Backyard Brahmas!!

[cabinchicky]

I too need a screen door on my coops but I am getting resistance from the male in the house to get said task done. I worry dogs, coyotes or big coon could push store bought one apart. So I am going to get a good look at what is stock screen door then probably got grab 2x4s, corner brackets and some big freaking hinges. I have two rolls of 1x2 spaced welded wire here waiting the run installation so yeah door material.

 

[big medicine]

Hi, looking for a little help from some of you experienced Brahma owners.....

I have 2 older dark brahmas, a hen and a rooster, who I've had a year (though they are closer to 4 years old). I also have four young chickens (not sure of breed but look like at least part black australorp) just over 2 months old who are currently in their own coop and enclosed outdoor run. Of these four, two are hens and two roosters. I'll be re-homing the roosters soon, but I'm worried about integrating the two young hens, as my brahma roo is so huge I think he'd seriously hurt them when he tried to mate. What has been your experience in a mixed flock with these giant roosters?


The reason I want to move the younger hens in with the brahma pair is that I have 7 brahma chicks that I hatched in the incubator, and would like them to live in the coop where the 2 months olds are now. Sounds confusing to me as I type. Hopefully it makes sense to someone

Just out of curiosity, has anyone had a pure yellow dark brahma chick? I had 7 out of 8 eggs hatch (was NOT expecting that) and of the seven, one is pure yellow fluff, not a speck of any other colour. One was all dark brown, and the other 5 look identical, brownish-yellowish fuzz with chipmunk stripes on their backs. They are almost 2 weeks old and all have started getting wing feathers. The yellow guy has white and black patchy-looking feathers and all the other 6 have grey-black finer patterning on their wings. Excuse my amateur descriptions please

Thanks for any advice!

It has been my experience all dark chicks, as well as single laced, double laced, partridge (really just a red version of dark) should display some variation of your chipmunk down pattern. I should also maybe say all well breed chicks should. By well breed meaning those having two copies of all required genes for their particular pattern. What sometimes happens, while the parent may look perfectly correct, it may be carrying only a single dominant gene, still giving the proper outward appearance. But when breeding you have a fifty percent chance of the chick receiving the proper gene, or also fifty percent chance of recieving the hidden off gene, resulting in miss marked chicks. Unless of course the chick picked up the covering correct gene from the other parent.

 

[allyclair]

It sounds like that is what has happened here, the parents both look like your typical dark brahma (or so I'm told but I have no idea what other type of genes they may be carrying. Previous owner had called them a "brahma cross" but I never thought to ask for details as it didn't really matter to me what breed they were. Will be interesting to see how these babies feather out. All 7 chicks are from my "dark brahma" pair.

Thanks for the information

 

[allyclair]

My big boys never injured my little girls. I have EEs and "austrawhites" in with them and have never had a problem.

I understand why you are moving chickens around, it makes sense haha

Your pure yellow is most likely a light Brahma. The brown are probably buff and the chipmunk are dark's. I love fuzz butts!!

Thanks for the reassurance, I think my brahma hen will be glad to share some of the roosters affections

I love the fuzzy butts too, but they grow way too fast!

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

I was wondering what everyone does to prevent their hens from losing their back feathers? Do you use those "aprons"? I have bought a couple & they don't seem to work at all. Do you just keep the cock bird separated from the girls for a bit or?? My girls look TERRIBLE! I'm thinking about just separating them for a while. Any info would be greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[big medicine]

I was wondering what everyone does to prevent their hens from losing their back feathers? Do you use those "aprons"? I have bought a couple & they don't seem to work at all. Do you just keep the cock bird separated from the girls for a bit or?? My girls look TERRIBLE! I'm thinking about just separating them for a while. Any info would be greatly appreciated. TIA

What is your cock to hen ratio ?

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

What is your cock to hen ratio ?

I have one male over 6 females. He's a BIG boy. He doesn't seem overly aggressive, just pulling their feathers out of their back because he is so heavy I guess.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

More hens would help unless he plays favorites. I have one cock over 25 hens and he still has two that are bare backed.

 

[cabinchicky]

I have found my two males have favorites also. I had 20 hens and still had 5 bare.

 

[drumstick diva]

The favorites are usually the ones that are too slow to escape his tendencies. Maybe you can rotate them away from the rooster long enough to heal. Maybe he'll develop new favorites to harass.