Backyard Brahmas!!

[CarolinaHen]

CarolinaHen, I know how silly I must sound. I've wanted chickens for so many years, and I guess I thought they'd respond to kindness like we humans do. I just went to the coop and locked up the pop door and gave the three girls a quick pet and left. I'm going to try to re-home two of these young cockerels before I figure out if I've ruined them or not. I'll just keep whichever one is left. I never would have guessed that snuggling a cockerel would make him hate me in the end. Am I the only one this dumb?

You don't sound silly at all. I thought that if I cuddled my cockerels they would be cuddly roosters too. We all have to learn and this is a very non-confrontational board to learn on I talk to my birds all the time and give them way more attention than most people I know with birds. I adore them! I just had to learn how to treat the guys differently. I still cuddle with my big Brahma boys. They love to lay on their back in my lap for a belly rub, but their attention comes on my terms. I pick them up when I want and put them down when I want. It's my decision, not theirs. They also must get out of my way when I walk by.
I'm just glad I learned how not to treat cockerels with bantam roosters and not a Brahma. I can't imagine the damage one of my big boys would do if they came at me like the bantam boys did.

 

[Vickis Girls]

livininbrazil, what an adorable little Brahma chick! You're so lucky to have an adoptive mother for it. I know first hand how difficult it is with a single hatchling. Thank you for all the good advice you've given.

Huntress, How've you been? Yes, I remember very well the problem hens you spoke of! I think one was named "Green Meanie." So do all the Meanie sisters live by themselves? Good solution.
You are always a huge help to me and I admire your knowledge. Thanks so much for sharing! I have someone coming tomorrow to look at one of these guys. I'll hate to see any one of them go, but go they must. Will talk soon.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I have been observing for awhile. Not much news from my coop. However; I just noticed in the past couple days that 3 of my hens are in a hard molt. They look so pitiful

I will just never understand why when its going to be the coldest an animal would lose its insulation. They are all doing fine even with the unseasonably cold like -20F at night and 0F during the day. I even have a cock who got a bit of frostbite, I think from getting his wattles wet when drinking. I can't wait until spring but must be patient

 

[Gryphon]

LivinInBrazil, that chick is one of the cutest I've seen! Such a fluff!

Does anyone else's Brahmas "grumble"? Fluffasaurus was noisy as a chick, noisy as a pullet, and now is noisy with her "big girl" voice. Not so much with volume (although as a chick she and her sister could raise hell when they wanted me to let them out of their brooder, and there was a funny situation with a squirrel that one time...) but she keeps up a running grumbling commentary about everything she sees. Right now the snow is being met with hearty disapproval, enough so she launched herself off the ground to flap her way over untouched snow to land on a branch. It was like watching a bomber take off! ;D

 

[livininbrazil]

I don´t know about grumble, I think I´d describe it more as muttering.

Here´s my favourite hen who grumbles and mutters almost incessantly, with two of her little ones riding shotgun! She has a fantastic personality and is a great mum.

 

[Huntress78]

All my girls grumble. It's the loudest in the morning when I open the coop....I feel like the hired help and they're all giving me my instructions for the day. "Open the pop door! Got the mash ready yet?! Where's our scratch?! Get those poo boards cleaned!!" Then later in the morning they're all sprawled out in the 'sun room' (glassed in area off the coop) and it's so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

 

[Huntress78]

What a sweet pic of mom and babies! Oh I wish it would warm up here so I can get some eggs shipped!

 

[Summer98]

CarolinaHen, I know how silly I must sound. I've wanted chickens for so many years, and I guess I thought they'd respond to kindness like we humans do. I just went to the coop and locked up the pop door and gave the three girls a quick pet and left. I'm going to try to re-home two of these young cockerels before I figure out if I've ruined them or not. I'll just keep whichever one is left. I never would have guessed that snuggling a cockerel would make him hate me in the end. Am I the only one this dumb?

My rooster in my avatar was handled a ton from day one and he is the sweetest, most mellow rooster. I love him. So I have my doubts about handling 100% because I think genetics plays a role, in addition to handling. But we'll see. It's not like I've had 50 roosters. Ask me 20 years from now, and I should have more knowledge.

 

[Vickis Girls]

CarolinaHen, I took no offense. Talking my chickens to sleep sounds silly to me, too and I'm the one doing it! I'm taking everyone's suggestions seriously, and I appreciate all of them.
SD Bird Lady, My gosh it is cold there! You must have gotten the Arctic air that somehow passed over us. We actually had a green Christmas and still no snow here at 2200'. I don't know this whole molt thing. I see plenty of feathers laying around, but no one looks like they're missing any. Maybe just too young(oldest are 6 mos.).
Livininbrazil, Gorgeous hen! Is she what they call partridge? I had hoped for at least one partridge hen when I ordered eggs but only got a cockerel.
Huntress, a sun room? What a smart way to build! I have a big window on the south side of the coop, but need to put a big ledge up there for them to sunbathe during the winter. So you ship eggs? Are they Darks? Hmmmmmmm. Naw, I'd end up with another pile of roosters.
Summer98, Don't freak out like I did. I think you're right about genetics, and if a breeder is mostly concerned about type and color, etc. The personality might sometimes get overlooked. Sadly, we've all seen it with dogs. My deal was the chick was the only one in the brooder and he cried most of the time. During the day I'd lock the hens in the coop for awhile and let him loose in the run so he could get some fresh air and exercise. He was like an only child to me, and I guess I ruined him. He was my first hatch and first male.
I've been trying to notice how I interact with the next hatch which is three more males. I'm really too busy to spend a lot of time out there, but they do step out of my way which the last one never did. I pick them up now and then, but focus more on the girls. I think it's fine to raise them as you did your beautiful Light, as long as you're the one making the decision. Everyone seems so much happier out there without the last guy. Enjoy your chickens, you're doing fine!
Gryphon, your girl sounds like a riot! Is it true Brahma's hate snow? All mine do is make that little peeping sound as always, it's just gotten louder.
Chickens are fun!

 

[Huntress78]

No Vicki, I'm waiting to get Brahma eggs shipped to me.
The 'sun room' didn't start out that way. It started as a big roof over the man door side of the coop. Then my boyfriend asked if I wanted it to be glassed in to use as a greenhouse. With the solid roof and cold temps here the greenhouse idea didn't work but the girls sure love it for lounging in during the day and it helps keep the snow and cold out of the main coop.