Backyard Brahmas!!

[livininbrazil]

Sample space of one, but my (incubator-hatched) Brahma has been a wonderful broody! I put 12 under her. 8 hatched (the rest culled as infertile or fairly early quitters), 1 died at hatch, and I now have seven vigorous, healthy 2-month-olds running about. She has been attentive and protective, and has just this past week decided she's over the molly-coddling and it's time to start introducing some training in manners (She has just started laying again, three eggs so far.)

Mine do that. 2 months old, mum laying again...I had to move her chicks out, because when she was brooding the new eggs, her chicks would go and roost in the box with her at night, and poop everywhere! (they´re free-range) She now has her newer chicks and the bigguns are off to new homes.

 

[bumpercarr]

"cover" I don´t even know if this term is used in the chicken world, but it shows you´re into horses!

It´s a good word.

Here I have my Brahma cock with the Brahma hens I want to breed him with...I keep him with about 4. (Actually, one is a brahma-mix non-broody and I know which are her eggs, too. She´s just to keep him quiet when the others are brooding.) He´d quite easily manage more, but I don´t want to breed him to the others, being closely related. I keep my ISAs and Dels in a separate pen for eggs, because things can get confusing when an egg-layer chicken wants to lay her eggs in the brooding hen´s nest. It causes disruption. Being large, Brahmas can and do break their eggs that they´re sitting on, so an added risk would be another hen (or 3) trying to get into the same box.

Is your 'undesirable' rooster really undesirable, or is he a close second? If he´s really undesirable, let him go elsewhere/pot, or if he´s quite good, put him in with a second group for back-up, in case something undesirable happens to your desirable one? Or, of course, you could just get another as needed at a later date......I´m looking out for another decent Brahma cock-bird to 'cover' the other Brahma hens, then I´ll have 3 groups...2 of brahma, 1 of egg-layers. Just what I do..

Edited to add: I just keep a rooster if I want to breed him, otherwise I´m feeding something for nothing. Also, they´re pretty tough (health-wise) birds I find. And my laying hens are quite happy without one. In fact, it lowers the risk of injury. I´ve had 2 hens injured by a cock´s claws, so my breeding hens now wear jackets, and the layers are left as they are. Just another thought on it.

I was going to say mate, but I like the word cover better!

I keep a roo in each pen just for hen protection from predators, but I agree that they are pretty tough on the hens. It is also good if I want more egg layers, I just hatch a few of the eggs from the laying pen. I agree with you, I've separated my layers from the breeders. Makes things a little easier. If someone goes broody in either pen, I'll give them a few eggs to hatch. I like it when momma raises them, it is sure easier on me. The roo in the laying pen is pretty, but he's a mutt of some sort. But he sure takes care of his girls. I also keep any hens that are getting roughed up covered with aprons. What do your jackets look like? I bought some, but I'm not really happy with how they fit. Sometimes they roll around to the side and the hens don't like that very much.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

"cover" I don´t even know if this term is used in the chicken world, but it shows you´re into horses!

It´s a good word.

Here I have my Brahma cock with the Brahma hens I want to breed him with...I keep him with about 4. (Actually, one is a brahma-mix non-broody and I know which are her eggs, too. She´s just to keep him quiet when the others are brooding.) He´d quite easily manage more, but I don´t want to breed him to the others, being closely related. I keep my ISAs and Dels in a separate pen for eggs, because things can get confusing when an egg-layer chicken wants to lay her eggs in the brooding hen´s nest. It causes disruption. Being large, Brahmas can and do break their eggs that they´re sitting on, so an added risk would be another hen (or 3) trying to get into the same box.

Is your 'undesirable' rooster really undesirable, or is he a close second? If he´s really undesirable, let him go elsewhere/pot, or if he´s quite good, put him in with a second group for back-up, in case something undesirable happens to your desirable one? Or, of course, you could just get another as needed at a later date......I´m looking out for another decent Brahma cock-bird to 'cover' the other Brahma hens, then I´ll have 3 groups...2 of brahma, 1 of egg-layers. Just what I do..

Edited to add: I just keep a rooster if I want to breed him, otherwise I´m feeding something for nothing. Also, they´re pretty tough (health-wise) birds I find. And my laying hens are quite happy without one. In fact, it lowers the risk of injury. I´ve had 2 hens injured by a cock´s claws, so my breeding hens now wear jackets, and the layers are left as they are. Just another thought on it.

You are correct been around horses quite a bit

Thanks for the advice. He may be a close second, I am holding out to see how he is when he fills out as of now he is a tish small but it is a Brahma so he shouldn't be full grown at 8 months either. His only other trait that I don't like is he has a bit of a "squirrel tail"

 

[livininbrazil]

You are correct been around horses quite a bit

Thanks for the advice. He may be a close second, I am holding out to see how he is when he fills out as of now he is a tish small but it is a Brahma so he shouldn't be full grown at 8 months either. His only other trait that I don't like is he has a bit of a "squirrel tail"

So is the favourite cock older, or are they the same age? If the same age, then you know not to bother with second one. Also, are they brothers? In which case, you may want to take your time in finding a good back-up from another line for strong breeding in the next generation.

 

[livininbrazil]

I was going to say mate, but I like the word cover better!

I keep a roo in each pen just for hen protection from predators, but I agree that they are pretty tough on the hens. It is also good if I want more egg layers, I just hatch a few of the eggs from the laying pen. I agree with you, I've separated my layers from the breeders. Makes things a little easier. If someone goes broody in either pen, I'll give them a few eggs to hatch. I like it when momma raises them, it is sure easier on me. The roo in the laying pen is pretty, but he's a mutt of some sort. But he sure takes care of his girls. I also keep any hens that are getting roughed up covered with aprons. What do your jackets look like? I bought some, but I'm not really happy with how they fit. Sometimes they roll around to the side and the hens don't like that very much.

Sounds pretty much like what I do here...minus the extra cock. I don´t have to worry about protecting my hens, it´s just the chicks at risk. The jackets I just made out of an old fleece sweater of mine...it dries fast, doesn´t get very heavy when wet, and is easy to make as it doesn´t fray. I just cut out a shape similar to the ones you can buy, (have a look at the hen and measure to decide the distance in between the wing slots, and cut slots in for the wings, making sure they were in the right place and not too tight. Easy, but it´s a bit fiddley at first to feed the wing through at first. I couldn´t be bothered to make a more elaborate one, so I just wriggled the wing in through and once it´s on, the chicken gives a little shake and off she goes. They work, because the rooster doesn´t slip and injure the hen. I made one that I left the hem of the sweater as part of the jacket, and the hem made it heavier and swung round, so I cut it off and it was fine. Not too light, not too heavy seems to work well.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

So is the favourite cock older, or are they the same age? If the same age, then you know not to bother with second one. Also, are they brothers? In which case, you may want to take your time in finding a good back-up from another line for strong breeding in the next generation.

They are all hatchery so no way of knowing parentage. I am just "backyard breeding" for my own needs and replacements. The old saying, " you get what you tolerate" so I don't just want to let them "do what they please" because there are certain traits that I don't want to replicate and would like to maintain a certain "standard" , if you will. I think what I may do is just eat rooster #2 and keep one rooster for now. I have no intention of selling birds but would like to hatch a few every year to keep fresh layers and a few for the freezer. No major goals. He may be overwhelmed for a bit but once spring is here and its warm enough for some construction I will set up a way to separate my layers as they are flighty little escape artists anyway haha

 

[livininbrazil]

They are all hatchery so no way of knowing parentage. I am just "backyard breeding" for my own needs and replacements. The old saying, " you get what you tolerate" so I don't just want to let them "do what they please" because there are certain traits that I don't want to replicate and would like to maintain a certain "standard" , if you will. I think what I may do is just eat rooster #2 and keep one rooster for now. I have no intention of selling birds but would like to hatch a few every year to keep fresh layers and a few for the freezer. No major goals. He may be overwhelmed for a bit but once spring is here and its warm enough for some construction I will set up a way to separate my layers as they are flighty little escape artists anyway haha

I´m only backyard, too, I don´t think there are any shows here anyway! But I like my Brahmas to look as good as I can get them, just like you. When I want to increase my layer flock, I put my cock in with my layer hens so I can then put some eggs under a brahma. I keep the hens for layers, as they don´t go broody, and give the cockerels are for dinner.
The Brahmas I sell (a nice one here is difficult to find), and in comparison to most here, mine aren´t at all bad. so, I sell some too, those that I dont´want to keep for breeding here.
I doubt your cockerel will be overwhelmed, he´ll be very contented! He´s the age that can cope with the demand!

I think your plan is agood one. Enjoy your dinner.

 

[CarolinaHen]

They are all hatchery so no way of knowing parentage. I am just "backyard breeding" for my own needs and replacements. The old saying, " you get what you tolerate" so I don't just want to let them "do what they please" because there are certain traits that I don't want to replicate and would like to maintain a certain "standard" , if you will. I think what I may do is just eat rooster #2 and keep one rooster for now. I have no intention of selling birds but would like to hatch a few every year to keep fresh layers and a few for the freezer. No major goals. He may be overwhelmed for a bit but once spring is here and its warm enough for some construction I will set up a way to separate my layers as they are flighty little escape artists anyway haha

We do the same thing. Temperament is my number one criteria. Then laying ability. I won't tolerate a mean rooster, and a hen that doesn't lay can't stay......... except Phyllis our Polish hen

 

[Nikki816]

got some better pics today

Millie the Blue laced pullet


Annie the Splash Columbian buff (or whatever its called) pullet


Clarabelle the other splash Columbian buff


Emily the splash laced pullet


Thomas, he's the one I kept out of the 2 hatched in October


Front view of Thomas, what do you all think of him so far?

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Nikki816 very pretty birds. I have never seen one with the red/white columbian pattern, I love it!!