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We noticed after opening up our chicken run and allowing the flock to free range that we saw a noticeable drop in the number of ticks we saw. This prompted us to ask, “Do chickens eat ticks?”.

Anyone who has ever worked on a farm or homestead understands, all too well, how big of a problem ticks can be. They are invasive and, when left unchecked, can cause any number of diseases and illnesses.

These issues can not only affect your livestock, but also pets and family members.

So, Do Chickens Eat Ticks Or Not?

There has not really been a lot of research done on the subject, to be honest. However, we do know of one study done in Africa in 1991. Their result was that, yes, chickens eat ticks.

A flock of chickens were added to a tick infested livestock pen. They were allowed to free-range for 30 minutes to an hour. Afterward, they were dissected and were found to have ticks still remaining in their crop.

And it wasn’t just a few ticks. Each chicken had anywhere between 3 and 331 ticks. During this test, the average chicken ate a whopping 81 ticks! Another interesting note is they showed a preference to unengorged ticks as opposed to ticks that had already found a host.

Other Evidence?

Aside from that study, there has not been much other verifiable proof that chickens eat ticks. However, there is a whole lot of anecdotal evidence. Ask just about any farmer and they will swear that chickens, as well as Guinea fowl, work wonders at cutting down the tick population.

What are ticks

Ticks are small, parasitic creatures. They find a host, climb onto them and attach themselves, by the mouth, to an area in which they can draw blood.

They will feed on their host as long as they can until they are either removed or become engorged.

When do they come out?

Ticks tend to show up during the warmer months of the year and die off once things get cooler. There has been talk that, with the rise of global temperatures due to climate change, the season of ticks, and other parasites, seem to be starting earlier and ending later.

Why do you want chickens to eat them?

Aside from being pests, ticks can, and do, spread a variety of diseases. Some of these illnesses can infect both humans, livestock, and pets.

Tick Diseases

There are a number of tick spread diseases that can wreak havoc on your health. Some of the most well known illnesses are Lyme disease, Colorado tick fever, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Some others are:

• Anaplasmosis (found in the north east and upper midwest in the United States)
• Babesiosis (found in the north east and upper midwest in the United States)
• Bourbon virus (found in the Midwest and southern US)
• Colorado Tick Fever (found in the Rocky Mountain states)
• Heartland virus (found in the midwest and southern US)
• Lyme Disease (found in the north east and upper midwest in the United States)
• Powassan Disease (found in the Great Lakes region and northeast US)
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (found across the US, Central, and South America)

According to the CDC, some of the more common symptoms of tick born diseases are:

• Fever/chills
• a variety of body aches and pains (joints, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, etc)
• rash

How To Avoid Ticks

The best way to cut down on your tick population is to make sure they do not have an environment in which they can thrive. Your flock of chickens is a good start. Some other things you can do is:

• pick a breed of chicken that is a good hunter and forager like a Buckeye or Welsummer
• make sure your grass is always cut short
• keep dead leaves and grass clippings picked up
• have your pets on a good flea and tick prevention
• use bug spray
• wear long sleeves, long pants, and boots when in high risk areas
• check yourself, kids, and pets after walking in high risk areas
• remove ticks immediately if found

How To Remove A Tick Safely

If you have a tick attached to you, you want to remove it as quickly as you can. You also want to make sure that you do not leave the head or any mouth parts behind in the wound.

To do this you can either use a small, sharp pair of tweezers, or a specialized tick removal tool.

Simply, place the end of the tweezers at the base of the tick, right against your skin, pinch the tick without crushing it (this can cause the tick to regurgitate back into your skin), lightly pull and twist. This should cause the tick to release and not leave anything behind.

After removal, flush the tick down the toilet and immediately clean and treat the affected area.

For more on chickens…

The Ayam Cemani chicken may be the most unique breed of chicken you will ever see. If you have never seen one before, you are in for a treat!

You can very well see, in the above picture, the Ayam Cemani is unlike any other chicken you have ever seen.

Their appearance is certainly an eye catching conversation starter. However, not only are they beautiful to look at, they are also some of the friendliest and docile chicken breeds available today.

Let’s took a look at some of the history and genetics behind this mysterious looking breed.

Everything About Ayam Cemani

History and Origin

The Ayam Cemani is believed to have originated as far back as the 12th century. The name is derived from two languages, Indonesian and Javanese. “Ayam” is the Indonesian word for chicken while “cemani” is believed to be taked from the Javanese word meaning “thotoughly black (to the bone)”

The first breed appeared on the small island of Java, Indonesia. There it was bred and cultivated over centuries. It did not make it’s way over to Europe until 1998 when a Dutch breeder named Jan Steverink imported them in.

Currently, there are only around 3,500 Ayam Cemani chickens world wide. The largest flock of breeding pairs is maintained by a Congolese-Belgian philanthropist named Jean Kiala. They are a part of a breeding program called the African Ornamental Breeder Association (AOBA).

Recognition

The American Poultry Association has yet to recognize the breed. However, the Ayam Cemani Breeders Association (ACBA) currently has a breed standard of perfection.

What Do They Look Like?

The contrast between an Ayam Cemani and, really, any other breed of chicken is quite stark. In the image below, you can really appreciate just how striking this breed is compared to a more commonly colored chicken.

Color

The single most distinguishing, and desirable, feature of the Ayam Cemani chicken is its distinct coloring. Every single feature of this breed is a deep, deep black.

The feathers, the skin, beak, tongue, feet, everything right down to their bones and internal organs.

How is it that a single breed of chicken can be one single color, literally, right down to the bone? It is because of a dominant gene which causes hyperpigmentation or fibromelanosis.

Hyperpigmentation aka Fibromelanosis

Ayam Cemani are known for their all black appearance – both outside and inside. This all black appearance is due to hyperpigmentation known as fibromelanosis.

You may be familiar with this fibromelanosis as it also occurs in another breed which is a bit more well-known, Silkies.

What causes this hyperpigmentation? Scientists have shown that it is due to a duplication of a particular gene. That gene is known as EDN3.

This duplication causes a large amount of black or dark pigment melanin to show in tissues – both internal and external (skin).

Although this gene duplication and the responding fibromelanosis was something that occurred in the wild, it is a trait that has been heavily selected and bred for which has worked to further solidify this characteristic in the breed.

Feathering, Comb, & Wattles

The feathers of the Ayam Cemani are typically tight and uniform against the body with little to no fluff and is jet black in color. However, roosters will sometimes have an iridescent turquoise/green/purple sheen to it when the light is at a certain angle.

Their head looks very similar to other single comb breeds, like the Rhode Island Red. The obvious difference is their comb, wattles, earlobes, beak, tongue, and eyes are all completely black.

The comb and wattles on a chicken are used to help regulate the body’s temperature. Blood flows through the thinner skin and is either heated or cooled. That blood is then recirculated throughout the rest of the chicken’s body thus cooling or heating it appropriately.

Additionally, the Ayam Cemani has black legs with four toes on each feet.

Size

This is not a particularly large breed of chicken. They are more compact, strong, and muscular. Their body type is described similarly to a game bird.

Ayam Cemani hens are pretty small. They generally only weigh between 3 and 4 1/2 lbs. As with most breeds, the roosters are larger, but not by much in this instance. The roosters average a weight between 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 lbs.

Breed Standard

As we mentioned above, the Ayam Cemani Breeders Association has their own breed standard of perfection. Some of the highlights include:

• large, deeply serrated comb with 5 points
• completely black skin
• completely black feathering
• muscular, game like, body confirmation
• black legs with 4 toes on each foot

What can disqualify a chicken from meeting the standards of perfection?

• Any color in the mouth other than black or gray
• feathering of any color other than black
• toenails any color other than black

What Are They Like?

We like to break this down into two sections; temperament (what they do) and personality (why they do it).

Temperament

Ayam Cemani hens are known to be good mothers. They are also known to go broody fairly often. Both of these things may seem normal, but are kind of odd when you hear that they are terrible setters. They tend to not set long enough for their young to hatch.

If you are wanting to raise your own Ayam Cemani, you will likely need to hatch the chicks on your own with an incubator. Alternatively, you could use a different chicken to help hatch them.

This breed loves to forage and free-range. They are excellent hunters and will clear your yard of the majority of unwanted pests, like ticks. They also make great watch dogs as they are a very alert breed. Not much goes on in their yard without them knowing.

Personality

These chickens are a very sweet and loving breed. They do well with other chickens, pets, livestock, even small children. Not many other breeds are as docile as they are.

They are generally a pretty peaceful chicken. Rarely are they skittish or flighty. If they have a safe place to shelter on your homestead, they will be in paradise.

What Is Their Purpose?

The Ayam Cemani has different purposes depending on where they are located. There are some societies that use them in religious ceremonies. Others use them for ritualistic medicine. Some cultures, where they are more common, insist the black skin and meat is better than other chicken meat.

They do not necessarily qualify as a dual purpose chicken since they are not particularly big or very reliable egg layers. In the US, they are raised for poultry shows and breeding programs.

Show

Like the Polish chicken, in the United States, the Ayam Cemani is primarily an ornamental, or show breed. Since they are not recognized by the APA, you won’t see them at any of their sanctioned shows. But you can find them through various poultry clubs.

Eggs

This breed is notoriously unreliable when it comes to laying eggs. You can expect to get anywhere from 60 to 80 eggs per year. That’s only an egg or two a week. They also will just stop laying for months at a time.

If you are wanting a breed for farm fresh eggs, this is not the breed for you. You will likely want a breed like the The Buckeye Chicken, Sussex, or the Buckeye chicken.

Meat

Some cultures say the meat of the Ayam Cemani is second to none. Allegedly, the darkness of the meat and skin is juicier and more flavorful. With a $2500 price tag and a couple years long waiting list, we’re just going to have to take their word for it.

Pets

One thing that is agreed upon by nearly all Ayam Cemani breeders is that they are super docile and gentle. They are great around children, even so patient as to let small kids play with them without a single peck.

If you are able to find some, they integrate well into existing flocks and are tolerant of other animals like livestock and pets.

What Care Do They Need?

Fortunately, Ayam Cemani chickens do not require any more needs than any other chicken in your flock. The two main areas of health are diet and shelter.

Diet

As we mentioned, these chickens are great foragers and love to free-range. Hunting bugs and pests can help to supplement their diet quite a bit. However, foraging for food is not always 100% consistent.

You want to make sure that your chickens are getting a complete and balanced diet. You can easily do this with a good layer feed from your local farm store. This will ensure that your feathered friends will get all of the nutrients they need.

In addition to a full chicken feeder, they will also need to have regular access to a clean water source. You do not want your chickens to dehydrate. Make sure you have a good chicken waterer and it is kept clean and unfrozen when it’s cold.

Shelter

This probably goes without saying but, chickens are not at the top of the food chain. In fact, most predators see them as an easy lunch. They need a solid and safe shelter to roost at night. If they don’t have this they are sitting ducks (or chickens, as the case may be).

A good shelter or coop is one that is kept clean and well ventilated. If you live in an area that gets really cold, you may want to take steps to keep their coop warm enough for them.

Chickens need about 2 to 3 square feet of coop space each. We have fond that our chickens do better with 4 square feet. If you are giving them an enclosed run instead of free-ranging, they will need about 12 square feet of run space each.

Ayam Cemani Health Issues

Fortunately, Ayam Cemani chickens are pretty hardy and do not suffer from any breed specific health issues. As long as they have access to plenty of food, fresh water, and a clean living space/shelter, they will live long and happy lives.

Similar Breeds

While the Ayam Cemani is unique in the respect that every physical feature of them is completely black, other than their blood, there are some other breeds that are similar. Each of these breeds have a varying degree of black skin and feathers.

• South American Black Quechua Olmec
• Black Sumatra
• Rapanui
• Silkies
• Swedish Svart Höna

Common Questions

Obviously, such a unique breed of chicken spurs many questions. Here are some of the more common questions we found during our research.

How do you pronounce Ayam Cemani?

The way you pronounce Ayam Cemani is eye-yem suh-mah-nee.

Why are they so popular/Why are they so expensive?

Ayam Cemani are so popular because they are so rare. This is also why they come with such a hefty price tag. Do not be shocked to pay up to $5,000 or more for a breeding pair!

Where can you find one?

Currently, Ayam Cemani are available in the United States, various parts of Europe, and Indonesia. There are around 3,500 Ayam Cemani in the world today. If you want one, you will have to put in serioues time in research to find one that meets breed standards.

What kind of personality do they have?

Ayam Cemani have a reputation of being a very gentle and docile breed. Even the roosters are more calm than most other breeds.

Why are they black?

Ayam Cemani possess a dominant gene that causes fibromelanosis, or hyperpigmentation. This gene causes them to be completely black; beak, feathers, skin, bones, even internal organs!

Do they lay black eggs?

No, Ayam Cemani do not lay black eggs. They lay a medium sized, cream colored egg.

Are they good for a backyard flock?

Ayam Cemani are known to be a gentle and docile breed. Their personality would make them a good backyard breed. However, their shockingly large price tag makes that a bit impractical.

Are they cold hardy?

Yes, Ayam Cemani chickens are very cold hardy. They do very well in most climates.

Can you eat them?

Yes, you can eat Ayam Cemani. However, they are way too expensive to just cook up as a regular meal. It is said, though, that the black skin and meat flavor is superior to any other chicken.

Conclusion

As you can see, the Ayam Cemani is truly one of the most unique breeds of, not only chickens, but any kind of animal. They are genuinely one of the sweetest breeds anyone could add to their flock.

If you are wanting to add some to your breeding program, be prepared to pay a lot of money, and exercise much patience while cultivating your own specific line. It is difficult and frustrating, but in the end, it is truly satisfying!

For more on chickens

The Sussex Chicken is the perfect addition to just about any flock. They make great meat birds, lay a ton of eggs, or can be the friendliest backyard chicken friend you will ever meet.

Sussex Chickens are some of the more reliable layers around. They will give you several large, light brown eggs a week. Their size also makes them excellent protein sources for those who like to raise their own food.

The Sussex is very cold hardy but also fares well in warmer climates too. Lets take a deeper dive into some more of this breed’s history, personality, and appearance.

Everything About The Sussex Chicken

Origin And History

The Sussex Chicken is one of the oldest breeds known today. It’s first known place of origin was, appropriately, Sussex, England.

One of the first recorded instances of the Sussex Chicken was in 1845 at an exhibition for the London Zoo. It was billed as the “Old Sussex” or “Kent Fowl”. It is likely that these birds were of the Speckled Sussex variety as it is believed to be the oldest of the initial recognized colors.

The breed standard was set in 1902 and consisted of the Light, Red, and, the previously mentioned, Speckled Sussex.

Appearance

The Sussex is a fairly large bird, with the roosters getting up to 9 lbs. They have a stocky build and look adorable as they waddle around foraging for food.

Color & Feathering

Sussex Chickens are officially recognized by two of the largest poultry organizations out there. Those organizations are the American Poultry Association (APA) and the Poultry Club of Great Britain.

The American Poultry Association only recognizes three colors while the Poultry club of Great Britain recognizes eight. Those recognized colors are:

American Poultry Association

• Light
• Red
• Speckled

Poultry Club of Great Britain

• Brown
• Buff
• Coronation
• Light
• Red
• Silver
• Speckled
• White

Size

The Sussex Chicken is considered to be a large breed. Both the hens and roosters of this breed can get pretty big.

Hens are generally smaller than roosters and that is no different here. However, a Sussex hen can still grow up to 7 lbs on their own! The Sussex rooster can get all the up to a whopping 9 lbs!

You can also find Bantam Sussex Chickens. You may already know that Bantams are typically about one third of the size of the standard breed. For example, a Bantam Sussex hen will weight somewhere around 2.5 lbs while a Bantam Sussex rooster may weigh around 3.3 lbs.

Comb and Wattles

The Sussex Chicken’s comb is a bright red, single comb. They also have a small set of bright red wattles under their beak.

The comb and wattles of a chicken is one of the ways the bird is able to regulate it’s own temperature. Similar to an elephant’s tusks, blood circulates through them, is cooled or warmed and then recirculated back through the body. This keeps the chicken’s core temperature at the desired level.

Miscellaneous

Other notable features of this breed are their bright red earlobes, white legs, white skin, and four toes.

When they were initially bred as table birds, they gained a good reputation as being very flavorful. Their light skin coloring and, oddly enough, number of toes, was a sign that they came from a well sourced flock.

What Are They Like?

One thing that is great about the Sussex Chicken is how docile and friendly they are. They are also a great bird for beginner’s because of how low -maintenance they can be.

Temperament & Personality

We had a Speckled Sussex hen for almost 8 years. She was incredibly friendly and, honestly, one of the sweetest chickens we’ve ever had.

It is not uncommon for a Sussex to come out and meet you whenever you end up near their coop or wherever they happen to be foraging. Even the roosters are more gentle than other breeds of rooster.

If you have small children or are just getting the family into backyard chickens, the Sussex is an excellent choice. Since they are so docile, small kids will be safe around them as they do not mind being pet or even picked up. They are also low maintenance and will not give you very much trouble keeping them healthy.

Their docile and non-aggressive nature is not without it’s drawbacks, unfortunately. Since they are so mellow, they often find themselves at the bottom of the pecking order. So, if they are paired with more aggressive birds, they will likely get picked on.

Foraging

Sussex Chickens LOVE to forage! They will spend all day in your backyard scratching around, eating any little bug, worms, grubs, and larvae they can find.

They are great at keeping annoying bugs under control, like ticks and other pests. If you have a garden, they will also help keep some of the more invasive bugs from destroying your crops. Just make sure they don’t get a taste of the crops too!

Eggs

Sussex Chickens are very reliable egg layers. They will lay anywhere between three and five eggs per week for you. Their eggs tend to be on the larger side and a light tan or tinted color.

Cold Hardy or Heat Hardy

These chickens are survivors. They are able to live in both hot and cold environments. If you live in a particularly warm climate, they will do fine as long as they have some sort of shade or shelter from the heat.

Those that live in colder climates will see them do just fine. So long as they have ready access to a warm, dry, well ventilated coop, nutritional feed, and clean water, you should see no ill effects during the Winter months.

What Is Their Purpose?

Introducing new chickens to your existing flock is often done for a specific reason. You may want a steady stream of farm fresh eggs. Perhaps, you may want to try out growing your own meat sources. You may just want your own little backyard buddy.

When a chicken has more than one viable market purpose, we call them dual purpose chickens. All that means is that they can be used for both egg production and/or as table birds.

Around here, we call them tri-purpose. Since they are so friendly, they can also be considered pets. Although we don’t really advocate that you eat your pet, so maybe they are still just dual purpose.

Pets

As we mentioned earlier, these chickens are incredibly docile, friendly, and curious. They have never met a stranger and love to be cuddled. Their easy going, mellow personality is a perfect fit for both new chicken farmers as well as seasoned veterans of the craft.

Eggs

The Sussex Chicken is a very productive egg layer. As we mentioned, they will reliably lay large, tinted or light brown eggs.

Your average hen will lay anywhere from 180 to 200 eggs a year. However, there are some hybrid strains that have reported up to 320 eggs in a year! That’s an egg almost every day of the week.

Meat

Sussex Chickens get pretty big. If you are raising and hatching your own chicks, you now have something to do with all of those roosters! In fact, during the time or World War II the Sussex and the Rhode Island Red were the primary meat birds in the United Kingdom.

The Sussex Rooster can get up to 9 lbs. That’s about 3/4 the size of your average Thanksgiving turkey. Even the hens are large enough for a decent meal too. If you retire them once they are no longer laying, a 7 lb hen can make a good stewing hen.

Since they grow so large and are quite the productive layers, Sussex Chickens make great dual purpose chickens.

Common Questions

We cam across some of these questions while researching for this article.

Are Sussex chickens good layers/Do Sussex chickens lay eggs/How many eggs does a Sussex chicken lay?

Yes. Sussex Chickens, when in good health, are reliable egg layers. You can expect anywhere from 200 to 320 eggs per year.

Do Sussex chickens go broody?

Yes. Typically, when the season turns warmer, some varieties of Sussex will go broody.

How big do Sussex chickens get?

Sussex are considered a large breed chicken. The hens can get up to 7 lbs while the roosters get all the way up to 9 lbs.

They can also be a Bantam breed with the hens weighing around 2.5 lbs and the roos around 3.3.

What age do Sussex chickens start laying?

Like most breeds of chickens, they will start laying between 18 and 20 weeks of age.

Are Sussex chickens aggressive?

Not at all. They are very friendly and docile. This is both a blessing and a curse as they are very often at the low end of a flock’s pecking order.

Are Sussex chickens noisy?

Not particularly. Due to their docile nature, the Sussex Chicken is relatively quiet.

How long do Sussex chickens live?

A healthy and well protected Sussex can live anywhere between 5 and 8 years.

Can Sussex chickens fly?

Most chickens are able to get off the ground for short spans. Sussex chickens tend to be on the heavier side of poultry and are not very prone to flying.

Are Sussex chickens cold hardy?

Absolutely! Their large size keeps them well insulated during the cold weather. They are very cold hardy.

What are Sussex chickens used for?

Sussex Chickens are what is known as a dual purpose chicken. That means they are able to be used as meat birds as well as for the high egg production.

Is Speckled Sussex rare?

The Standard size is not particularly rare. However, the Bantam Speckled Sussex is very rare.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far you know how great a bird the Sussex Chicken can be!

They are very productive layers. They can be excellent food sources. Or they make perfectly nice feathered companions.

If you want to start a flock or add some new chickens to your current one, you can’t go wrong with the Sussex Chicken.

For more on chickens

The Buckeye Chicken is a great chicken to add to your flock no matter what you’re looking for. They are big, productive, and some of the most docile and friendly chickens you can find!

If you want to add in a reliable layer that will give you large brown eggs, the Buckeye Chicken is perfect. They can also make great meat birds due to their large size.

This breed is especially cold hardy and great for any backyard flock! Let’s dig a little bit deeper and learn some more about this breed’s history, appearance, behavior, and more!

Everything About The Buckeye Chicken

Origin And History

The Buckeye Chicken is a purely American Breed of chicken. It was first developed around 1896 in Warren, Ohio by a homesteader named Nelly Metcalf. She tended the poultry for her family and wanted to have a breed that was large, productive, and could stand up to the cold Ohio winters.

After different attempts that were not to her liking, she eventually crossed Barred Plymouth Rocks, Buff Cochins, and some local black breasted red game birds. The result was what we now know as the only APA recognized breed created by a women; the Buckeye Chicken.

There is a bit of confusion behind the name of the chicken. It is often assumed the name comes from the state of origin. Ohio is known as the Buckeye State. However, this breed is also a deep mahogany color which is the same color as the seed from the Buckeye Plant.

The American Poultry Association officially recognized the Buckeye Chicken in 1904. They assigned their own “Standard of Perfection” meaning these chickens could be entered into various poultry competitions across the United States.

The breed has varied in popularity over the years. In the past it was confused with a Rhode Island Red, or dismissed as a strain of the Rhode Island Red. This passive attitude and fluctuation in public interest toward the breed led to a steep decline in the population.

Conservancy Efforts

Buckeye chickens were included in the Slow Foods USA Ark of taste list. The Ark of Taste is a list of heritage foods that are in danger of becoming extinct. Conservation groups have been working to improve the breed and, hopefully, have them removed from the list some day.

As it currently stands, there are around 5,000 breeding pairs in the United States and just 10,000 world wide.

If you want to become involved or are interested in adding some to your flock, there are some organizations dedicated specifically to the Buckeye Chicken. You can see if they have any information for you locally.

• American Buckeye Club
• American Buckeye Poultry Club

Appearance

As we mentioned earlier, the Buckeye Chicken is officially recognized by the APA and has a breed standard. If you want to show your chickens, they will have to conform to those guidelines explicitly.

However, if you are just interested in a production bird, a good layer, or just a nice chicken friend, you do not have to worry about the APA’s Standard of Perfection.

Color & Feathering

The Buckeye Chicken is a rather large breed. It has yellow skin, yellow legs, with four toes on each leg.

The feathering is a deep Mahogany color. It is said that the color of their feathers is the same color as the seeds of the Buckeye Plant. This is one of the theories behind the breed’s name.

In addition to being almost completely mahogany, they will also often have black tail feathers.

For the most part, the hens and the roosters look very similar. The roosters will generally have more feathering, with a bit more pizazz to their plumage. At times, their black tail feathers may even have a iridescent green sheen to them.

The hens are also mahogany with black tail feathers. Their feathering tends to be a bit less extravagant and more neat and trim. As with most chickens, the hens do not need the extra plumage to attract a mate. That is why the roosters look much flashier.

There is not a lot of variation in color for the Buckeye Chicken. It is believed that is one of the leading reasons it has gotten to close to extinction. Not enough color variety is a deterrence to those who want to show their chickens.

Size

There is quite a bit of size difference between the hens and roosters of the breed. As we mentioned, they are considered a large breed. Even the hens are large all the while being considerably smaller than the males.

A standard Buckeye Hen will weigh around 5.5 to 6.5 lbs fully grown. A Buckeye Rooster can get up to 9 lbs!

There are also Bantam Buckeye Chickens. As you may know, Bantam Chickens are much smaller than the standard breeds. For example, a Bantam Buckeye Rooster will probably weigh around the 4 or 5 lb mark with the hens weighing even less.

Comb and Wattles

The Buckeye Chicken has what is known as a pea-comb, just like the Easter Egger chicken. This is something that Nelly Metcalf specifically bred for so that her chickens would be extra cold hardy. The pea-comb is much smaller than most other combs and is much less susceptible to frost bite.

In addition to a red pea-comb, they also possess a much smaller set of red wattles than, say the Rhode Island Red. They also have a pair of bright red earlobes.

Miscellaneous

Like we said above, the Buckeye Chicken has been confused with the Rhode Island Red, or a strain of the Rhode Island Red. While they do look similar, they do have some pretty distinct differences you can use to tell them apart.

The first is their comb. Rhode Island Reds have a single ridge while the Buckeye has a pea-comb.

Buckeyes are also a bit more compact in their build. Finally, they have a slate colored bar across their backs that Rhode Island Reds do not.

One more note of interest; according to The Livestock Conservancy, Buckeye roosters will make all sorts of sounds beyond your typical Rooster crow. One of those sounds is said to be a “dinosaur-like roar”!

What Are They Like?

Don’t let the dino roar scare you off from adding some of these to your flock. They aren’t vicious at all. Let’s take a look at their personality traits, behavior and s few other characteristics.

Temperament & Personality

This is one of the friendliest breeds you will ever find. They make great backyard pets because of it, too. It is not unlike them to run right up to you anytime you go outside. They are that friendly!

Another point of their personality is Buckeyes are naturally very curious. It could be argued that the reason they appear to be so friendly is because they are just curious about people, in general. But you would think that curiosity would go away after a while and their friendliness does not seem to.

They work great with other chickens in the flock. This breed is known for not picking too hard on other birds in the flock. Specifically, they do not tend to pull out other chickens’ feathers.

Foraging

Part of the reason these chickens make great backyard chickens is because they are not only great foragers but they also thrive in the grass. You can actually supplement a decent portion of their feed with what they can find on their own foraging in your yard.

They are also quite good at hunting. If you have an older farm house and tend to get mice every now and again, these birds will seriously cut down on their frequency. Buckeye chickens will hunt down and eat any mice they can find!

Eggs

Buckeye Chickens are pretty reliable layers. You can expect to get 3 or 4 eggs from each of them per week. They also tend to lay medium to large sized, brown eggs.

Cold Hardy or Heat Hardy

Because they originated in Ohio, their ability to survive a harsh winter was very important. One of the key characteristics Nelly Metcalf was looking for was for her chickens to be extra cold hardy.

She succeeded. Not only do these birds do great in cold weather but they do not lose size or drop in their egg production with the changing weather. Part of how they are so cold hardy is due to their pea-comb. Single ridge, or other large comb birds, can suffer from frostbite or other issues when it gets too cold.

What Is Their Purpose?

Whenever you introduce new chickens to your existing flock you likely have an intended purpose; whether that purpose is as a pet, as a meat bird, or as a source for farm fresh eggs.

Generally, meat birds are meat birds and layers are just for eggs. The Buckeye Chicken is considered a dual purpose chicken. What that means is that you can use it for more than just one single purpose.

We often like to say some chickens can be tri-purpose. We know the demand for pet chickens has gone up in recent years so we like to point out when a breed is a good candidate for that, as well.

Pets

As we discussed earlier, the chickens are extremely friendly. They will come to greet you when you go outside. Once they realize you are also the source of food, they will get even friendlier. If you want a chicken that is willing to be picked up, carried around, pet, or even cuddled, these chickens are great for that.

Eggs

The Buckeye Chicken is a fairly productive egg layer. They will easily lay between 150 and 200 eggs a year (with some anecdotal reports of 175 – 250/year). That breaks down to around 3 or 4 eggs a week per chicken.

Meat

The Buckeye Chicken is a pretty good sized bird. The roosters can weigh up to 9 lbs. To put that in perspective, the average weight of a Thanksgiving Turkey is around 15 lbs.

Even the hens can be a decent stewing hen once they no longer lay. They get to be up to 6.5 lbs in size.

Both their size and egg production levels make the Buckeye Chicken a great dual purpose chicken.

Common Questions

Here are some answers to common questions about this unique breed.

Are Buckeye chickens friendly?

Yes. They act as if they never got the “be afraid of humans” gene. They are really friendly and genuinely enjoy the company of people.

What color eggs do Buckeye chickens lay?

Buckeye chickens lay brown eggs.

Do Buckeye chickens eat mice?

Buckeye chickens are interesting in that they will hunt and eat mice. That should save on your feed bill!

Conclusion

As you may already know, they Buckeye Chicken is perfect for just about any type of homestead purpose.

They make great meat birds. If you want a lot of eggs, they can provide those. Need a backyard pal? They’ve got you covered. Heck, they can even replace your barn cat!

Hopefully, you are thinking of adding some to your flock soon!

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