The Buckeye Thread

[sumi]

I am going to get some Buckeyes this spring

Welcome to the thread @Eepster The Buckeye is a lovely breed, you will not regret your choice. Who are you getting your birds from?

 

[Eepster]

I am not really looking for breeder stock, just some nice chickens. I am going to order from Meyer Hatchery. I have had success with them in the past.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Query...I see animal protein mentioned as an important factor for Buckeyes.

Where do you find bagged feed with animal protein? I thought that was illegal in the US due to the mad cow craze such that all poultry feed from manufacturers has to, by law, be vegetable protein now.

I started my bucks on 18% medicated chick starter until 5 weeks, then have had my Buck's on 22% meat raiser. but now at (checking calendar) they are 10 weeks, I am going to cut them back to 20% flock raiser since I have them in with my Rhodebar grow outs that don't need the 22% (space confinement needs).

But of course it is vegetable protein.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I too can't touch a feed bag for less than $16.99 for 50lb. The flock raiser 20% is $19.99.

I've thought of supplementing the Bucks with cat food, or fish meal, or something for animal protein...but if there is a bagged feed to purchase with animal protein, that would make life easier!

Thanks
Lady of McCamley

 

[Eepster]

And I thought $14.00 was expensive!

 

[Blueface]

An even balance of both animal and plant proteins have worked for me. Look on the feed tags; usually animal protiens are "bone meal" or something along those lines. Sometimes they actual say "animal proteins". But if they free range, good sources of protiens are worms and insects. The birds will find all of those by themselves

 

[Blueface]

I can't emphasize enough how important finding quality broodstock is. Good Genetics are what makes these birds separate themselves from other families of poultry not the super high protein feeds some people preach. If such high protein content is needed for those strains to achieve proper development it begs to ask what is wrong with them? My guess its not the problem with the birds rather the mentality of the feeder. I have a hard time accepting the idea of Nettie Metcalf running around town looking for high protein content feeds. Not once have I read that high protein feeds were required in there development or advertising of the breed back in the day!

 

[dazookeyper]

I am not really looking for breeder stock, just some nice chickens. I am going to order from Meyer Hatchery. I have had success with them in the past.

I have a Buckeye from Meyer and plan on ordering a couple more. She is only 8 weeks old but love her already and want more.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Query...I see animal protein mentioned as an important factor for Buckeyes.

Where do you find bagged feed with animal protein? I thought that was illegal in the US due to the mad cow craze such that all poultry feed from manufacturers has to, by law, be vegetable protein now.

I started my bucks on 18% medicated chick starter until 5 weeks, then have had my Buck's on 22% meat raiser. but now at (checking calendar) they are 10 weeks, I am going to cut them back to 20% flock raiser since I have them in with my Rhodebar grow outs that don't need the 22% (space confinement needs).

But of course it is vegetable protein.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I too can't touch a feed bag for less than $16.99 for 50lb. The flock raiser 20% is $19.99.

I've thought of supplementing the Bucks with cat food, or fish meal, or something for animal protein...but if there is a bagged feed to purchase with animal protein, that would make life easier!

Thanks
Lady of McCamley

Here in the midwest it is not hard to find feeds that are milled in local companies, which happen to include Land O Lakes and other big names, that use animal protein. Some are in the form of feathers that are ground into feather meal. The problem with that, is it only contain 2 amino acids that don't even begin to provide complete essential aminos. Others are in the form of pork by-products. Being that we have an abundance of pork facilities in this part of the country, as well as some big poultry outfits (MN being the number one turkey producer in the country) we have availability of animal protein that is used for feeds. Unless there is an outbreak of diseases like mad cow, I don't see the reason that those by-products would be cast off as complete waste.
All that being said, I am currently using a completely plant based feed. My birds are out on pasture and can find creepy crawlies to eat too, and any mice they may find (funny story that is about Buckeyes being mousers, by the way, no moreso than any other breed and none of them go hunting mice like a cat). I am looking at other options to add to their feedings like black soldier flies and mealworms, possible red worms grow here too. For now, they are in a big enough space that they can find extra goodies and the yolks are dark enough that I know they are finding something else.
I would say watch the cat food option since it contains too high of levels of sodium for chickens.
I also suggest looking around at all the feeds available to you. It doesn't hurt to be a good consumer when it comes to buying food for chickens, just as you would for your own food.

 

[clucknbell]

Picked up our little balls of fluff and thought I'd share- I forgot how cute they could be.

 

[poltroon]

Feed is very regional, and the feed tags don't really tell you all the story of what is in the food. My own pet peeve is that most tags don't have kcal/lb, kind of a basic point. (I choose a feed that does, and is fixed formula.) Even national brands are usually regionally produced and may not have the same formula.

This is what I'm using:
http://king-brand.com/new/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=46&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6

I pay ~$18/bag for the show & grow and $20/bag for the layer pellets. "Ordinary" layer pellets are $17. In the grand scheme of things the difference is pretty trivial compared to say the cost of going to even one show. Does it make a difference? I haven't done the clean clinical trial to know.

Protein % is the first thing on the label but it's not the only thing that is different across these feeds. The amino acid profile is important, and other minerals too. And then, there's the question of if your birds are on sterile ground inside or if they're out playing in the weeds and eating bugs. I assume that people trialled two feeds and compared their results. It's entirely reasonable that the feeds give different results and it's also not enough information to know what the reason was. Maybe the crumble size was better, maybe the calories/lb were higher, maybe it's the amino acid profile, maybe it's the freshness, maybe the % protein.

I started my most recent batch of Buckeyes on the game bird starter and they look fabulous.

What is best for the birds today is not really related to "what Nettie would do." We know more about nutrition and most of us as individuals manage birds differently than she did. Feeding something adequate to keep an organism alive versus what will bring the absolute best out of the animal is a real shift in our thinking since that time, and it applies to all species - humans, horses, sheep, chickens, cats, dogs, whatever. American grain crops aren't grown the same way. And knowing that animals in stress or in particular circumstances might need more is also a change in our thinking.

I really appreciate when anyone shares what it is they do, why they do it, and how it works for them. I listen to what they say, incorporate it into my experience, and choose my next path. I find I can be good friends with people even when they make different feed choices for their children, their horses, or their sheep. I hope those of us who feed our chickens differently can get along great too!