The Buckeye Thread

[11mini]

She has free choice Layena Plus, fresh water in a bucket/nipple system, grit and oyster shell available at all times.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have two general Buckeye questions, I realize it could vary by genetic lines but are they more or less broody than other breeds? Are they very heat tolerant? I have a one year old Buckeye I bought last fall at about 4 months old. She started laying early this year the first of February and has been laying 4 or 5 eggs per week. The last two weeks she has been acting kind of odd sitting a lot in the run during the day and sometimes sitting in the nest box but no eggs for over 1 week now. It has been hot for this area, normally would be mid 70's it has been 80-90 over the last two weeks. There was an odd poop under her roost about a week ago looked like possibly a broken egg but later that day she laid an egg with a paper thin shell. She has not laid since then 8-9 days now. I am trying to figure out if the heat has her off or maybe she is trying to be broody or if there is a more serious problem like internal laying or peritonitis. Thanks in advance.

 

[11mini]

Feel her abdomen and see if there is any hardness to it, or lumps that feel odd or like there is an egg stuck in her. If she is an internal layer, you wouldn't know until she was full of gunk. Usually with peritonitis, you will notice a fluid build-up in the abdomen, like a water balloon. I hope it is just the weather, but good luck in figure it out and getting her back to laying.
As for broodiness... I think it can be more prevalent in some lines more than others. However, I rarely have broody Buckeyes myself, but goodb has birds from my line and he has had a few of them brood this year. I don't like broodies and don't encourage it either though, and Bryan has some nice cozy, snuggly nests for his birds. I suppose it could be an argument for nature vs. nurture?

Her abdomen does not feel swollen to me. I did a cloacal exam and did not find a stuck egg. We just broke a record here for consecutive days (5) over 90 degrees. It is supposed to be cooling down this week hopefully it is the weather, I know these are not a good winter layer either.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Her abdomen does not feel swollen to me. I did a cloacal exam and did not find a stuck egg. We just broke a record here for consecutive days (5) over 90 degrees. It is supposed to be cooling down this week hopefully it is the weather, I know these are not a good winter layer either.

Keep plenty of clean water out for the birds, and hopefully it will cool down. For us, July is generally pretty cooking, but so far not too bad with heat. Today we did have a air quality alert going from the fires burning in Canada that the wind out of the north blew bad juju our way. The sky was so hazy we couldn't believe it and the visibility was really low. Crazy how things like that can happen.

 

[goodb]

Feel her abdomen and see if there is any hardness to it, or lumps that feel odd or like there is an egg stuck in her. If she is an internal layer, you wouldn't know until she was full of gunk. Usually with peritonitis, you will notice a fluid build-up in the abdomen, like a water balloon. I hope it is just the weather, but good luck in figure it out and getting her back to laying.
As for broodiness... I think it can be more prevalent in some lines more than others. However, I rarely have broody Buckeyes myself, but goodb has birds from my line and he has had a few of them brood this year. I don't like broodies and don't encourage it either though, and Bryan has some nice cozy, snuggly nests for his birds. I suppose it could be an argument for nature vs. nurture?

I can't say for sure why my girls (5 out of 7 with one repeat) went broody other than I did what I could to encourage it. Cozy nestboxes are a start. Unlike Theri, I like broodies so this was wonderful. I learned a few things to help for my next build. Also, I added Buff Orpingtons and Barred Rocks to my flock. I may have to dedicate 50% of the coop to broodies next year. LOL

I heard someone in Ohio has developed a Buckeye version of the black sex-link. Does anyone have details in this?

 

[saltycity]

A Buckeye cock over a Barred Rock hen will give you a black sex link. I did that a couple years ago. Makes sexing easy

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Saltycity was this cross made to produce layers or for meat birds? If it was for layers, how were they? Truthfully I am a little disappointed in the buckeye eggs I've seen, small with a strange longish shape. I plan to select for egg laying ability in my flock but I have a few crosses planned for a project laying mix as well.

 

[hellbender]

Saltycity was this cross made to produce layers or for meat birds? If it was for layers, how were they? Truthfully I am a little disappointed in the buckeye eggs I've seen, small with a strange longish shape. I plan to select for egg laying ability in my flock but I have a few crosses planned for a project laying mix as well.

That's a bit disconcerting to hear. My Byckeyes are very good layers and if I had a complaint, the eggs are more round than elongated. Not the biggest eggs but they have very good weight.

 

[Shellz]

I'd settle for eggs weighing 56-62 gms - the standard large egg in Canada. Nice to have for baking. My hatching eggs that came were mostly standard large & oval. A few bullet-shaped ones, but not many. Going to keep a Malines pullet as well for some XL-Jumbos eggs. (63 - 70+ gms). They're great for dipping toast in the big yolks.

 

[hellbender]

I'd settle for eggs weighing 56-62 gms - the standard large egg in Canada. Nice to have for baking. My hatching eggs that came were mostly standard large & oval. A few bullet-shaped ones, but not many. Going to keep a Malines pullet as well for some XL-Jumbos eggs. (63 - 70+ gms). They're great for dipping toast in the big yolks.

Certainly sounds good enough for me!!!