The Buckeye Thread

[sumi]

I am too, thinking of adding a few of this breed.

Mrs K

Great idea! Scroll a few posts up, you will see some links in @Marengoite 's signature, there is a breeders' list on those sites that you can contact for birds/hatching eggs.

 

[Blueface]

My oh my has time flown by?!?! The cold shorter winter days have left very little time to keep up with on-line activities. Chicks are out of their shells, beginning to grow and the show season is upon us. Here in Ohio were been breaking record lows about daily now. It was -18F this morning..lol.....the second time in less than a week it has been that cold. With almost a foot of snow on the ground, the buckeyes are doing great, off the roosts and into the yard at daybreak. Egg production is holding strong at 14-16 eggs a day from 24 pullets. This breed was developed for this kind of weather and is handling it very well. I have more birds this year than any other year that are ready for the show pens!! With spring around the corner as well as plenty of places to exhibit, this is a very exciting time of the year!

 

[Minniechickmama]

This thread has been quiet for too long, so I thought I would speak up.

I have about 30 Buckeyes out of the shell now. Way fewer than I would like at this time (Thanks for nothing, Mother Nature!). It is a slow start but what I do have are starting out looking like the best Buckeyes I have hatched to date and I am excited to see them this Spring and Summer on pasture to watch them finish off.
The first thing I watch, or that catches my eye, are the heads on these birds, and the ones that start with nice wide heads will stay that way, and those with narrower ones stay their course as well. I am seeing some black already on a couple who will make their way to a freezer or a laying flock somewhere. I don't mind some black down the road (depending on where it comes up), but not as month old juvies.

I am excited to start sharing these lovely little buggers too. I candled last night on a batch I set last week and I should be able to ship out my first batch of the season from that one. I am sure the buyer is looking forward to them as well.

I wish all you other Buckeye nuts out there great success in your hatching and raise these wonderful fowl this year!

 

[kickin chicken]

I thought I'd liven things up a little with a chick update. They are growing fast and eating a ton. I've been keeping the feeder topped off and supplementing with boiled egg and about anything else I can find. I'm pretty amazed at how much they eat.

I had to move them from the 40 gallon feed tank that they started in, to a 40 inch square box. They are just too active, and I think they appreciate the extra space. Also they are starting to feather out and showing some nice dark pigment mahogany pigment. I think I'm off to a good start with these buckeyes. Tell me what you think.

 

[Regin]

23 Buckeyes
14 Bresse
5 Silkies
4 Bantam Chocolate Orpingtons

 

[kickin chicken]

Love the silkies. They look almost shaggy in the picture.

 

[bantyhen]

I love Buckeyes!

 

[Blueface]

Show season is gearing up!! I have more fowl than ever to show this year, its very exciting..... 2014 was my best show year to-date having 4 different birds selected for champion row and was on Champion row in 5 different shows.

 

[Regin]

Show season is gearing up!! I have more fowl than ever to show this year, its very exciting..... 2014 was my best show year to-date having 4 different birds selected for champion row and was on Champion row in 5 different shows.

Looking forward to seeing your newest champions!

How are your LF pullets coming along this year? I loved the one you won with and had pictures up of this past year! Are you getting chicks from her, or her parent stock?

 

[Blueface]

Looking forward to seeing your newest champions!

How are your LF pullets coming along this year?  I loved the one you won with and had pictures up of this past year!  Are you getting chicks from her, or her parent stock?

My pullets are wonderful, the one that did well was the least of 4 sisters....she was just in best feather that day and that is why she was at the show. What I admire most is their ability to stay dark in color and maintain a black slate bar. They are roughly 11 months old now and all weigh 6 lbs.... They will mature to be standard weight easily. Thick bodies, drums, shanks and wide skulls. They are very proportionate without the excess plumage in their hips and on the back. Surely an asset to my breeding program. That was from one of my matings last year. The females far exceeded the males in this direction.
I had several other matings and the males shined more in some and others were a complete wash. What's important is I'm getting a complete look at how my fowl cross and learning the advantages/disadvantages as well as how some traits dominate others.
From my short time with breeding this family of fowl, The single most challenging task is maintaining or understanding how to maintain color. Judge after judge likes that rich mag agony color.....breeding for type has become fairly reproducible and only took me two years to achieve it.....most of my fowl are now reaching the standard mature weight at 12 months of age even before the first molt.
I can remember old debates about the importance of type and how challenging it was to maintain......I completely agree that type is very important and defines a breed but for the buckeye, I'm finding that type came and has become uncomplicated to maintain. Head and shank size often dictate the quality of bird if reared properly. Health, feather quality, and color are the great dividers.....a buckeyes color is complicated.... The rich sheen, proper shade, even shade, depth in color, undercolor..... It's not easy and certainly shouldn't fade, lighten, or become splotchy. Nettie wanted a consistent deep rich mahogany colored fowl that HAD undercolor....her words!
Understanding how your birds cross and how to maximize the results in quality will allow you to breed a better class of poultry..... It has worked for me. Just because a bird is chosen doesn't mean it is what it actually should be..if the competition is bleak, an inferior bird can place simply due to the lack of options...it's how the flock does over time; generation after generation....consistency! The ability to continually improve and maintain a competitive nature allows a breeder to appreciate their efforts. I know this first hand....Champ was lightening in a bottle for me....on champion row 10xs.....but to reproduce that is key! To have the capability to breed males as well as females that can compete. Using Champ selectively, he has sired and grand sired multiple fowl of his quality (some better) that have competed. The program is young but it is vastly improving! I look forward to future generations with my buckeyes!!!
I had a difficult time this year selecting fowl..... But after much consideration; I feel that the best matings are in place to optimize both my show and breeding stock.