The Buckeye Thread

[Leahs Mom]

Buckeye Question for the experienced.

I have 4 Buckeyes hatched around the first of June. 3 pullets, 1 cockerel.

The girls have not started laying eggs yet. Up until just recently all of these girls were very sweet personalities. In the last week, one of them has become very aggressive, chasing down other pullets of a different breed. This is only one of these girls; the other 2 still seem sweet personalities.

This may just be coming on of hormones and they may all end up more aggressive when the hormones kick in?
Or...is this just a specific bird's personality?

I'm considering processing her for meat as I don't want that kind of personality causing havock in the flock.

Thoughts?

 

[Minniechickmama]

Buckeye Question for the experienced.

I have 4 Buckeyes hatched around the first of June. 3 pullets, 1 cockerel.

The girls have not started laying eggs yet. Up until just recently all of these girls were very sweet personalities. In the last week, one of them has become very aggressive, chasing down other pullets of a different breed. This is only one of these girls; the other 2 still seem sweet personalities.

This may just be coming on of hormones and they may all end up more aggressive when the hormones kick in?
Or...is this just a specific bird's personality?

I'm considering processing her for meat as I don't want that kind of personality causing havock in the flock.

Thoughts?

Is she injuring the other birds? That is the big question when you see this behavior. She may be asserting her dominance, which I have seen many many times with my Buckeye ladies, they like to be top of the roost. If they are just chasing and pecking with no injury, then keep an eye on her. If she is causing injury, then toss her in chicken jail (a kennel or cage on her own) for a few days and let her back in and see how she behaves.
Where did you get your Buckeyes from? If hatchery, just remember, those big places do not select for temperament, you may get some mean and nasty birds. Us breeders do take that into consideration with our selection so as to avoid the aggressive birds. I have yet to have a Buckeye come after me, but I have seen them get overly aggressive with each other. This year I had a lot of that going on with the cockerels, which really made me angry. This was the F2 year with the outcross I used. I am not terribly impressed with how that outcross mixed for me.

 

[Minniechickmama]

dupe

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks. I got my birds from Bill Dyke in the Indy area and he had some good foundation stock it seems. These little girls were such gentle souls until this one all of a sudden woke up and is starting to become an adult!

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Thanks. I got my birds from Bill Dyke in the Indy area and he had some good foundation stock it seems. These little girls were such gentle souls until this one all of a sudden woke up and is starting to become an adult!

To me, there's nothing more important than temperament. I have seen (in my limited experience) temperaments ranging from super sweet to nasty (only one nasty cockerel, culled at five weeks.) I did have a very nasty Cornish cockerel, he was a bully practically right from hatch and there was no peace until he was gone. Good riddance. Sounds harsh but the stinker made those other chicks' lives a living misery. I cull any chicken that disturbs the peace in the coop and the more experienced I get at identifying anti social chickens, the sooner they are gone...... I don't bother with second chances- I figure with chickens, it's got to be genetic if bad behaviour shows up early. Why keep a jerk when there are so many sweet ones? Certainly not something I want more of! My Buckeyes are generally at the bottom of the pecking order, all of mine and the crosses are sweet tempered- but I did cull a number of obnoxious youngsters and feather pickers quite young. I think you have to select for what you want in your flock, without hard selection there will be a lot of variability in looks, production and temperament.

 

[holm25]

Just some pics of the birds. Not really good lighting... But thought I would share...

Male #1 my main breeder this year.

My favorite little female. Doesn't have the best coloring but I love her quirkiness

My second rooster who won't have any babies for a month or two.

 

[monnarush]

I have mine ordered for April 2017 from a hatchery, I will keep everyone updated on their temperament and progress throughout the year. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Gave my current chickens a few treats today. 2 cantaloupe they loved that, one suet cake, and some black oil sunflower seeds mixed with a little millet. They went crazy over the melon when it hit the run LOL. I am enjoying them very much!

 

[Flatgrind88]

Monnarush what hatchery did you order buckeye's from if you don't mind me asking

 

[monnarush]

I ordered early from Meyer Hatchery for Delivery the Second week of April. Have you ordered from them before?

 

[Flatgrind88]

No , I have never ordered from them. Do you have experience with there buckeye chickens?