Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio developed the Buckeye in the late 1800’s.  She was looking to develop a dual-purpose bird that could withstand the cold winter climate. It was first exhibited in 1902 under the name of ‘Red Buckeye’.  In 1904 it was admitted to the American Standard of Poultry in the American Class. Today, they are somewhat rare with few breeders looking to preserve this old breed.

The breeds used in the development of the Buckeye are the Cornish, Game, Rock, Cochin, and Pea-Comb Rhode Island Red. Closely resembling the early Cornish of the 1905 period, it has a muscular body, broad, well-rounded breast carried well up but without the extra breadth of shoulders on stout muscular thighs. At maturity, cocks should weigh a hefty 9lbs. with hens weighing in at 6.5lbs.

As its name implies, it should resemble the color of the Buckeye Nut.  The closely held feathers should be a deep, dark red at the head, neck, into the back, and  down the breast that slightly lightens to the shank. It sports a nice pea comb and small wattles for cold hardiness, with red eyes and ear lobes, and yellow skin and shanks. There are no variations to coloring, though they do come in a Bantam size.

Buckeyes lay a medium sized brown egg of approximately 2 ounces and have been known
to hatch a clutch of eggs.

Although bred for winter hardiness, without artificial lighting, egg production drops in the winter months. The chicks hatch out a soft yellow with some darker markings.

This calm and friendly breed forages well if left to free range making it an outstanding choice for the small farmer looking for a few eggs and an eye pleasing bird for the yard.




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