a little but nothing terrible. When ever you are increasing the size of any breed; be careful that you maintain balance within the breed and be careful that the larger males aren't too hard on the females.

 

[Apdeb]

I agree i met don schrider today and he said you need to stay on top of toenail trimming and spur smoothing or they will tear up the hens/pullets

 

[Blueface]

I agree i met don schrider today and he said you need to stay on top of toenail trimming and spur smoothing or they will tear up the hens/pullets

If you provide the birds the correct pens to scratch in; they will keep their own nails trimmed. I've never trimmed a show birds spurs ever and Use them to breed with. Rarely do I ever trim a toenail. I let the birds take care of themselves. I don't even bathe them. I provide the appropriate pens and space for them to do it.

 

[Arielle]

I agree i met don schrider today and he said you need to stay on top of toenail trimming and spur smoothing or they will tear up the hens/pullets

I found out Don was there after he had alreday left!!!! Well at least I can emial him.

Did we meet?? DId you give me an egg??

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Jason Paige mentioned he does not bathe the birds either. I like that!! I like to keep things simple. ANother fellow with another breed mentioned taking the tips off the spurs.