"My poultry keeps me balanced in an insane world!"

    When I first started raising parrots more than 20 years ago, I
    found out that the adage “bird brain” was totally wrong! I
    owned a pet shop and had a variety of critters that helped me
    learn that birds have a very high intelligence.

    When I decided to start into poultry more than 12 years ago,
    I started with guineas for the natural tick control. That led to
    ducks. That led to chickens a year later. I started reading
    everything I could find about poultry and all I could find that
    I liked at the local feed store was New Hampshires.

    I liked the reddish color, but found the hatchery chicks were
    plagued with bent toes and a myriad of other shortcomings.
    After finding some information about Buckeyes, I researched
    everything I could and decided they were the most perfect
    birds for my cold NW Ohio farm.

    I bought some eggs from Tim Johnson at Bowling Green,
    Ohio and my magnificent journey began! I hatched out that
    first bunch of eggs and the babies were wonderful, so
    healthy and adaptable to everything. Tim said he had gotten
    his first birds from Laura Haggarty, so, I contacted her and
    struck up a friendship with her and she told me many
    wonderful facts about the versatile Buckeye.
    My granddaughter took two of those original birds for her
    first year of 4-H and won Best LF Cockerel and Best LF
    Pullet and the race was on to breed bigger and better.

    I bugged Laura for more information and more birds. I got
    Chris McCary’s name and I sent to get some hatching eggs.
    They were packed beautifully and we had about a 70%
    hatch rate.
    The birds we raised from those eggs were undeniably
    glorious! Beautiful temperament, wonderful egg layers, great
    foragers and all around perfect homestead birds.

    My granddaughter wanted to start showing birds, so we went
    to Ohio Nationals with our friends and we were bitten by the
    show bug!

    Now, we are trying to breed our Buckeyes to get as close to
    the original dreams of Nettie Metcalf when she developed
    this breed. I read and reread the SOP and ask the great
    breeders what I should do to advance my birds to get better
    with each successive breeding. The true Buckeye fans are
    some of the most helpful and edifying people I know!

    In addition to my Buckeyes, I breed New Hampshire layers
    crossed with Buckeyes for my egg business. I have many
    loyal customers who love my brown eggs! I also have
    bantam Cochins, Silkies, Muscovies and turkeys.

    I also raise Seramas for pets and for showing and have
    recently completed Therapy Animal training through OSU. I
    am a 4-H adviser with the Superior Farmer’s 4-H Club,
    which is celebrating 70 years of being a club in Williams
    County.

    I also am a certified pullorum tester through the state of
    Ohio, which helps the 4-H youth have a low- cost way to
    have their birds tested.

    To support my poultry habit, I work full-time for the
    Williams County Engineer’s Office where I have been
    calculating drainage essentials for 17 years.

    My very tolerant husband, Jody, of 42 years and my two
    grown daughters, Jennifer and Jana, along with my five
    grandchildren have been very understanding of my poultry
    addiction! Now I am getting two of my granddaughters to
    help me and they are finding they love the birds too and
    really enjoy showing and going to the shows.
Janis Montgomery's Bio
The American Buckeye Poultry Club
.