The Buckeye Thread

[Sydney Acres]

All very good and interesting information. I'll stick with the program and see what happens.
Towards the end of the day, just before I let them out of the tractor to free range before dark and coop lockdown, I threatened to eat them all if I didn't get my eggs...hahaha. Thirty minutes later, I had two eggs.

Oh, you've got those fancy listening Buckeyes!

 

[SkeeterBaGaw]

Out of curiosity, if anyone else has a mixed flock of different breeds, do they find that their Buckeyes are always at the bottom of the pecking order? I am also finding that my buckeyes seem to have more skin irritation than my other breeds (I think the dark plumage could possibly be attracting more pests - especially here in Florida), and that laying eggs seems more difficult for my buckeyes than my other breeds. Just some observations I'm making as a first time chicken mom. Of course, they are still lovely, polite, mild-mannered, curious, gentle, and AMAZING insectivores. When free ranging, they have a knack for immediately finding the place in the yard with the most insects, while the other breeds seem more-or-less oblivious.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Out of curiosity, if anyone else has a mixed flock of different breeds, do they find that their Buckeyes are always at the bottom of the pecking order? I am also finding that my buckeyes seem to have more skin irritation than my other breeds (I think the dark plumage could possibly be attracting more pests - especially here in Florida), and that laying eggs seems more difficult for my buckeyes than my other breeds. Just some observations I'm making as a first time chicken mom. Of course, they are still lovely, polite, mild-mannered, curious, gentle, and AMAZING insectivores. When free ranging, they have a knack for immediately finding the place in the yard with the most insects, while the other breeds seem more-or-less oblivious.

I have a single Buckeye pullet (ordered 10, but the breeder was short that week) that is part of an 11 month old flock with one Speckled Sussex pullet, one Barnevelder pullet, one Speckled Sussex cockerel, and seven turkeys (non-broad breasted). (Yes, I know, weird flock -- it was supposed to be seven turkeys, 10 Buckeyes, and 10 Speckled Sussex, but plans don't always match supply, and all the substitutes except the one Barnevelder pullet have been culled.) They free range over an acre. There were a few other Barnevelders and Speckled Sussex before culling, and those two breeds each tended to separate off into their individual groups when young, leaving poor single Buttercup (the Buckeye) to move from BV to SS to turkey group, looking for the right clique but never really fitting in. She was never really picked on, but she is at the bottom of the pecking order, even though she is the largest of the three remaining pullets. Both she and Misty (the SS pullet) are equally good and very assertive foragers, essentially working from dawn to dusk turning over the yard, while the other birds casually forage or just hang out. The SS cockerel stands over Misty about half the time to watch for eagles while she works, and Buttercup works independently. She seems unconcerned that she is not surrounded by a flock or protected by a rooster. When the gate to their acre is open she will independently explore the rest of the farm, and occasionally mingles with my Red Dorking/Croad Langshan flock of 22 adult birds. She just walks right in with no concerns about being attacked, forages in their acre for a few hours, then returns to her own yard.

I suspect if I had more aggressive breeds or individuals that she would be quite picked on, as she is a sweet bird that is very willing to walk away from a fight. But I don't keep any individuals that are bullies or cause stress to my flocks, and there is plenty of room and plenty to do, so there's really nothing to fight about. Even though there is a pecking order, there is really not a lot of pecking going on, so even those on the bottom aren't stressed.

She does not have any skin problems, but I'm in the Pacific NW, so our biggest insect problem is 5-10 evenings of biting gnats every spring, and some mosquitoes throughout the summer, both of which are kept to a minimum by the numerous Barn Swallows that nest in my barn and have hungry chicks to feed by day, plus a little dry ice about 25 feet away from the coops, just below the ultraviolet bug zapper by night (the dry ice releases CO2, which is what attracts biting insects to their prey from a good distance away, and the UV light attracts insects that are close by into the zapper). Dark plumage does attract more biting insects than light colors, and you have more than enough biting pests in FL, so that could be an issue, although usually their dense feathers protect them from the majority of flying pests.. Have you checked for mites or other external parasites?? Even if you don't find any, if you think the skin irritation is due to insect bites instead of fighting, dusting her with permethrin might help repel some of the bugs.

I've not had any problems with Buttercup laying eggs. She's amazing. She started laying in mid-March, about a month after Misty, and those two girls each lay 5-6 eggs per week. Buttercup did have one episode where things got out of coordination a few weeks ago -- she laid an egg that was about 1/2 to 1/3 normal size. It had just a tiny strip of yolk in it, about the size of a small white navy bean, with normal egg white around it. Then about 10 hours later (the next morning) she laid a soft shelled egg in the middle of the yard -- I didn't get a chance to see the intact yolk because another bird ate it within moments of it hitting the ground, spreading yolk material over the grass. Then about four hours later she was listless, got on her roost and seemed to have some abdominal cramping, but she was still willing to eat. I gave her some antiinflammatory pain medication, and an hour later she felt great, went out in the yard and passed a large amount of what looked like thin egg white. After that she was fine, and was back to her normal laying schedule 2 days later. I suspect that a yolk broke open when it was ovulated and came down the oviduct in two separate parts, causing the whole egg producing mechanism to fall out of coordination, but it was a one-time incident that has resolved. At this point both she and Misty are co-brooding, peacefully sharing the same nestbox on ceramic eggs. With first year pullets that I think have great potential to be either good breeding stock (conformation, size, and temperament) or good mothers (temperament), I typically let them brood for a few weeks to evaluate their willingness to hold a brood, how well they take care of themselves while brooding (because you don't want to propagate the broody who goes into such a deep trance that she has to be tube fed to survive), and how aggressive they are while brooding (I want hens that are protective enough to warn me off, even though they are tame pets who know me, but not attack aggressively enough to draw blood). It's been 5 days so far, and she's doing great -- getting off the nest 2-3 times a day, just long enough to keep from getting stiff and all the essential functions, then right back on the ceramic eggs. She puffs up and does a little broody scream when I approach, but doesn't do anything to me when I pet her or reach under her to handle the eggs. Nice quiet, dedicated broody that stays on the nest and doesn't fight with the other broody, so is unlikely to break eggs or trample chicks because she's too high strung or aggressive. So far, ideal mama material. I typically break their brood after two weeks, and if they did well they will be given 6-8 eggs to hatch on their brood next year to see if they do well with real chicks.

So overall, she is at the bottom of the pecking order, but is not overly shy or timid. Non-aggressive. Not a troublemaker. Excellent worker. Quite independent. Healthy and vigorous, with excellent skin and plumage. Reproductively sound with good egg laying record, fertile eggs, and good broody habits and temperament so far. Nice conformation and slow steady growth, reaching 2 lbs by 9 weeks, 3.7 lbs by 14 weeds, 5.7 lbs by 20 weeks, 6.6 lbs at 28 weeks, and 7 lbs at 11 months (SOP is 6.5 lbs for a hen, so she'll finalize at 1/2 - 3/4 lb over, but it's all muscle on a nice long back, so I'm happy with it). Overall a great bird. Some day I may get more and breed them, but am not ready to set up additional pedigree breeding runs right now. I might hatch out some of her Buckeye X Speckled Sussex eggs, as the combination of her thighs and his breast should make some DELICIOUS free range meat birds.

 

[Blueface]

Feeding time is a great part of the day! This is around half of them.

Here is the other half.

 

[SkeeterBaGaw]

...I suspect if I had more aggressive breeds or individuals that she would be quite picked on, as she is a sweet bird that is very willing to walk away from a fight. But I don't keep any individuals that are bullies or cause stress to my flocks, and there is plenty of room and plenty to do, so there's really nothing to fight about. Even though there is a pecking order, there is really not a lot of pecking going on, so even those on the bottom aren't stressed.

She does not have any skin problems, but I'm in the Pacific NW, so our biggest insect problem is 5-10 evenings of biting gnats every spring, and some mosquitoes throughout the summer, both of which are kept to a minimum by the numerous Barn Swallows that nest in my barn and have hungry chicks to feed by day, plus a little dry ice about 25 feet away from the coops, just below the ultraviolet bug zapper by night (the dry ice releases CO2, which is what attracts biting insects to their prey from a good distance away, and the UV light attracts insects that are close by into the zapper). Dark plumage does attract more biting insects than light colors, and you have more than enough biting pests in FL, so that could be an issue, although usually their dense feathers protect them from the majority of flying pests.. Have you checked for mites or other external parasites?? Even if you don't find any, if you think the skin irritation is due to insect bites instead of fighting, dusting her with permethrin might help repel some of the bugs.

So overall, she is at the bottom of the pecking order, but is not overly shy or timid. Non-aggressive. Not a troublemaker. Excellent worker. Quite independent. Healthy and vigorous, with excellent skin and plumage. Reproductively sound with good egg laying record, fertile eggs, and good broody habits and temperament so far.

Thanks for all the feedback, Sydney Acres! Definitely have some good insight about the buckeyes. I agree that buckeyes, in general, seem to be non-aggressive and independent. I suspect that the conflict in my run arises from the fact that my other breeds are more aggressive and certainly more confrontational. The buckeyes would be happier to just roam around and mind their own business (that much is obvious when they are free ranging!), so when they try to avoid conflict in the run there is not much opportunity for them to get away. Hence the fighting and the pecking. I agree that the dark plumage is attracting more pests. I routinely check their skin for irritants, but so far they are doing a good job keeping the pests at bay with their dust baths. Great idea about the dry ice and the UV light. Considering the staggering amount of bugs in north Florida, I think it might be about time to invest in something along those lines. It's only bound to get worse as the heat and humidity rise!

Interesting the hear about how independent Buttercup is! I think that my buckeyes would be happy to just break away from the flock and do their own thing if I let them. When they free range, I typically "herd" them so that they stay within a certain range of the other hens. Buttercup sounds like she marches to her own beat - very cute! I also get the sense that my buckeyes would be good mama hens. Maybe one day

Thanks for all the feedback! Loved hearing about your buckeye experience!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Out of curiosity, if anyone else has a mixed flock of different breeds, do they find that their Buckeyes are always at the bottom of the pecking order? I am also finding that my buckeyes seem to have more skin irritation than my other breeds (I think the dark plumage could possibly be attracting more pests - especially here in Florida), and that laying eggs seems more difficult for my buckeyes than my other breeds. Just some observations I'm making as a first time chicken mom. Of course, they are still lovely, polite, mild-mannered, curious, gentle, and AMAZING insectivores. When free ranging, they have a knack for immediately finding the place in the yard with the most insects, while the other breeds seem more-or-less oblivious.

My flock is mixed between breeding/hatching seasons. I do not find that my Buckeyes are low on the pecking order at all. Some of the hens are actually higher on the roost then most others, and they don't take much crap off the cockerels around either. The only time I see a bird picked on is if something is wrong with it. I think that if there are parasites bothering that one bird, it is likely due to there being something "off" with it, rather than the color. I find that birds that have some well masked illness or disease going on that they are stressed physically, I will find crawlies on them that are easily visible.
That being said, each birds kind of has its own personality, so maybe she just is that way. I would look it over well and try clearing up any parasites (lice, mites, etc.) Provide them with a good clean, dry, dusting box with Sevin dust or DE if your birds are free from external parasites, as a preventive measure. Having lived in Florida, I know there are bugs in the sandy soil we don't have up here in the North that enjoy bothering all sorts of man and beast, so I would think you would be more vigilant in that region of the country for them?
Good luck with her. Maybe getting Buckeyes from a different source may be a good answer too, each strain comes with their own 'micro' qualities that set it apart from the next.
Good luck.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Is there any way to build a separate run for the Buckeyes so they can avoid conflict? If not, can you put various sight barriers within your run that the bullied girls can get behind to make them a less-obvious target, or elevated perches to get out of the way of the other birds? Or maybe even divide the run in half -- everyone would have less space, but the sacrifice might be worth it if they could get some peace?

I have many friends who got the "variety pack" of chicks from a feed store or a hatchery, and every single one of them have problems within their flock from bullying. Several people are so tired of the fighting that they wish they'd never gotten chickens in the first place (but aren't willing to cull or rehome problem birds, unfortunately). Problems range from poor plumage (due to fighting, stress, and sometimes being unable to get enough food), poor growth, poor egg production, excess shyness or timidness or aggression (from always needing to defend themselves), recurrent illness, excess parasitism (stress sabotages the immune system, which normally keeps all but the most severe parasite problems under control), short lifespans, etc.

Anyone who's read my posts over the last year knows I'm not a fan of close confinement management, but I do recognize that it is by far the most common method for keeping chickens, for a variety of reasons. But even with close confinement management, there are many things that can be done to make their lives less stressful and more interesting. Preventing excessive bullying is extremely important, regardless of the amount of space in the run. A bird with half the space (within reason, of course) that's not getting attacked regularly is much happier than a bird with twice the space but no where to hide.

I think it is unfortunate that hatcheries sell "assortments specials" without consideration of temperament. I understand that they have to get rid of their extra chicks and these assortments benefit the hatchery, while giving the buyer a "fun" assortment of birds at a discount price. But it rarely turns out "fun" for the birds when aggressive, dominant breeds are mixed with calm, submissive breeds in close confinement. (That's not to say that there won't be bullying within a single breed, but there is typically less variation of temperament, so the problem isn't usually as severe.) Whenever people get these breed assortments, some level of bullying has to be expected, and plans to control it should be in place.

OK, sorry, I'll get off my soapbox. I'm not accusing anyone of mismanagement, or saying that all fighting can be avoided, or that all mixed flocks are headed for disaster. It's just that one of my "friends" just had a sweet, loving, always terrified little Buff Orpington hen killed by its aggressive flockmates this week after living a year of constant, unrelenting bullying with no way to escape. I discussed the problem and numerous solutions with her many times, and even offered to buy the materials and build a separate coop with run for her myself, if she would just separate the bullies from the bullied. But she didn't want to have to take care of two coops, and she didn't want to put up barriers or build hide tunnels or even extra perches that would make cleaning the run a tiny bit more work, and now the bird on the bottom of the pecking order is dead and the bullies are working their way up the list, with no relief in sight. So the subject is a little raw for me!!! I hope I didn't offend anyone.

 

[slfarms]

Ok guys does anyone have a coat of arms I can borrow? The mutt chicks I mentioned have hatched under the broody turkey and she's acting like she's going to take my face off.

Sigh time to brave the dragon turkey lol

Nice pics Blueface. Love the color consistency on the biddies.

 

[Wasson6Pack]

Ok guys does anyone have a coat of arms I can borrow? The mutt chicks I mentioned have hatched under the broody turkey and she's acting like she's going to take my face off.

Sigh time to brave the dragon turkey lol

Nice pics Blueface. Love the color consistency on the biddies.

In one of the Flicka movies she takes an umbrella in with her to gather the eggs because of the rooster. She then opens and closed the umbrella quickly to scare the rooster from attacking. Just an idea

 

[sumi]

Ok guys does anyone have a coat of arms I can borrow? The mutt chicks I mentioned have hatched under the broody turkey and she's acting like she's going to take my face off.

Sigh time to brave the dragon turkey lol

Nice pics Blueface. Love the color consistency on the biddies.

I only have a bike helmet I could lend you, but I'm going to need it back on Friday

Strong gloves, long sleeves and good luck! And congrats on the hatch!