Backyard Brahmas!!

[Gryphon]

Jumping in on the rooster discussion here. While I'm new to chickens just this year, I've worked with horses for many years and humans don't seem to realize how much of a discussion there is with just a look, and that seems to translate to chickens as well since they're highly visual creatures. A lot of the time I've seen people comment about a mean hen or roo giving someone the stink eye, and I wonder "Why are you permitting such disrespect?" If a horse was glaring at me, I'd take that as "I'm the boss of you, I want you to move away from me or I'll step it up!" I'm sure everyone has seen how chickens will move each other around with just a look, never mind a glare (focused energy/intent/whatever with attitude behind it) by the time it's reached glare level, that's "I'M GONNA MESS YOU UP!" instead of "Move away, I'm the boss." Neither one is acceptable from an animal (if you don't want to end up hurt anyway) but one is much stronger than the other, and didn't happen overnight.

For those used to dogs, it'd be like if you were putting food in a dog's bowl and they rumbled a warning at you. Stop it early on, and you don't have to deal with getting bitten down the road. Ignore it though, and eventually it turns into growling, baring of teeth, and snapping. I'm wondering if people are missing signals which is giving "mean" chickens the idea that the human is backing down each time, which means they need to take control of the situation since obviously SOMEONE needs to be the boss.

 

[livininbrazil]

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?

Vickis girls what a lovely kind owner you are. Not stupid, you´re learning. Stupid are those who don´t want to learn!
I tend to keep one cock-bird with my breeding hens, and no cock-bird with my laying hens, because too many cocks do the hens in..(no feathers on their backs, and often they reduce their laying).
I like to talk to all my birds, but after reading this thread I realise that I am more stand-offish with the cocks, just a natural thing I suppose. But I do pick them up to inspect, just to handle them, to take somewhere, etc, but I never do it to fuss them. The hens I fuss just because I like to, and then I get to fuss their chicks, too.

Another thing I notice is that the hens come right up and under our feet when we´re digging etc, but the cocks stay at a distance. It´s a natural thing. They know that I feed them, never hurt them, but they just never know that we won´t eat them! ...they keep their distance!

With your younger cockerels you´ll be fine...just stop fussing them, only pick them up to inspect them, don´t be all cooey with them, and then choose the one you like....walk into their space to make them move, just like gryphon said, good suggestion. I do that with my cocks, just so they remember. Trouble is, when I do want to pick one up, they keep moving out of my space, so I have to corner them! But once I have one, they´re really calm and no problem.
Enjoy your chickens!

 

[Gryphon]

I for one am interested in your input, Big Medecine. Just because this is for non-show Brahmas doesn't mean we're not interested in genetics and improving what stock we have.

 

[bumpercarr]

Can she hold her head if she wants to, or does it just hang down limp? It could be that it´s just so sore that she doesn´t want to move it.

Update: Little one is doing fine, no issues at all and has even opened that eye. Although I suspect she is blind in that one, we'll see how it progresses.

8 mo old pullet - I was ready to put her down yesterday, she just seemed to be in so much pain. I gave her the prescribed meds again (pain, anti inflammatory, antibiotic) yesterday afternoon along with some more egg yolk and of course water. Last night at bedtime, she had moved to the other side of the cage where she would have access to the food & water but I didn't see her eat or drink anything. This morning, I got her out to give her water and egg yolk, she took the water easily, but wanted nothing to do with the egg yolk. So, I took her outside (it's warm here) so she could get some sun and fresh air. She found a bug and ate it!! So, I put some mealy worms in front of her and she ate more and more and more! Looks like she might make it folks!

I'm going to continue the water regimen until I'm sure she's drinking on her own since drinking involves moving the head up so much.

 

[livininbrazil]

Hey guys, question for you. Hubby and I are interested in this breed and are looking for some advice. We live in Florida where the weather can be pretty darned hot. Do any of you live in a similar climate and if you do how well do these guys tolerate heat?

Appreciate the information. Thank you

Hi Serica. Obviously, I live in Brazil...I live in the tropics, and have Brahmas. It gets up to 40ºC at times in the summer, mostly it´s around 38º for months. During the day my Brahmas hang out in the shade, panting at times if they´re not in a cool place. But so far they´re ok, and I´ve had them for a few years.

 

[trueblue1]

Am I the only who gets a kick outta watching brahmas run?!?!
My honeys absolutely tickle me to death. e Most of them duck real low and take off like a torpedo and a few kinda do this fast waddle walk. It's a beautiful morning here in French Camp, MS watching my honeys do their walkabout. I hope everybody else's mornings are this great.

 

[Sjisty]

Frack is a special girl. When she was around a year old, she was brutally ripped up by an over-eager rooster. Her sides were ripped up and the skin just hung like empty pockets on both sides. She recuperated in the kitchen in a crate. When she was feeling better, she would go to the front door and "ask" to go out. When she wanted to come back in, she would peck on the door. She eventually housebroke herself this way. She refused to rejoin the flock until we rehomed the rooster. Then she would go out with her friends, but still come in and sleep at night. She learned her name and still comes running when called. She went broody once, 4 years ago, and hatched her chicks in the kitchen. She would march them to the front door to go outside in the mornings and then back in the afternoons. She is now an old lady, about 8 years old, and lays for a few days once or twice a month, but she is still top chicken in our house!

 

[Katt66]

Penny isn't laying again, and I don't expect her to for a while (if ever).  I'm glad to know that yours started laying again 8 months later....that gives me hope that she will start again sometime.  She keeps looking for her mate, who I think was the first to die trying to protect everyone.  I don't know when she'll accept that he's gone, maybe when I choose another cockerel to keep for breeding.  I am just so relieved that she lived.  It was so hard to watch her fight for her life and know that there was only so much that I could do.  The dog breeds were pit and shepherd.  I'm a little surprised at the shepherd, but I caught them trying to get into the coop again the next night on my game camera, so I'm absolutely positive it was them.

Unfortunately the shepherd doesn't surprise me at all. With so many backyard breeders and puppy mills, they, along with the pits have a very shaky disposition any more by and large. My neighbor's gets out of his yard and into ours once more it's gonna find itself with a few holes in it. And it was a pair of shepherds that tore through my Aunts pens about ten years ago and slaughtered dozens of ducks, geese, and chickens. Any body's pet in my yard unwelcome is a predator to me and will always be treated as such.
A seem harsh to some. But when you're picking up bloody clumps of feathery gore when there's no good reason other than a neighbors indifference or continued carelessness to blame....

 

[big medicine]

@big medicine You are needed

Sorry folks, been pulling midget duty lately. Which has affected my online time some.


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[121zues]

My DH is such an enabler... He bought me these today after rolling his eyes saying we didn't need anymore