Backyard Brahmas!!

[SD Bird Lady]

How old is rosemary?

 

[3KillerBs]

Hatched June 19th so about 5-6 weeks.

She's as big as the Production Red roosters that were the packing peanuts and more solidly built. She walloped one of them the other day when he tried to nose in on her patch of dirt.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

3killerB's if you get a better comb pic I can give you a more accurate guess/answer.

 

[bgrantalasykes]

Hi, do you know if people cross breed brahmas with faster growing birds for meat production? I adore my brahmas, but wouldn't mind having some chickens that grow faster. I have Dark and Light Brahmas, and Plymouth rocks, wondering if the 2 would go together, but can't seem to find any info on this!
Thanks

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I have never tried it but hybrid vigor will usually get you a faster growing chick in the first generation.

 

[3KillerBs]

3killerB's if you get a better comb pic I can give you a more accurate guess/answer.

I haven't been able to get a better picture, but I picked "her" up this morning and took a good look at the comb. 3 rows of the bumps mean that despite ordering two light Brahma pullets I ended up with absolutely none of the hens I wanted most and that the most beautiful chicken in my micro-flock will eventually have to go, right?

*sigh*

I'm getting rid of the Big Red Boys as fast as I can find someone who wants them, but I will hold onto Rosemary, er Rose-Marion, until crowing and spurs -- just in case I'm mistaken.

 

[Sjisty]

Three rows of bumps on the comb means you have a pea comb, which is what you want on a Brahma. Both genders should have pea combs.

 

[3KillerBs]

Three rows of bumps on the comb means you have a pea comb, which is what you want on a Brahma. Both genders should have pea combs.

Thank you. I must have misread my source then. I thought that the hens had only one row of bumps. I'll get more pictures this week on a day that isn't raining.

While Noodle, the friendly, Dark Brahma, who begs to be picked up and petted is my favorite of the chicks, Rosemary/Rose-Marion, the Light Brahma is, hands down, the most beautiful.

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

Another great BYC thread. I have a real soft spot for Buff Brahmas, they are on my list of breeds to eventually get.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

When they are a week or so old you will only be able to see one row on the hens. As they age their comb developes and you can see the 3 rows clearly. I think at that age if it was a he it would be fairly reddened but it is so hard to tell when you don't have a roo & pullet together for comparison.