The Buckeye Thread

[Metella]

ha ha ha

I also thought a bird broke a leg the first time I saw that ! That was so cute. Thanks for sharing that and the ones of them when they were little. I have been fussing wondering how "pure" my hatchery chick is and what color she will finally turn out. I don't CARE - just curious ....

 

[Timbuck]

I have 10 Buckeyes and 11 Buff Orpingtons I ordered from a hatchery. They are 2-1/2 weeks old. One got constipated at 5 days old and died. A second got constipated at 1 week and is now doing fine. I now have one that got constipated 3 days ago and is still having some issues even though it is eating and drinking well. I have pedialite in the water, feeding medicated chick starter crumbles. I give the constipated ones about a 1ml mineral oil enema to help lubricate the vent and ease the bowel movement.

Is this an issue with Buckeyes or ???

Is there anything else I can do knowing that I believe in survival of the fittest to maintain a healthy stock, will not do heroic measures (Vet, mouth to beak LOL) , but will do what I can to help them get healthy.

 

[Marengoite]

Quote:
Thanks.

 

[007medic]

Timbuck,

We're not too far from where you reside, with our new chicks we've given them a drop or two of cod liver oil while they're still 24-72 hours out of the shell. Before we started this practice there was the odd pasty butt or constipated chick but since nary a one. If you're hatching like we do, giving them a drop or two once they've fluffed out in the incubator and are ready to be introduced to water seems to help them have their first bowel and to pass their meconium-like first stool. We've also noticed that with chicks that hatched with ease but then flagged, the cod liver oil seemed to kind of 'sure' them up and restore their vigor. For chicks that may develop a splay leg, it seems to shorten the amount of time required to splint the splayed leg. I'm not holding out cod liver oil as the cure-all, but a whole lot of young chick problems just seemed to disappear once we took to the practice.

I can't say that constipation is an issue with Buckeyes- that's not been our experience and we've had Buckeyes for going on nine years now. I can say that constipation with shipped chicks is a possibility as stress, I've read, can have effects well past the day they arrive. Others with experience shipping or receiving shipped chicks could chime in here with more insight than I.

 

[Theresa D]

Give them some yogurt an blueberries,if ur giving them grit they will be ok with food. Im new with chickens,have 6 buckeyes from hatchery no constipation,they love it! I have 6 orps too,no problems. It will loosen the stools.They are 6 weeks old,been doing yogurt 1 a week since they were 2 weeks old.

 

[Timbuck]

Thanks all. So far so good. Tried yogurt, but got more on me than in the chick. Not enough fingers I think. Will keep the cod liver in mind if needed. Forced the second one to drink a bit of mineral oil, he perked up by the next day. The third one would not take it at all, but got some just from preening. It is doing much better.

007Medic. How far away are you? I will be in need of a hen or roo once mine mature enough for me to determine which one has the best breeding qualities, if you would be interested in selling or trading. I want to ensure I do not have an in-breeding issue.

Mot giving grit, was told that with starter feed it was not necessary, only when I get them to free range in a few weeks.

 

[chickiemomy]

Thanks all. So far so good. Tried yogurt, but got more on me than in the chick. Not enough fingers I think. Will keep the cod liver in mind if needed. Forced the second one to drink a bit of mineral oil, he perked up by the next day. The third one would not take it at all, but got some just from preening. It is doing much better.

007Medic. How far away are you? I will be in need of a hen or roo once mine mature enough for me to determine which one has the best breeding qualities, if you would be interested in selling or trading. I want to ensure I do not have an in-breeding issue.

Mot giving grit, was told that with starter feed it was not necessary, only when I get them to free range in a few weeks.

If you want to give them a little yogurt (not advocating it for medical issues - as I don't speak with authority about efficacy) -- I mix a little crumbles into the yogurt to give it more of a consistency of paste - they can eat it without wasting or getting all over them.

For digestive health- I do feed a product called Forco - it is a PRE-biotic - a small amount each day mixed into yogurt & crumble mix. They don't NEED it - however I noticed that it really reduced the poop smell. Others who ferment feed say they have similar results in smell reduction. I would hypothesize that the food is more fully digested and therefore better utilized, with less to 'rot'? There is a fermented food thread if it is something that interests you. Again, I'm not advocating for everyone, or anyone- just saying if this is something you want to try - here's the info.

I brought up the mixing crumbles into the yogurt as it seems that one could mix the cod liver oil into a paste as well, to make it an easier way to ingest and feed a larger group of chicks. Also works with vinegar for those who are interested in supplementing with vinegar. Many put it in the water, of course you cannot use a metal water container with vinegar, but again, you can make a paste & offer that. It is after all, the ingestion, not the form of ingestion that is the issue...

 

[007medic]

Timbuck, I'm in NE AL also, so we can't be more than a coupla' hours away from each other. Give a holler when you wanna look into some unrelated stock.

 

[Timbuck]

Sounds good to me. Thanks

 

[LSBuckOE]

Well I am not shy .....

I have a buckeye peep - she is just losing her fuzz and I find I really am clicking with her personality!   Therefore I am getting more serious about getting hatching eggs next spring and want to learn more.

So I would really appreciate any anecdotes and stories you have about Buckeyes - especially their free ranging and hunting skills !

Any egg laying trends, egg color norms and life span.   

I'd like to soak it all in and then use all this info to decide which eggs I will purchase as to which ones fit my own personal (not going to show or breed or sell) need and likes best.

thanks !  

Our utility hens' diet is mostly free range. They're out 7am-10pm. Sleep in rafters (12-15 feet up). We have one hen that's pushing 12years. They lay daily, but if its a bad winter they stop for a bit. Ours hide the eggs, then they go missing. Pretty sure I have 3 broody utilities sitting on large clutches (crossed to Phoenix or OEGB, ugh!). Then I have my show line hen sitting on a decent sized clutch. They're awesome mommas! Have one in with her chick and if I separate them she goes nuts. Her other 2 got killed by another broody hen that was being horrid. Brown eggs. Free ranged have luscious yolks. The 12yo hen was big on catching sparrows that went in the run her & her mate were in. A few others will eat pinky mice if I kick up a nest, also