Sunday, November 23, 2014

Chickens!

As you all may remember (or not, since I have been real slow posting) my chickens this year have been duds. I never have gotten so few eggs in a year from any chickens I have had before. I wanted some more but you can't get chicks here at Tractor Supply until spring and I wasn't sure I wanted to do the whole brood the chicks thing next year. So I have been keeping my eye out in the paper, on Craigslist, and the facebook sale things for our town for any chickens. Then yesterday as I was coming home from my violin lesson there was a sign that said "Chickens 4 Sale". It was just down the main road maybe a mile across the bridge (that goes over the lake) from us. So I made Phil go back with me but the guy was asleep and he wasn't waking up (and there was a pistol on the floor by the couch so Phil decided we wouldn't startle him awake, ha ha). Anyway, today it was raining and raining and raining. It never rains like this here, all day. But it is a light rain today so we went anyway.
The guy has all kinds of cages with chickens (yes, my type of person) but he was selling some young Buckeye chickens. The Buckeye is a breed of chicken created by a woman in Ohio and the name Buckeye is derived from the Ohio nickname "The Buckeye State". They are a dual purpose chicken with decent laying ability and are also fairly good as a meat bird. They are yellow skinned and lay brown eggs.

Here is a bit from Wikipedia:

The Buckeye was first bred and developed in 1896, by a Warren, Ohio resident named Nettie Metcalf.[6] They are the only American breed of chicken known to have been developed by a woman, despite the fact that women were customarily given charge of the household poultry flock throughout much of U.S. history.[7] Metcalf crossbred Barred Plymouth RocksBuff Cochins, and some black breasted red games to produce the Buckeye. Her goal was a functional breed that could produce well in the bitter Midwest winters. Contrary to popular belief the Buckeye breed was created before the Rhode Island Red breed and actually sent birds to the RIR breeders for them to improve their breed.[8]
The Buckeye was admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1904.[9] Entrance into the Standard of Perfection signifies official certification as a breed by the Association, and thus allows Buckeyes to be entered into poultry shows and judged according to the breed standard (as outlined in the Standard of Perfection).
The recognition of Buckeyes in the Standard has been a significant factor in its survival.[6] In the past, largely due its lack of color variations, the Buckeye has not been an especially popular exhibition breed, but there is growing interest in the exhibition poultry fancy for this dual-purpose, heritage variety of bird. Not adopted by commercial operations, the Buckeye has generally been a bird of smaller farm flocks. Today the breed status is listed as threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy,[10] threatened being defined as Threatened: Fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the United States, with seven or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 5,000.[11] The breed is also included in the Slow Food USA Ark of Taste, a catalog of heritage foods in danger of extinction.[12]

Mine are not all that noble looking in the rain today. They are small but I think they are just pullets (young birds) and are wet and a bit starved but I think they will do fine with proper care and food. 
Not a good picture either but it was still raining and my phone wouldn't take a picture because I never charge it anymore (cause I never use it!) so Phil took the picture with his while they were still in the cage. I'll get a better one when it is dry out. 
I got 7 chickens that I think are hens for $7 each which is too much but I wanted some and wanted to get a few for my brother who now has a place where he can keep them and has been wanting some for a while. So three of them will be going to him. I hope they lay better than my current bunch or at least inspire the current bunch to lay more. Right now they are being housed in the old duck pen. I'll let them get used to seeing each other a bit before I put them in together. 

9 comments:

  1. Hi Becky, they sure look strange when wet, the cat looks pretty interested eh? LOL

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    1. Yup, I was thinking about leaving my brother's three in the cage but was afraid the cats would bother them so put them all in the pen for now.

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  2. Hi Becky! Congratulations on your new chickens! I know the feeling; mine haven't laid since early summer! We got some chicks from a guy through Facebook in hopes of having some meat birds. About half, 6 or 7, are roosters so that will work out good. We should also be able to swap out some of the old hens for the new ones.
    I sure do wish I could sell my boy goats! Maybe we'll find them a new owner, come spring. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings from Bama!

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    1. That would be my biggest worry about getting goats would be what to do with the boys. I am not sure I could eat them....they are just so cute when they are little. I know not to get attached but I think I wouldn't be able to help myself. Anyway, chickens I can do, lol. I think I may get some meat chicks this spring or maybe I'll get a buckeye rooster and raise some Buckeye's for meat since they are supposed to be a dual purpose bird.

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  3. I think $7 a piece is an excellent price. I paid $20 each for my Light Brahma layers...worth every penny, best chickens ever. I've heard Great things about Buckeyes...enjoy!

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    1. Yeah but $7 each here is a lot for chickens when you can find them for free if you really look. This guy had several cages and one of them had the carcasses (bones mostly) of two birds still in it (NOT the pen I chose from).

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  4. $7 isnt a bad price. I paid $10 for my RIR. Good luck with the new chickens.

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    1. Yeah, I was hoping to find some for less but these are young pullets which is better than I hoped to find too. So far they are doing well even with our 3 days of rain.

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  5. enjoy your chickens. Wish we could have them in town

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