The Buckeye Thread

[Minniechickmama]

BB -
Yes, that is a single comb on that one pullet, and a good reason to remove her from breeding. If you have one with a single comb, it is likely the trait is hidden in others. Pea comb is dominant and it takes two genes for single to make a single.
They do either look, just glancing at what you have in the pictures, either too narrow in the nail or too fluffy in the tail. Your colors are all over the place, but that is not uncommon with hatchery stock.
I don't know as the #1 cockerel is the worst color, I am wondering why you say that?
As far as the jerk cockerel, get rid of him if he is that bad. The one trait I feel is very important with Buckeyes is their temperament being calm. Sounds like he is just an all around jerk.
Your #3 just looks small in the pictures, but if he were good type, putting him with some larger females will help produce better size in the offspring.
I think your plan for how many females is fine, but I would always suggest keeping at LEAST two males if you are planning to breed.
Another thing to look at is if the males especially have the bar of slate under color on their backs. The females should have it also, but if your males don't have it, chances are you will be taking the color the wrong way.
You have a good number to select from, it sounds like, so that is to your advantage. I find that the males take until about 8-9 months to really show you all they are bringing. They will grow more after that, but you should have a really good idea by then if they are going to have any real faults or if you are going to have some color issues.

 

[BlackBriars]

Cockerel #1 has green splashing in his neck and breast. Much more visible on a sunny day. Other than that, he is the closest to what I think a buckeye should be, but I
am a total buckeye novice.

When you say "too narrow in the nail or too fluffy in the tail" does nail mean beak, as in too narrow of head? I'm starting to think I should start with better stock.

There is a poultry show and sale in Shawnee Oklahoma on Dec 12, any idea what one might expect to pay for decent quality cockerels/pullets?

What do you think of separating the cockerels from the pullets until next spring. I could build them a separate pen.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Cockerel #1 has green splashing in his neck and breast. Much more visible on a sunny day. Other than that, he is the closest to what I think a buckeye should be, but I
am a total buckeye novice.

When you say "too narrow in the nail or too fluffy in the tail" does nail mean beak, as in too narrow of head? I'm starting to think I should start with better stock.

There is a poultry show and sale in Shawnee Oklahoma on Dec 12, any idea what one might expect to pay for decent quality cockerels/pullets?

What do you think of separating the cockerels from the pullets until next spring. I could build them a separate pen.

Sorry, that was a typo. I mean tail both times.
For breeding purposes, I would never recommend hatchery stock if you can find decent breeder stock elsewhere. Normally, you are looking at years longer to get the bred up to standard. It all depends on your goals for them though. If you want to show and compete, I recommend exhibition lines.

I do recommend keeping pullets separated until you are putting together breeding pens. Some breeders even go so far as to keep the males out except to breed every couple of days and then pull them again. A hen/pullet will carry fertility for 3-4 weeks after breeding, so you don't have to keep the males in with them all of the time. If you want to keep your females in better condition to show, then keeping the males out as much as possible is the way to go. Cockerels are rock stupid too when it comes to breeding and how to treat the ladies and are rough with them. It is a good practice to put young boys in with older hens who don't take any thing off any males to train them to behave. My Buckeye hens are always good at keeping everyone else in line. LOL

I will PM you with some info too.

 

[BlackBriars]

Chicks are starting to lay now! Have found 6 eggs so far. 24 weeks, 3 days old.

 

[stryker]

Congrats! I have two broody hens for some reason. Both are pullets which really ticks me off. They were thinking after laying a weeks worth of eggs, "This laying eggs are for the birds! I am going broody which is way easier!" I guess that it is not their fault when the coop is averaging 50 degrees. I am thinking about saving eggs to let them sit on them in January.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Congratulations Blackbriars! Are you weighing the eggs? I'd love to see a picture of them.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Stryker are the broodies Buckeyes? Do you think that eggs you save now will still hatch in January? I thought hatching eggs were supposed to be less than 10 days old.

 

[stryker]

Stryker are the broodies Buckeyes? Do you think that eggs you save now will still hatch in January? I thought hatching eggs were supposed to be less than 10 days old.

One is a buckeye the other is a mutt project that got scrapped. Using that sully 10 day old rule is an old wise tale that is proven to be true,,, LOL... I usually can go 14 days before seeing any huge effect but I had a 40% hatch rate last year. A lot of it was from a lot of things from too many hens to rooster ratio to not enough ventilation/humidity during hatch. . .

If they are still broody in January then I will use them to hatch out in late January of early February that is after I kick them to the snow to see if they stop being silly about sitting. The birds are in a greenhouse with screenings for a floor..

I think what happened is that the heat in the coop and extra light is making them feel like it is spring. I have chicks under lights in there so that is where the heat is coming from.

 

[BlackBriars]

Thanks guys!
They averaged 47 Grams so they are small, 50 grams would make them mediums according to the chart I saw.
They free range all day so they may be laying in the woods also.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Blackbriars, that sounds like a good start. Ten grams more than what my dark cornish hens started laying. The egg size got bigger in a hurry. I'm still not sure which of my eggs are from my Buckeyes! Only four of my pullets are Buckeyes.