Backyard Brahmas!!

[SD Bird Lady]

I have yet to try it, but another member said she used water. If he attacks squirt him. No force needed but they don't like it.

 

[livininbrazil]

I just don't feel like he's threatening enough to deserve a whack yet. I just went out to open the pop doors and he was still sleeping. I said "Good morning everybody" like I always do so they know it's me. When he stood up on his roost I gently pushed him back down. When I left the coop he was still sitting low. That's enough for his first lesson. I don't want for him to associate me and my voice with pain(at least until he deserves it). I'm hopeful that we're going to be just fine. Somehow I just expected him to always behave himself without any reminders... boy, was I wrong! He was the sole hatchling from a half dozen eggs, so he has social issues anyway. He spent his first weeks staring in a mirror at himself, and thinking he was human. We really bonded, so I want to only use violence as the last resort. He's very special.

Difficult situation. He looks really sweet in your avatar, but then so did my son when he was a baby!

I´ve had White Rock cocks, Delaware cocks, Indian cocks and Brahma, and I´ve never had a cock aggressive toward me. Brahmas should be the least aggressive of all these. The breed should be easy for us to handle, not aggressive. But only five months?!

He grabs your pant legs?! He´s young to be so cocky. It could simply be that he´s become over-confident because of being the only one raised by you, in which case it could be difficult to change him. But I´d be worried that he may pass this aggressiveness on to his chicks if you breed him.

 

[Vickis Girls]

Yeah, it's really a tough one. He absolutely sees us as a threat to the flock, and I think I know why. A week ago I took a hen out of the window to put her on the roost for the night and she squawked and he gave me the stink eye. Since then he's been getting more and more annoyed with me when I'm in the run feeding them. It's not that he hates me, it's that he hates me being near the flock. So either he goes, or I never get to enjoy the chickens again, which was the whole point in having them. When I'm in the yard and I get too close to the run wire, the girls come running toward me and he grabs their feathers and actually pulls them back. When I'm actually in the run, he just follows me and makes a growling noise. He didn't get a chance to grab my pant leg today. I yelled "NO" really loud and he backed off. For now he respects me, sort of. He got up on a little stump to look bigger, And I went toward him and did the "NO" thing again, then he walked away. I'm guessing he'll not live long enough to reach full Brahma size. He's ruining this whole chicken adventure. Breaks my heart. Will see what the next week or two brings. Thanks to all for your advice.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Try walking toward him and making him move out of your way. Follow him around and make him move several times. I do this routinely with my roosters and it makes a huge difference. I do it far more often with young cockerels that are just starting to figure out where they fit in he pecking order. The adults I rarely have to do it to. They politely step out of my way. Aggressive roosters have no place at my house unless it's in the stew pot.

 

[Vickis Girls]

Thanks, CarolinaHen. So I went out to tuck everyone in and lock up the pop doors, and there he was in the window with the girls as always is the case at night. I always lock the doors first, then put them on their roosts, with him being first. He's never had any issues with being moved before, but tonight was different. He turned around facing me, stood up, and raised his wings. My God, his head was higher than mine! I had to stand on the poop board to gain height. Of course I was intimidated, but said "NO" and turned him around so I could pick him up in our usual football fashion. I set him on the floor as always and patted his roost and up he went. I got the girls down and stole a quick snuggle as his stink eye glare pierced me. I really think he may have mental issues. Maybe not having other chickies in the brooder with him made him a possessive nut case. I don't know. I hope he can outgrow this quick, but I for certain can never trust him again. I dread tomorrow, since his distrust for me seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. This is the same little guy who was brooded in the house so he wouldn't be all alone. I'm so sad.

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks, CarolinaHen. So I went out to tuck everyone in and lock up the pop doors, and there he was in the window with the girls as always is the case at night. I always lock the doors first, then put them on their roosts, with him being first. He's never had any issues with being moved before, but tonight was different. He turned around facing me, stood up, and raised his wings. My God, his head was higher than mine! I had to stand on the poop board to gain height. Of course I was intimidated, but said "NO" and turned him around so I could pick him up in our usual football fashion. I set him on the floor as always and patted his roost and up he went. I got the girls down and stole a quick snuggle as his stink eye glare pierced me. I really think he may have mental issues. Maybe not having other chickies in the brooder with him made him a possessive nut case. I don't know. I hope he can outgrow this quick, but I for certain can never trust him again. I dread tomorrow, since his distrust for me seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. This is the same little guy who was brooded in the house so he wouldn't be all alone. I'm so sad.

We do these things to help them, and it doesn´t work out. They simply don´t think the same as we do. It seems to me that he views himself as your equal, simply and probably because he was raised in the house. I don´t think he´s protecting his hens, I think he views you as a rival. But whatever way, a 5 months-old Brahma cockerel shouldn´t behave like this. Here, my nice birds I either keep or sell, but my misfits I give to my neighbours and they keep them a few days, then put them in the pot but I don´t know when they actually end up on the table. Works out well.

Keeps both my birds and my neighbours happy!

 

[PhipN FarmGirl]

When will my brahma large fowl start laying and how long after that will it take for the eggs to be full size?

We had 2 large fowl brahmas, same hatch, and one laid her first egg at 5 months, and the other at 12 months. The later one had no small eggs, went straight to beautiful large eggs, about 65 grams.

 

[Vickis Girls]

ocap,I'm looking forward to that first egg too! My girls are 6 mos. old, but I guess the days are too short, though getting longer now. Maybe in a couple months

Thanks everyone for all the help trying to calm this rude cockerel. I decided it's okay to rehome him for the good of everyone involved. Tonight he'll be going to join a flock of hens that get to free range on a small farm. I couldn't offer that here. Just too many coyotes. livininbrazil,your post really helped me. I somehow felt like I should keep all my pets, but you cleared things up. I've never given up an animal before, so thank you. Do you really live in Brazil? It must be summer there(sigh).
Looks like we'll be having a green Christmas here in the Cascade Mtn's.
Great New Year to all!

 

[livininbrazil]

ocap,I'm looking forward to that first egg too! My girls are 6 mos. old, but I guess the days are too short, though getting longer now. Maybe in a couple months

Thanks everyone for all the help trying to calm this rude cockerel. I decided it's okay to rehome him for the good of everyone involved. Tonight he'll be going to join a flock of hens that get to free range on a small farm. I couldn't offer that here. Just too many coyotes. livininbrazil,your post really helped me. I somehow felt like I should keep all my pets, but you cleared things up. I've never given up an animal before, so thank you. Do you really live in Brazil? It must be summer there(sigh).
Looks like we'll be having a green Christmas here in the Cascade Mtn's.
Great New Year to all!

I´m glad I helped, I can only share my experiences, and sometimes they help others. If we´re going to keep these birds, we have to enjoy them! Now someone else will enjoy your beautiful cockerel, and you´ll be able to enjoy your hens. Good arrangement.

At the moment I have a really nice Brahma cockerel but I just don´t like the fact that he is very rough with the chicks, so I´ll move him on to someone who wants to breed him, but not free-range like I do, and I´ll grow on a couple of my young cockerels to see how they go. It always changes with birds.(good brahmas are very expensive here, so they don´t go on the neighbours´ table!)
And yes, I do live in Brazil. And yes, it´s summer, but then winter is almost a non-event..... we really enjoy it. Beautiful scenery, plants and bird-life! And we don´t miss the snow or the cold!

 

[Summer98]

I'm not an expert rooster analyst, but I think the aggressive behavior would make the situation worse. I agree with the other statement about holding the rooster down instead. It's the same with rams. We would never hit our ram or rub his head--they see it as a challenge and you want to fight them. Sort of like "bring it on." I've only had one mean rooster and we didn't keep him. I'm very patient, but if I've tried everything, then he's got to be culled. He was a blue andalusian and super mean. My oldest brahma roo is a sweetie. My two new ones seem so frightened of me, but are still mellow, as a brahma is. I love the brahma roosters. I'd never get a blue andalusian again though. He would flog me any time I was around.