Buckeye

The Buckeye is a dual-purpose fowl from the United States, kept for meat as much as eggs. It takes its name from Ohio, the Buckeye State, where the breed was put together. Feathering runs a deep mahogany red over a slate undercolour, and a pea comb keeps frostbite at bay through hard winters.

Buckeyes are a medium-sized, well-fleshed bird with a rounded, meaty frame. Hens lay brown eggs and go clucky from time to time. It's one of only a handful of American breeds carrying a pea comb, which cuts the risk of comb damage in frosty conditions, handy for keepers in spots like Central Otago or inland Canterbury where winter mornings really bite.

Out on the range, Buckeyes are keen foragers, working the ground for insects and grubs rather than waiting by the feeder. They're settled, good-natured birds that cope equally well shut in a run or let out to free range, though given the choice they'll always take the extra space.

Who the Buckeye suits

The Buckeye suits keepers in the cooler parts of New Zealand who want a tough, self-sufficient bird that doesn't need mollycoddling. Its foraging drive makes it a solid pick for free-range and lifestyle-block setups, and its calm nature fits a family flock with kids underfoot. Anyone after a heritage dual-purpose breed that fills the pot and keeps the egg basket topped up with brown eggs will get good value from a Buckeye.

Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio, put the Buckeye together in the late 1890s and early 1900s. She wanted a practical farmyard bird tough enough for Ohio's cold winters that could still turn out meat and eggs. She remains the only woman on record to have developed a standard American chicken breed.

To build it, Metcalf crossed Barred Plymouth Rocks, Buff Cochins, and some black-breasted red game stock. She was after a hardy, productive bird with deep red colouring and a build suited to cold weather and active foraging.

The American Poultry Association added the breed to its Standard of Perfection in 1904. Buckeyes earned their keep on small farms through the early twentieth century, valued for dual-purpose output and their knack for finding much of their own tucker.

Numbers dropped away once commercial poultry operations took over from the mid-twentieth century, and the Buckeye became a rare sight. Heritage poultry keepers and breed societies have since worked to bring the population back from the brink.

The Buckeye carries a broad, deep body with a level back and full breast, built as much for meat as for eggs. Plumage runs an even mahogany red across the body, with a slate undercolour and black through the tail and lower feathers. The pea comb sits low and close to the head, limiting exposure when the mercury drops.

Face, comb, wattles, and earlobes are red. The beak runs horn to yellow, the eyes are bay, and legs and skin are yellow. The overall shape is stocky and muscular rather than tall and upright.

Coat and colouring

The Buckeye comes in a single recognised colour, a deep mahogany red, darker than a Rhode Island Red and set in close, firm feathers rather than loose fluff. Part the feathers and the slate undercolour shows through, while the tail carries black with a greenish sheen. Yellow legs and skin stand out against the red body.

Buckeyes have an even, good-natured temperament. They're curious and busy, and given range they'll spend most of the day working the ground for food. Plenty of keepers find the breed docile around people and happy to be handled, which suits a family flock or a coop with children about.

Around other birds the Buckeye is generally easygoing, though roosters can get a bit pushy come breeding season. The breed has a reputation as a keen hunter of insects and small prey, mice included, a trait that sets it apart from calmer dual-purpose breeds. Hens go clucky now and then and make watchful mothers. Buckeyes aren't especially noisy, but they're alert and will sound off if something's not right.

The Buckeye is a tough breed that asks for little beyond standard poultry care. Its pea comb and tight feathering suit it to cooler climates, and it handles a hard frost better than most breeds. In warmer weather it needs shade and water on tap.

Grooming

• Check feathers and skin for mites and lice while handling
• Give the birds a dry patch for dust bathing so they can keep their own plumage clean
• Trim toenails or beak only if they've overgrown, which is unusual on range
• Check the vent and legs now and then for signs of parasites

Exercise

• Let birds out onto range or a large run daily to forage
• Aim for at least 8 to 10 square feet (0.7 to 0.9 sq m) of outdoor run per bird where you can manage it
• Shift range areas around to keep ground cover up and cut parasite build-up
• Give them perches and varied terrain to encourage natural movement

Environment

Set up a dry, draft-free coop with good ventilation above bird height. Allow around 4 square feet (0.37 sq m) of coop floor per bird and one nest box for every three to four hens. Roosts need to sit clear of the floor. The breed copes well with cold but still needs shelter from wind, rain, and the wet.

Feed Buckeyes a complete poultry ration matched to their age and stage. Chicks need a starter feed, growing birds a grower feed, and laying hens a layer feed with extra calcium. Because Buckeyes forage hard, range birds will top up their diet with insects, seeds, and greens, but a balanced feed should still be the backbone of what they eat. Keep clean water up at all times, and offer insoluble grit for birds eating whole grains or foraged tucker.

Treats and extras

Keep treats to under about 10 percent of the diet. Greens, cracked corn, and mealworms go down well. Offer crushed oyster shell free choice as a calcium source for laying hens, and put out grit for birds eating whole grains or foraged material. Don't lean on scratch grains as a main feed, since they're low in protein and can throw the diet out of balance.

The Buckeye is a sturdy breed with no widespread genetic disorders. Its pea comb resists frostbite, and its active habits keep it in good condition. With decent care a Buckeye usually lives 6 to 10 years. Most health issues come down to general poultry conditions rather than anything breed-specific, so parasite control and clean housing matter more than any special treatment.

Preventive care

• Keep the coop dry, ventilated, and clean to hold disease at bay
• Check birds regularly for parasites and foot problems
• Give them a dust-bathing area for natural parasite control
• Quarantine new birds before adding them to the flock
• Supply balanced feed, grit, and clean water year-round

Buckeyes fit into a range of housing as long as it's dry and predator-proof. They suit both a fixed run and free range, but do best when they can forage over open ground. Their tolerance for cold means heating is rarely called for over a Kiwi winter, though shelter from wind and damp still matters. Come a warm North Island summer, shade and airflow become the priority instead.

Setup checklist

• Dry, draft-free coop with ventilation above roost height
• Predator-proof walls, floor, and run, with buried or apron mesh
• Roosts raised clear of the floor
• Nest boxes tucked into a quiet, darker corner of the coop
• Clean water and feeders kept out of the rain
• A shaded dust-bathing spot in the run

Buckeye eggs take about 21 days to hatch, the standard span for chickens. Hatching can happen under a clucky hen or in an incubator. Buckeye hens are inclined to go clucky and tend to be attentive mothers, so letting nature take its course is often an option. For incubator hatching, hold temperature and humidity steady and turn the eggs regularly until the last few days before hatch.

Hatching steps

1. Pick clean, well-shaped eggs and store them pointed end down for no more than 7 to 10 days before setting
2. Warm the incubator up and check temperature and humidity are steady before adding eggs
3. Set the eggs and start turning, marking each side so you can track turns
4. Candle around day 7 to 10 to check development and take out any clear or non-viable eggs
5. Stop turning on day 18 and lift humidity for the final days
6. Let chicks hatch and dry off fully in the incubator before shifting them to a warm brooder