Buckeyes - all owners/breeders check in here!

A friend and I were discussing where to get Buckeyes. I raise them but don't ship eggs - I'll hatch chicks to order for ranch pick up, or, at a push, delivery to Williams Lake.

Love Buckeyes - handsome,friendly, calm, winter hardy, decent year round layer of nice medium light brown egg. Roosters are a good carcass at 20 weeks (some in the freezer now). Greatest problem is they are so underfoot they can be difficult NOT to step on! They love to free range. Rarely go broody.

Also only chicken breed developed by a woman.

I know lots of people who USED to raise them. I bought a lot of various breeding stock so have quite a collection now.

Who raises them now? There are people looking to buy!

I'll post photos if I can get them to stand still!

Thank you, Heda! That was me! I have a friend living near Edmonton who is looking for Buckeyes. The only person I could think of is Heda and I know she doesn't ship. Anyone else?

It would be good to have a list, I've lost track of who has Buckeyes now. Chantecler Eh I think, kindly looked after by Miry Creek while he is at college?

It's a breed I wouldn't mind trying out someday, so I do try to keep my eyes open for who has then. Chantecler_eh and Heda were the only two I know of ....

I believe Performance Poultry out of Ontario has Buckeyes

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My friend had an order for them from Performance and they cancelled on her.

I am anti-hatchery in general. Prefer to work with small breeders.

I have ordered several times from Performance. I understand their Buckeyes originate from Ideal Hatchery. Every time though Performance has cancelled for one reason or another. Never got any - so all my Buckeyes are from small breeders.

I am just starting with buckeyes; I only have one hen & an unrelated rooster & once the boy takes interest in his girl   I hope to hatch lots & cull hard to start a larger breeding flock. Perhaps next year I will have something for others...

I have three friends that have my buckeye line that I got out of. Heda, you are the fourth, so there are buckeyes around my area (in Grindrod, northeast of Vernon, east of Salmon Arm, way, way east of Kamloops, south of Sicamous), smiling. All my friends that have my lines live within half an hour of me. I do not know if any of them are selling hatching eggs, or will be selling chicks, but there are still people working with the breed. But not on forums that I know of, well, except ACE, one friend does go there, but rarely. So, find out please further and take any correspondence to email and I can do the getting in touch to see if anyone is selling the eggs. All these birds from my friends, as I said, have them from my line of buckeyes that I used to have. Interesting. I really, really do miss my buckeyes. And so totally agree, one of the most personable breeds of bird, loved them, was so sad to let them go, but I wanted to focus strongly only on two breeds. Absolutely, if I ever had room again, I would have buckeyes, smiling. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

That's great news Cindy! I was worried there weren't any out there apart from mine. I picked up quite a few birds from people getting out of the breed (even from you, long way around...).

I know what you mean about 2 breeds. That's all I have room for too, although I am always tempted by a few other breeds.

Michelle S wrote:I am just starting with buckeyes; I only have one hen & an unrelated rooster & once the boy takes interest in his girl   I hope to hatch lots & cull hard to start a larger breeding flock. Perhaps next year I will have something for others...

Take her away for a week and let him get a little lonely. Then introduce her into his territory. He should perk up and take notice!

Thanks Sue, I did take him out of the pen a few days ago & planned for him to get a little lonely (absence makes the heart grow fonder?) and then hoped I could put him back in the pen with a few other hens as well as his mate. Maybe he'll find someone attractive and then get the idea of his job at which point I can remove the additional hens. What do you think? I was concerned about taking the hen away from the pen in case she gets in a snit & quits laying. This has happened to my buff chanteclers that I am working with... Not a good start to my projects so far. Or do you think i would have more success by removing the hen & risking the stopped laying? Good thing my EE & OE are laying like a hot darn or my poor brinsea would be empty!

How many other hens?  Perhaps there is not enough of him to go around, or maybe the other hens are more attractive, Marilyn Monroe hens and he is ignoring her.  Now he is out I would move HER in with HIM! Do you know if she is even laying? If you are worried about snits, you may want to take the other hens away instead.

The last month it has only been the 2 buckeyes & she is laying well. He hasn't had access to anyone else, before I bought him he was in a bachelor coop. He can only see one other breeding group & that is the ones that are free ranging. I put 2 other hens in with the buckeye hen yesterday to keep her company after i removed the rooster. The other 2 (who i am not hatching anything from) have been in with my Easter egger group & they've been the EE Roos favorite so I thought they might be willing breeders for the buckeye to get confidence with, then he'll be more assertive with his hen. I don't know...   regardless of whether I move him to her coop or vice versa, they will be the only 2 birds in there. The other 2 hens being added is only recently and temporary. Does it matter who gets transferred to whose abode? Does the rooster feel more assertive if it's his turf or will the hen feel more timid if it's new turf? I hope this makes sense & I'm not rambling...

Here are more that have buckeyes... pm or email me for contact information if you would like it.

Beau Peep Farms (Rosedale BC) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Ethan Wiggins (Fox Valley, Saskatchewan)

You might also try a few of the clubs out BC way - sending email and asking if members have buckeyes.

Cowichan Feather Fanciers [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Quesnel Fur and Feather Association (no webpage??)
c/o Crispin Guppy
4627 Quesnel-Hydraulic Road, Quesnel BC

Vancouver Poultry and Fancy Pigeon Association [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Vernon Pigeon and Poultry [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Washington Feather Fanciers [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Ethan is the aforementioned Chantecler_eh.

This is a breed I have on my wish list. Is there anybody closer to Manitoba?

I have a couple roosters and a couple hens left. They can go if.

Ah ha! I thought you'd had some Reneggaide!

I may have to get some of these Buckeyes. They would fit in well with my no-big-stupid-combs chicken selection criteria. Maybe next year.

tell you a story,
last spring my roo was attacked, bitten on the back and was in rough shape. I nursed him back to relative health but he would often be found playing dead in the grass to attract tasty bugs nearer to his beak. Ya, good actor, fooled me all the time with his dead eye stare and twitching, then he'd roll onto his back like he was in the roaster and preen himself lol. Soooo pathetic. Then i let the hens near him again, his mate, Penny, found him doing his routine, cackled at him for a minute and ive never seen him perform like this since, he rolled over onto his feet and acts the roo again despite his crippling condition.

We bought 3 pullets last fall,crossing them with white Chantyslooking for a meat strain,thinking of breeding them next year if we can find a roo. from someone who doesn't live too far.

birish, mirycreek has buckeyes and is in southern Sask.

bought these from her,just a hint,thanks