The Buckeyes Are Here!

The Buckeyes Are Here

You can probably tell from the pictures these Buckeyes don’t fall from trees. These are Buckeye chicks and they are on the “threatened” list on the American Livestock Breed Conservancy website. This organization works to help preserve breeds that might otherwise be lost. After several months of research our family has decided to work with the Buckeye chickens. Our young son refers to them as the “extinct” chickens. We were able to purchase 36 Buckeye eggs and that is where our story begins.

We have been waiting 21 days for this glorious moment. It was late Saturday afternoon when we discovered the first peep hole in one of the eggs. This is when the excitement begins to build. Not only can we watch for this egg to break open, but we watch for other eggs to start the hatching process as well. Just to be sure the audience doesn’t stray too far, we can hear cheeping noises from inside the eggs well before the chicks make their debut. The first chick took several hours to finally break free from the home he was quickly outgrowing. With one final effort, the chick freed himself from the egg and we saw a wet, weak bird resting in the warmth of the incubator. Before long, he was up and about exploring his surroundings and calling for other chicks to follow.

Once the chicks rest and dry we move them to the brooder box. Here their beaks are dipped in water. This is a typical method of “showing” the chicks where to find water. A bit of food is spread on newspaper so they learn food tastes good. After they have a taste of the good stuff, they try to eat shavings and leave them alone since they don’t taste good. The chicks will huddle under the warmth of the heat lamp, and will stray away from the light when they are warm enough. When the chicks are tired they simply flop forward on the ground for a nap. If we didn’t’ know better we would think they were dead. It is truly a unique sight.

So what makes the Buckeye chicks unique? In our few hours of experience we have noticed the chicks are very inquisitive; they come toward humans, rather than running away. One chick, only a few hours old, climbed on top of the feeder as if to say, “I have conquered the art of feeding and I am proud of it”! We anxiously look forward to the day these reddish, blond chicks become the regal, dark red beauties we have only enjoyed in pictures.