BUCKEYE CHICKENS www.americanbuckeyeclub.org
Crains Run Ranch has been raising chickens for over a decade but in 2002 we finally got serious about Buckeye's! We say "finally" because we dabbled with a few hens and a rooster from a "local" Ohio breeder and hatched some chicks from these birds. In June 2002, we got our first batch of day old chicks, then two weeks later another batch arrived from yet a third source. We began our breeding program from Brown (OH), Rhodes (MA) and Urch (MN) lines or "strains" of Buckeye large fowl and before winter 2005 we had an outstanding flock established!
In 2004, we continued to breed closely to the APA standard and frequently asked Don Schrider, formerly of the ALBC, for advise on our breeding program and stock. One of our primary goals was to increase egg production and this has improved every year using the Hogan method and trap nesting.
In 2005 & 2007 we built more coops, found several local farmers to allow us to house more Buckeyes and we hatched off 400+ Buckeye chicks in 2007 and over 1000+ in 2008! We have dispersed birds all over the USA, Canada and the UK and have helped several breeders in Ohio get started with 4H projects and breeding programs. Our goal is to help countless others thru our hatching egg program. We just couldn't keep up with the demand for chicks or eggs even during the down turn in the economy, 2009 was our biggest year!
Our flock is NPIP and currently enrolled in Ohio's AI testing program (Avian Influenza). Every 90 days the Ohio Poultry Association sends a technician to "swab" our flock of birds and the specimens are sent to Ohio State University for AI testing. This is a voluntary program and we feel it is important to monitor our birds for AI, the neighbors seem to be happy we do this, too!
In late 2008, CRR reduce the Buckeye flock size from an average of 250+ adult birds to three small coops of 25-30 breeders in each coop. Our quality remained very high and several Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Show Winners are produced in 2007 & 2008. Breeding stock is limited and demand is high so contact us early to get your chicks or hatching eggs. Each spring we also sell hatching eggs on ebay and craigs list, our buyers report very high hatch rates! Sales of chicks begin in March and run thru mid-June.
In January 2009, we re-established The American Buckeye Club and created the first internet based Buckeye Breeder Directory.
To learn more about this FREE resource and to get your FREE membership go to this site;
www.americanbuckeyeclub.org
In 2004, we continued to breed closely to the APA standard and frequently asked Don Schrider, formerly of the ALBC, for advise on our breeding program and stock. One of our primary goals was to increase egg production and this has improved every year using the Hogan method and trap nesting.
In 2005 & 2007 we built more coops, found several local farmers to allow us to house more Buckeyes and we hatched off 400+ Buckeye chicks in 2007 and over 1000+ in 2008! We have dispersed birds all over the USA, Canada and the UK and have helped several breeders in Ohio get started with 4H projects and breeding programs. Our goal is to help countless others thru our hatching egg program. We just couldn't keep up with the demand for chicks or eggs even during the down turn in the economy, 2009 was our biggest year!
Our flock is NPIP and currently enrolled in Ohio's AI testing program (Avian Influenza). Every 90 days the Ohio Poultry Association sends a technician to "swab" our flock of birds and the specimens are sent to Ohio State University for AI testing. This is a voluntary program and we feel it is important to monitor our birds for AI, the neighbors seem to be happy we do this, too!
In late 2008, CRR reduce the Buckeye flock size from an average of 250+ adult birds to three small coops of 25-30 breeders in each coop. Our quality remained very high and several Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Show Winners are produced in 2007 & 2008. Breeding stock is limited and demand is high so contact us early to get your chicks or hatching eggs. Each spring we also sell hatching eggs on ebay and craigs list, our buyers report very high hatch rates! Sales of chicks begin in March and run thru mid-June.
In January 2009, we re-established The American Buckeye Club and created the first internet based Buckeye Breeder Directory.
To learn more about this FREE resource and to get your FREE membership go to this site;
www.americanbuckeyeclub.org
This photo album consists of pics of some of the CRR Buckeye's, the "PLASTIC COOP" and a few past hatches!
The "RUBBERMAID" Coop, as we like to call it, has become very popular....many people have asked us to provide details on its construction and as they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words". The "RUBBERMAID" is not as expensive as one might think, with wood and other building materials being so expensive this Coop is really very economical. Not to mention it is much faster to build, easier to clean and parasite resistant! Wood can harbor many diseases that can be deadly to chickens! Our Coop is 99% WOOD FREE, our perches are made of wood to prevent the chickens from freezing their feet in the winter (plastic PVC might be too cold). We modified the "Coop" by adding 2" diameter sofit vents around the roof's edge and both gables, installed a LARGE "doggie" door and recently added vents in the doors. Ventilation is very, very important for your birds in the summer months. The dog kennel has a nylon mesh top to keep the chickens in and the hawks out!
We have purchased these "PLASTIC" Sheds thru Craig's List or the local paper for as little as $250 and you can't build a 10'X10' coop out of wood for that (unless the wood is free!). With the dog-kennel runs we house 25-30 adult birds without any problems. We have reduced our nest boxes to only 8 nests per coop with better results....most of our hens were only using the bottom nests anyway!
The "RUBBERMAID" Coop, as we like to call it, has become very popular....many people have asked us to provide details on its construction and as they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words". The "RUBBERMAID" is not as expensive as one might think, with wood and other building materials being so expensive this Coop is really very economical. Not to mention it is much faster to build, easier to clean and parasite resistant! Wood can harbor many diseases that can be deadly to chickens! Our Coop is 99% WOOD FREE, our perches are made of wood to prevent the chickens from freezing their feet in the winter (plastic PVC might be too cold). We modified the "Coop" by adding 2" diameter sofit vents around the roof's edge and both gables, installed a LARGE "doggie" door and recently added vents in the doors. Ventilation is very, very important for your birds in the summer months. The dog kennel has a nylon mesh top to keep the chickens in and the hawks out!
We have purchased these "PLASTIC" Sheds thru Craig's List or the local paper for as little as $250 and you can't build a 10'X10' coop out of wood for that (unless the wood is free!). With the dog-kennel runs we house 25-30 adult birds without any problems. We have reduced our nest boxes to only 8 nests per coop with better results....most of our hens were only using the bottom nests anyway!
Pics of our "Other" Chickens and Ducks!
