The Buckeye Thread

[stryker]

Good point. The eggs look like the same ones with the same markings that I have been getting but all of my buckeye eggs are not that big of an egg to start with but a good size egg to eat.

I just added lights yesterday evening after the wife threatened to trade the hens for leghorns. We eat about a dozen eggs a day and she loves her eggs. I have the lights turn on from 7:30-8am and then come back on at 6pm-10:00pm. The early morning part is what the neighbors dont like so I changed the wake up time from 4:30am last year to 7:30am this year. I had several complaints with early crowing roosters for some reason last year

. This morning was not too bad as they started to crow around the normal 6:30-7am time. I am hoping the lights help with the egg increase. I would be tickled with pullet eggs.

I will have to check for pullet eggs.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Good point. The eggs look like the same ones with the same markings that I have been getting but all of my buckeye eggs are not that big of an egg to start with but a good size egg to eat.

I just added lights yesterday evening after the wife threatened to trade the hens for leghorns. We eat about a dozen eggs a day and she loves her eggs. I have the lights turn on from 7:30-8am and then come back on at 6pm-10:00pm. The early morning part is what the neighbors dont like so I changed the wake up time from 4:30am last year to 7:30am this year. I had several complaints with early crowing roosters for some reason last year

. This morning was not too bad as they started to crow around the normal 6:30-7am time. I am hoping the lights help with the egg increase. I would be tickled with pullet eggs.

I will have to check for pullet eggs.

You may have to make that exception with those pesky neighbors bustin' in on your fun, but it is better to extend in the AM hours rather than PM so it doesn't confuse them at roosting time. I find that more theoretical though because if I go out after it is dark outside and the lights are on they all have gone to roost at about natural sunset time.

 

[nate1the1great1]

Ok I need some help. I want to do some Buckeyes for my meat pens for 4h next year, and I was going to order from cackle is that a good place?

 

[BlackBriars]

My birds came from Cackle. There are pics a couple pages back in this thread.

 

[hellbender]

Ok I need some help. I want to do some Buckeyes for my meat pens for 4h next year, and I was going to order from cackle is that a good place?

Some will do just fine for 4-H and some local/county shows but most won't do much in a sanctioned APA show...that would be, IMHO , a one in a million shot. I got my Buckeyes from Cackle Hatchery and have been very happy with them.

I don't show and I doubt if anyone who does can be that honest with you without inviting criticism.

RON

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ok I need some help. I want to do some Buckeyes for my meat pens for 4h next year, and I was going to order from cackle is that a good place?

I am a 4-H leader and am very involved with our county poultry program. I would discourage you from using any pure breed for showing as a meat pen for 4-H. If you want to do well, it is going to take an 8-9 week old pair of clean Cornish Rock crosses to get you there, and have them as close to identical as possible, so weigh them to make sure they are as close as can be and of the same sex.

Buckeyes are a great dual purpose breed, and they make a wonderful eating bird when they have grown(about 24 weeks), but as a meat bird alone, they just aren't what you want for showing. Try them for a breed class though if you can get some good breeder quality birds.


Good luck!

 

[nate1the1great1]

Some will do just fine for 4-H and some local/county shows but most won't do much in a sanctioned APA show...that would be, IMHO , a one in a million shot.  I got my Buckeyes from Cackle Hatchery and have been very happy with them.  

I don't show and I doubt if anyone who does can be that honest with you without inviting criticism.
Well I wasn't going to do them at state becuase they are a APA show and it is hard to get Cornish were I live but at the county the reserve and grand champ birds where RIR and they were older like 20 some weeks, but the Cornish at county did awful and nobody wanted them so that is why I wanted to do something different from everyone else.
RON

I am a 4-H leader and am very involved with our county poultry program.  I would discourage you from using any pure breed for showing as a meat pen for 4-H.  If you want to do well, it is going to take an 8-9 week old pair of clean Cornish Rock crosses to get you there, and have them as close to identical as possible, so weigh them to make sure they are as close as can be and of the same sex.

Buckeyes are a great dual purpose breed, and they make a wonderful eating bird when they have grown(about 24 weeks), but as a meat bird alone, they just aren't what you want for showing.  Try them for a breed class though if you can get some good breeder quality birds.


Good luck!

I wish I had you as a leader. no one in my club does poultry but me but that is fine becuase I can teach them. But I was using them as a county fair like I said above and the cornishes the judges did not like they liked the older different birds. And the same judges are coming again next year so that is why I was thinking of doing Buckeyes.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I wish I had you as a leader. no one in my club does poultry but me but that is fine becuase I can teach them. But I was using them as a county fair like I said above and the cornishes the judges did not like they liked the older different birds. And the same judges are coming again next year so that is why I was thinking of doing Buckeyes.

There is a difference between a pure Cornish and Cornish-Rock Crosses. I would be curious to see why the judge picked the RIR? I believe some county fairs have gone to having a Heritage Meat class, or it has been talked about, which would mean a pure breed class of heritage breeds like the RIR, New Hampshire, Delawares and Rocks. We don't have that here in Minnesota, the winners are always the Cornish-Rock Crosses, like I said, 8-9 weeks at a dress weight of around 6-pounds. The other quality that is now part of that too is that they maintain good feet health since with the rise of the Asian community's demand for chicken feet for eating, it is a bigger consideration.

The Egg classes and Meat classes should be those judged according to commercial qualities, which includes efficiency as a major factor. Raising a pure bird for 24-weeks is nowhere near as efficient as a Cornish-Rock that is ready to process at 8-weeks of age. The other thing is that there isn't normally as much meat to bone ratio on the pure birds at that age, and they lack the breast development.

Like I said, Buckeyes are a great dual purpose breed, and they do develop a meaty carcass earlier than any other breed I have raised other than pure Cornish. Pure Cornish are the old meat bird, but they don't completely develop until they are over a year old.
How many entries per class are you allowed?

 

[nate1the1great1]

There is a difference between a pure Cornish and Cornish-Rock Crosses.  I would be curious to see why the judge picked the RIR?  I believe some county fairs have gone to having a Heritage Meat class, or it has been talked about, which would mean a pure breed class of heritage breeds like the RIR, New Hampshire, Delawares and Rocks.  We don't have that here in Minnesota, the winners are always the Cornish-Rock Crosses, like I said, 8-9 weeks at a dress weight of around 6-pounds.  The other quality that is now part of that too is that they maintain good feet health since with the rise of the Asian community's demand for chicken feet for eating, it is a bigger consideration.  

The Egg classes and Meat classes should be those judged according to commercial qualities, which includes efficiency as a major factor.   Raising a pure bird for 24-weeks is nowhere near as efficient as a Cornish-Rock that is ready to process at 8-weeks of age.  The other thing is that there isn't normally as much meat to bone ratio on the pure birds at that age, and they lack the breast development.  


Like I said, Buckeyes are a great dual purpose breed, and they do develop a meaty carcass earlier than any other breed I have raised other than pure Cornish.  Pure Cornish are the old meat bird, but they don't completely develop until they are over a year old. 
How many entries per class are you allowed?

We can enter as many as we want but we can only sell 1 pen unless I get champ and reserve on both pens but I was going to get 10 to start with and do 1 or 2 pens depending on how they are but it is weird I had a kid that did meat chickens for 8 years and he never did the Cornish crosses and always did really good with getting champ or reserve. None of the Cornish crosses did well at all and the judges are APA judges but the show is not APA so ya but that is the reason for me getting Buckeyes becuase no one knows what they are and they are a good looking bird.

 

[Minniechickmama]

We can enter as many as we want but we can only sell 1 pen unless I get champ and reserve on both pens but I was going to get 10 to start with and do 1 or 2 pens depending on how they are but it is weird I had a kid that did meat chickens for 8 years and he never did the Cornish crosses and always did really good with getting champ or reserve. None of the Cornish crosses did well at all and the judges are APA judges but the show is not APA so ya but that is the reason for me getting Buckeyes becuase no one knows what they are and they are a good looking bird.

You are sure the judges are APA?
You could try doing both and see what they say. Would you have space to try both Buckeyes and CRX? When is your fair?