The Buckeye Thread

[Jessimash]

I have a question. I just bought hens from a breeder, and he said the hens used to be a darker red, but the sun bleached them out. Can that happen?

 

[fowlman01]

I have a question. I just bought hens from a breeder, and he said the hens used to be a darker red, but the sun bleached them out. Can that happen?

Yes, but look at feathers that are buried to see the real color. Sun can discolor any colored feathers, but some Buckeye's are light.

Walt

 

[Minniechickmama]

Also, as birds get closer to molt, their feathering can be lighter, making it easy to distinguish the color of the new ones against those getting ready to drop.

 

[joecarrr]

My Buckeyes are about 3 months old now and doing great. I'm going to build a bigger coop for them in the next couple weeks and I'm wondering about their tendency to roost. Mine don't seem to like to roost on anything. During the middle of the day, they are always cuddled up on the ground in a corner somewhere. They have a roost ladder inside their coop and I've only seen one on it, once. Should I waste my time building something for them to roost on or are they going to just lay on the ground?

 

[Minniechickmama]

It is good to not have a roost when they are young, but as they get older, they will learn to use it and it is better if they do, especially if you live in a cold enough region that they could get frostbite. I find those birds who stay on the floor in winter suffer more toes getting nipped.

 

[joecarrr]

Ok, thanks. I will build them something to roost on. I got to watch them a lot yesterday and I do notice them trying to jump on things.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ok, thanks. I will build them something to roost on. I got to watch them a lot yesterday and I do notice them trying to jump on things.

By the time they are 5-6 months old, you won't be able to keep them off "things", so I wouldn't worry too much. If they aren't used to something, it just takes them time to adjust. Just wait until you try putting them out on the first snow! You would think that it was the tar monster that is going to suck them in. Unless you are one of those folks who lives where no such thing exists The snow I mean. LOL

 

[hellbender]

It is good to not have a roost when they are young, but as they get older, they will learn to use it and it is better if they do, especially if you live in a cold enough region that they could get frostbite. I find those birds who stay on the floor in winter suffer more toes getting nipped.

Excuse me but I must in part, respectfully disagree. IMHO, it is better to provide the opportunity to roost at the earliest possible time. By the time my chicks are 3 weeks old, most are roosting on a 12" high 2X2, giving them early training and time off the dropping-strewn bedding.

If one has only 5 or 10 birds, it's feasible to clean the bedding daily but if multiple chicks are brooded together, I can not see the point of daily changing of litter, even though I get bedding at quantity pricing.

And again...good habits are best learned young.

 

[Metella]

Sigh. Great answers and help for newbies from Minichickenmommie ....

I hate the sanctimonious "my way is the only way" attitude that always comes out on this thread. If you were born and reared in a place with chickens then maybe you never had to learn from 0. Most of us have to start with nothing but book learning and observing our chickens ... then trying to do the best for them. I remember my mistakes at the begining .... I'm sure most of us have made all sorts of different ones working toward that perfect chicken set up for how our own area is set up (wet, dry, rocky, sunny ect all demand different setups)

Joecarr ask a very good question and furthermore showed he was truly thinking about the future and the welfare of his chicks ....

I've had a clutch of chicks not roost until 6 months old - other clutches almost right away .... it may depend on the boldest chick.

As they like to learn from each other. Also my chicks under hens take longer to decide they want to roost - as my hens like to bed down on the floor of the coop. I know many other people have broody hens that immediately ROOST .... so there is not just one single way to do this chicken thing.

My Point? Sharing your experiences and how you may clean or set up roosts and which works best for you is really welcome. That encourages new people to ask questions and learn and experiment and maybe even come up with a better way they can share with us. If I am reading a tone that is not meant - then don't jump on me, tell me and maybe realize the words chosen - when read by a stranger - come off as mean. If you did mean it and now realize you jumped the gun - just mentally own it and do better next time. I am so excited about my first pure Buckeyes about to hatch that I came back to this thread after leaving in disgust. I want to share and learn about this breed .... I want to share the excitement and the pictures ....

It seems that Joecarr did provide the opportunity to roost at day one .... I will assume since he cares enough to think about this he has good coop cleaning habits. I hope he shares more - like pictures of his new coop and the little ones exploring it for the first time.

 

[hellbender]

Sigh. Great answers and help for newbies from Minichickenmommie ....

I hate the sanctimonious "my way is the only way" attitude that always comes out on this thread. If you were born and reared in a place with chickens then maybe you never had to learn from 0. Most of us have to start with nothing but book learning and observing our chickens ... then trying to do the best for them. I remember my mistakes at the begining .... I'm sure most of us have made all sorts of different ones working toward that perfect chicken set up for how our own area is set up (wet, dry, rocky, sunny ect all demand different setups)

Joecarr ask a very good question and furthermore showed he was truly thinking about the future and the welfare of his chicks ....

I've had a clutch of chicks not roost until 6 months old - other clutches almost right away .... it may depend on the boldest chick.

As they like to learn from each other. Also my chicks under hens take longer to decide they want to roost - as my hens like to bed down on the floor of the coop. I know many other people have broody hens that immediately ROOST .... so there is not just one single way to do this chicken thing.

My Point? Sharing your experiences and how you may clean or set up roosts and which works best for you is really welcome. That encourages new people to ask questions and learn and experiment and maybe even come up with a better way they can share with us. If I am reading a tone that is not meant - then don't jump on me, tell me and maybe realize the words chosen - when read by a stranger - come off as mean. If you did mean it and now realize you jumped the gun - just mentally own it and do better next time. I am so excited about my first pure Buckeyes about to hatch that I came back to this thread after leaving in disgust. I want to share and learn about this breed .... I want to share the excitement and the pictures ....

It seems that Joecarr did provide the opportunity to roost at day one .... I will assume since he cares enough to think about this he has good coop cleaning habits. I hope he shares more - like pictures of his new coop and the little ones exploring it for the first time.

I haven't posted here for months but as sure as it's morning here, I'm accused of being sanctimonious but I see it in a different light. I was merely posting my point of view based upon many decades of breeding/brooding chicks and what I posted is what has been MY experience and I made that point clear and I even went so far to honestly disagree and only in part...respectfully.

As for birds that won't or worse, can't roost 'til they are more than 3/4 grown....I'll stop right here.