Backyard Brahmas!!

[Brahmama]

Hi! I'm not entirely sure what Henri is. My grandson's kindergarten class hatched her. (They insisted she looked like a he, and named her "Henry".) His (grandson's) teacher said she came out of a brownish egg, not small but not large. I can't find her chick pics right now, but she was very dark. So, brown egg, feathers of feet, dark chick.... I thought for a long time she might be a Cochin. But now, at @ 14 weeks or so, I'm thinking more Brahma. (??) She has always had a limp and I could never find anything wrong with her foot or leg. I just examined her this morning (so many feathers on her legs) and noticed her right leg... the one she limps on, doesn't seem to have any muscle...or at least not much. Her left leg is nice and plump. Right leg is just thin. Could she be a Brahma? As for her limp, she seems to get around fine. Not picked on. I have a Silver Laced Wyandotte(two weeks older than Henri) that was always protective of her. Big Sister. So she isn't messed with much right now.

She's definitely a Light Brahma-they are very sweet birds!

 

[Brahmama]

Ah, ok, so they're older in the pic than ours (hatched July 10th).  They hide their genders so well, lol.

Hi Mes, Nicole and I have siblings and I'm pretty sure I have a girl and a boy but my boy looks like your girls so now I'm less sure. The other boys I've had started crowing at 8 weeks so I'm hoping he lets me know soon. I will have to rehome them if so I've posted pictures just a few posts back if you want to have a look and offer an opinion.

 

[nicole63021]

Hi Mes, Nicole and I have siblings and I'm pretty sure I have a girl and a boy but my boy looks like your girls so now I'm less sure. The other boys I've had started crowing at 8 weeks so I'm hoping he lets me know soon. I will have to rehome them if so I've posted pictures just a few posts back if you want to have a look and offer an opinion.

Your pics are WAY better than mine! Need to get some new ones up on here, as the heads have really started to get nice and broad. No crowing yet here, but really hoping if they'll do it, they do it soon! How big are yours getting now Brahmama? Ours are the better part of a kilo in weight now, and are about as big in appearance as our LF Salmon Favs. Here's hoping for lots of pullets!!!! Although DH wants one to be a roo, and while legal, not sure how the neighbors will like it, lol. Would be nice for protection though.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Your pics are WAY better than mine! Need to get some new ones up on here, as the heads have really started to get nice and broad. No crowing yet here, but really hoping if they'll do it, they do it soon! How big are yours getting now Brahmama? Ours are the better part of a kilo in weight now, and are about as big in appearance as our LF Salmon Favs. Here's hoping for lots of pullets!!!! Although DH wants one to be a roo, and while legal, not sure how the neighbors will like it, lol. Would be nice for protection though.

If there is no one to crow back and forth with he probably won't be too noisy. My Brahma boys are generally pretty quiet maybe 3 or 4 crows a day.

 

[nicole63021]

If there is no one to crow back and forth with he probably won't be too noisy. My Brahma boys are generally pretty quiet maybe 3 or 4 crows a day.

Thats good to know. It would only be 1 roo we'd keep, and mostly because we have hawks, owls and eagles (OH MY!). We have a large run and coop almost done to keep them locked up safe while we're gone, then they can range when we are out with them. A rooster would be nice to help keep watch. The Brahmas are supposed to be more gentle as well (from what I've read), has that been your experience?

 

[mes]

Brahmamama and Nicole - I will hope for pullets for you both, lol. I know how that is! I think it is really fun you have the same hatch to compare notes on! I'll go back and look at pics in a bit and will post some of my current babies for demos if that helps.

I have only had brahmas, so I have no comparison to other chicken breeds, but as I understand it, this breed is very slow to mature. I've been right in my wing feather guessing with my own hatchlings each time (even when I tried to convince myself "no no you do NOT have two roos...as you see in my photo it did not work...haha). When they are young (few weeks) I can usually see the different wing and tail characteristics. However, it becomes difficult when they get a bit older, and then they get older still and you can tell! My roos usually crow at 8-10 months. I have two, so they converse happily in the morning and evening, but are pretty quiet during the day.

 

[mes]

Thats good to know. It would only be 1 roo we'd keep, and mostly because we have hawks, owls and eagles (OH MY!). We have a large run and coop almost done to keep them locked up safe while we're gone, then they can range when we are out with them. A rooster would be nice to help keep watch. The Brahmas are supposed to be more gentle as well (from what I've read), has that been your experience?

One of my roos is still young and a little hormonal...but he is improving and he is not really too difficult. My other rooster is a total gentleman to people and to his "wife"!

 

[mes]

These are my ~ three week old buff laced brahma chicks. I think this picture shows a pullet on the left and a cockerel on the right. What do you guys think?


And in the middle here is the gold lace chick - I think this is a pullet but opinions welcome!

 

[Brahmama]

Here's a pic from yesterday. He is only a little bigger, but his comb is much more pronounced. Her head is much wider but her comb hasn't started popping up yet. How awful is it to separate pairs? Does the loud peeping last long? It's so sad to hear them calling to eachother. I've always rehomed my birds in pairs, any opinions are welcomed!

 

[annewandering]

I have promised myself no more new chickens but those are two beautiful birds!