Recent content by EmberRiver

Thank you! I checked them before, but they were out of the Brahmas for any time soon (my 2 poor Brahma hens need help ASAP), and I'd never heard of Bielefelders. Now that I've looked into them, they might be a great alternative.

Actually, that hadn't even crossed my mind...I'll look into that. None of my hens are broody, so I'll have to do it on my own, and I'm assuming that's a big learning curve, but I guess it couldn't hurt to try.

This is exactly my dilemma right now. We had a surprise Brahma rooster from our 6 chicks, and 3 of the others were Australorps, so they're much smaller than he is. He'll still go after them, but he usually won't catch them. I've seen him mount them a time or two, but I think he gave up (too hard...

I've looked at mail-order chicks to get more Brahmas, but it's just not feasible - I live in Alaska. I'd be paying about $100 for just 3 chicks - and no guarantee that they'd make it up here alive. And my first thought is always, "Well, what happens if one of THOSE ends up being a rooster?"

I'm not at all opposed to getting larger ladies - that's what I'm hoping for, actually. I just can't get any locally (I've looked at mail-order chicks to get more Brahmas, but it's just not feasible - I live in Alaska), and the local places are only selling smaller breeds. After a LOT of...

My guess is that the answer will still be dependent on several factors, most specifically, what area of the country do you live in (where would the chickens be going once sold)? Because of where I live, I HAVE to only get cold-hardy breeds. If you live somewhere that gets very warm, Black...

I only have experience with Australorps (getting Barred Rocks this spring). We live in Alaska, and their coop is NOT insulated. So far, they've faired really well. 2 of them have tiny combs. The 3rd has a bigger comb, but not huge, and (so far) no issues with frostbite. They're more friendly...

Last year, I picked up 6 chicks - 3 Australorps and 3 Light Brahmas. They were all supposed to be females, but one of the Brahmas ended up a rooster. While I'm thrilled to have him, I hadn't planned for him (by the time we knew he was a rooster, there were no more chicks to be had locally)...