The Buckeye Thread

[CanadianBuckeye]

My older chickens don't care for the heat, they just hang around under the trees most of the day, although I'd say we have a Goldilocks climate here in central Ontario. Not too hot, not too cold, not too much rain, not too much snow, but usually enough. We're having a few days in the low 30's (Centrigrade I guess that's in the 90's in F), first time we've seen that all summer. The 6 week old chicks seem to like it though.
The dark side......... is the deerflies, Rotten miserable things, I don't know why they can't go extinct rather than the honeybees. I hate 'em, they ruin every summer.

 

[BlackBriars]

31 little 6 week 3 day chicks.



















They transform from little chicks so quickly.

 

[Finnie]

They transform from little chicks so quickly.

They do!

And then they become little mini chickens, and then before you know it, they suddenly shoot up in size to where you mistake them for the older chickens. (If they are mingling with grown ups.)

Thank you for posting all those good visuals for the 6 week stage.

 

[Metella]

Nice pics !!!

They sure are active and curious - mine too - love this breed.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Very nice! Looks like the makings of a beautiful flock. At 6 weeks they start to look like little chickens, they are past the scruffy stage of chick down mixed with feathers. Did you hatch them yourself, or did you get them as chicks?

 

[BlackBriars]

You're welcome Finnie.

Thanks Metella, I'm really enjoying them so far.

Thanks CB. They're just hatchery birds from Cackle but they don't know it!. I am hoping a few of them will be worthy breeders.

I ordered 25 pullets and 5 cockerels. I think they sent me an extra cockerel.

I haven't had chickens since I was a kid on the farm so am basically a chicken novice.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

BB I am sure they will be just fine. It's nice to have a lot to choose from. that way you can pick out the best, and you can always get more from breeders later!

 

[stryker]

BB, I started out with 9 from a hatchery which I really love. They are small for their size but they earn their keep with eggs. They are also the sweetest things. Well to me that is. They do their normal ranking system so it is good. The only thing is that they didn't make that honking sound when they were younger like the few from a breeder that I have now.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I only have a few Buckeyes, I didn't have great luck with hatching eggs this spring . Mine are at the bottom of the pecking order and they are pretty quiet so I haven't heard any honking noises.

 

[BlackBriars]

I haven't heard them honk but they are very talkative quietly discussing things amongst themselves. One of my cockerels crows a time or 2 in the morning and has since he was a tiny chick. The other 5 cockerels are silent even though they all spar daily.

There seems to be subgroups of 6 or 7 pullets and a cockerel or 2 that hang out together especially when foraging.