Backyard Brahmas!!

[Sjisty]

Gold laced - this is a Cochin, but you can see the lacing.


Gold partridge

 

[Steph83]

Here's my babies! Parents were left with the house I bought. I don't care if they aren't pure or well bred. They are so cute and sweet!

 

[Steph83]

What color would you call this?

 

[crowcreek]

I'm getting 4 brahmas next week after I get the coop & fence done......;-)

How big is this coop? I need to build
A bigger one next year.

 

[hollymh]

YAY! I just bought my first brahmas, they were out of bantams so I got standards, these will be my first non-barnyard birds so we're pretty excited! My coop/run isn't huge so I hope they will be happy, they will free-range when were out but stay in when were not, we have a bobcat problem here

 

[Huntress78]

Welcome to all those new to BYC!
Love all the pics of the babies...mine are getting older so not so cute any more.

Hollymh, your birds should do fine. My Brahmas don't like being out in the snow so in winter they choose to stay in the coop and under the roofed in area even though they could free range if they wanted. Last year 30+ birds in about a 12x16 foot area and they got along great. I try to give them things to do to keep them busy....they have a dry place to dust bathe, a bale of hay to scratch around in, and flock block and pumpkins to peck at.

 

[Vickis Girls]

Sjisty, Gosh, they're beautiful! I especially love the partridge, and was thinking my little blue partridge was maybe a male as the fluff on his little head is being replaced with orange colored feathers. Now I'm wondering if he might be a gold. I sure don't know, except he's our precious "puppy" right now, who doesn't know he's a chicken. He's just the sweetest baby ever.That's him in my avatar at one day old. I'm going to try to post a couple pictures later, would you please be watching for them and maybe help me figure out his color and sex? I also saw you'll be opening up sales soon.

sure hope that's still going strong next spring!


Steph83, I'd say she's a Buff. Also, none of us care much about being "true" or "show quality". That's why we're here.


Huntress, Fall is fast approaching here, and was wondering about this bale of hay. Do you open it up for them? Is it hay or straw? I have built a 10'x20' covered run and only have 7 birds, so it's quite roomy. Do you or anyone have ideas as to what "play things" I could build or add for winter fun? We usually have snow from Thanksgiving to mid March, so would like to get started.
Thanks all.

 

[Huntress78]

I use grass hay and, at first, leave the bale whole so they can tear pieces off to eat. After a couple weeks it got dirty from them pooing on it and they had most of the good stuff eaten from around the edges so I cut it open and threw it outside on top of the snow. They don't like to walk on the snow but did venture out on the hay and scratch around. I then replace the bale under the roof with a new one. I also collect dry leaves in fall and use those for them to scratch through. They love pumpkins and winter squash....peel a bit of the hard shell away and they will hollow them out. I keep a flock block in the coop...it's a little warmer in there so the block doesn't get too hard from freezing. When it gets below zero I feed them dry cob corn...takes them a while to get it off the cob and helps keep them warm. I throw scratch...mostly oats...in the leaves/loose hay so they have to scratch and search for it.

This year I'm going to get a big 'pan' to use as a dust bath. Last year they dug big holes in the dirt under the roof that I still haven't filled back in. Menards has big 'pans' used for mixing cement I think....Inexpensive, so I'm going to try that.

 

[Sjisty]

Thanks, Vicki. The gold partridge is little Petunia, our "puppy." She was an only hatchling and never bonded with other chickens. She doesn't seem to know she's a chicken and lives in a coop by herself away from everybody. During the day, she hangs out on the front porch waiting for someone to either let her in or come out and give her some "lap time." I really think she's a little mentally challenged, but we love her.

There is a definite difference once they start to feather. You see the orange and black on the guy to the left - he's a cockerel. The chick on the right is a pullet.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Drogon is growing into a handsome cockerel