The Buckeye Thread

[CanadianBuckeye]

They would be roosters for sure, if you wanted hens! LOL Although I would suppose that with a double yolker you could get one of each.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I have a few back and cushion questions. Does a short back have anything to do with making an excessive cushion in the hen, are the two related?
Is there any way to tell if a back slopes correctly at the chick stage? I seem to remember it was much easier seeing the body shape in the chick before all the feathers came in. I there any way to predict comparative back lengths and slopes in the adult, from the chick stage?
I've been looking at photos of Buckeyes, and I see some (roosters) that look like the back is sloping up towards the tail. I thought the back was supposed to slope down a bit. Is this just an illusion caused by the saddle feathers? I have no idea how to feel for a back that slopes downwards, my buckeye won't stand still if I try to feel his back, and although I can pick him up that doesn't help either. How is it done? Or should the back look like it's sloping downwards without having to feel for it? ( I can see how the back slopes down in a Shamo LOL ) Is there anyone who has a picture or photo of a correctly sloping Buckeye rooster's back, if you don't have to feel for it? That would help me a lot. Thanks.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have a few back and cushion questions. Does a short back have anything to do with making an excessive cushion in the hen, are the two related?
No.
Is there any way to tell if a back slopes correctly at the chick stage?
No I seem to remember it was much easier seeing the body shape in the chick before all the feathers came in. I there any way to predict comparative back lengths and slopes in the adult, from the chick stage? Not that I have ever heard, and if it were possible, then breeders would be able to cull any that didn't conform to the desired WAY earlier.
I've been looking at photos of Buckeyes, and I see some (roosters) that look like the back is sloping up towards the tail. I thought the back was supposed to slope down a bit. Is this just an illusion caused by the saddle feathers? I have no idea how to feel for a back that slopes downwards, my buckeye won't stand still if I try to feel his back, and although I can pick him up that doesn't help either. How is it done? Or should the back look like it's sloping downwards without having to feel for it? ( I can see how the back slopes down in a Shamo LOL ) Is there anyone who has a picture or photo of a correctly sloping Buckeye rooster's back, if you don't have to feel for it? That would help me a lot. Thanks.
It is not something you can feel for, you have to see it in the way they hold themselves in a natural pose.

These are two birds I raised a couple of years ago. You should be able to see the one on the right especially has a more upward slope from tail to shoulder that is desired in a Buckeye. When they are "on alert" sometimes as these sort of were when I caged them to take pictures, they will hold their tails in an off manner, so you can't go by that always. What you want to look at is when they are in a relaxed and natural pose. The other thing you can see that they will do that is a pain is the way they hold their wings at a downward angle when they are stressed or unhappy with being messed with. That is why if a person is planning to show they should cage train their birds so they will relax and 'show' themselves when in competition.

 

[Minniechickmama]

As for setting doubles, I would never do it. The chances of their survival is extremely low and why waste that extra yummy yolk by taking the chance?
I have never heard that about trying to hatch larger eggs. So long as they are not doubles, I wouldn't see any reason to avoid trying to hatch larger eggs, it would seem you would want to do so, IMO. I have been told to avoid setting eggs that are oddly shaped though, which makes sense if it could inhibit the chick from being able to turn into the proper hatching position as it is close to hatch.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Thanks MCM I can see the slope in the second rooster. The first rooster, I can make out a very short downward slope from the back of the hackle to the saddle- is this where you look for the slope?

PS: NICE roosters!!! Lovely.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Thanks, I really liked this pair. The one on the left was a breeder for a season and then I lost him due to some foot problems. I have too much coarse gravel in and around the pens and it takes its toll sometimes. The other I never did get breed .
What you are looking for in the 'slope' is more of what is considered an upright carriage of the body. It is more subtle than birds like the Shamo or some of the other Orientals, but with the game background, it is one of the characteristics that should still be noticeable in the Buckeyes. I loved the color on these two birds, and I had a few that year that were like them. The following season I ran into black popping out and kept no males from that year. This year I have 3 of my own and one I picked up from Urch to use to help clean up color, but I am not sure right now if I am going to venture into using him, he is not as big as I had hoped he would get and there are a couple of other things I am not sure I want to mess with on him, but he has some very good attributes otherwise.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Minniechickmama, I'm really starting to appreciate just how difficult this "breeding chickens" really is.
So far this is my chicken diary:
Starts off like this, when you pick a chicken breed........

Then you get some eggs and chicks..............

Then you learn more and you look critically at your stock.........

then bad things happen.................

then you wonder what the heck you thought you were thinking..............

then you are very, very grateful you can get stock from someone who knows what they are doing!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Minniechickmama, I'm really starting to appreciate just how difficult this "breeding chickens" really is.
So far this is my chicken diary:
Starts off like this, when you pick a chicken breed........

Then you get some eggs and chicks..............

Then you learn more and you look critically at your stock.........

then bad things happen.................

then you wonder what the heck you thought you were thinking..............

then you are very, very grateful you can get stock from someone who knows what they are doing!

LOL!! Don't ever think you will stop learning along the way, there is always something new to be figured in.

 

[stryker]

Minniechickmama, I'm really starting to appreciate just how difficult this "breeding chickens" really is.
So far this is my chicken diary:
Starts off like this, when you pick a chicken breed........

Then you get some eggs and chicks..............

Then you learn more and you look critically at your stock.........

then bad things happen.................

then you wonder what the heck you thought you were thinking..............

then you are very, very grateful you can get stock from someone who knows what they are doing!

And you look at the good stock

and you do this with the other stock

.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Stryker LOL!