Backyard Brahmas!!

[Huntress78]

Oh! That makes sense xD

So even though my two babies love to climb up onto the higher perches, this is bad for them later on in life?

When I first got Brahmas I read on this site that they shouldn't have perches at all. I disregarded that info because I have poop boards in my coops but after the cockerel injured himself and hearing the resounding thuds when my big hens jump down I've now added ramps or made lower roosts to help them out. I also make sure the shavings on the floor are DEEP to give them a softer landing.

Imagine dropping a 10 pound bag of flour off your kitchen counter. Now think about a bird at 8 or 10 pounds or MORE hitting the floor every day....lots of stress to their legs/joints.

 

[Katt66]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking now after reading the past few pages here.

I have a very mixed flock that contains everything from Silkies to D'uccles, to assorted Easter Eggers, Sebrights, Orpingtons, etc. The way I have things set up now there are roosts of various heights and thicknesses throughout the run and coop area so they have places to climb and hop and fly to and from. Did a great job keeping them busy with the long shut in over this past winter. I think I will have to revamp things as the Brahmas grow up though.

The highest roosts are around 2 ft. Is that too high for Brahmas? And how high is good for them? I have doubts as to ramps to the roosts working as they now all just fly up past the ramps and jump down around them. Silly things like to take the fast way. lol

 

[Huntress78]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking now after reading the past few pages here.

I have a very mixed flock that contains everything from Silkies to D'uccles, to assorted Easter Eggers, Sebrights, Orpingtons, etc. The way I have things set up now there are roosts of various heights and thicknesses throughout the run and coop area so they have places to climb and hop and fly to and from. Did a great job keeping them busy with the long shut in over this past winter. I think I will have to revamp things as the Brahmas grow up though.

The highest roosts are around 2 ft. Is that too high for Brahmas? And how high is good for them? I have doubts as to ramps to the roosts working as they now all just fly up past the ramps and jump down around them. Silly things like to take the fast way. lol

I have a mixed flock also in my layer coop. The highest roost in there is 6 feet...the Brahmas never use this one. The main roost is around 4 feet and has a ramp. Many of my birds use the ramp at least half way down before flying/jumping. My lowest roosts are in my breeder coops at 2 feet with ramps from the pop door to the ground outside.
I think a safe height depends on your birds. My dark Brahmas are much more agile and better flyers than the lights. Last winter I had one light go through a hard molt and she just couldn't get up on the roost so every night I'd pick her up and set her up there. In the morning she'd wait for me to lift her down. Now that she's all feathered in again she will fly up by herself but still waits for me every morning.

I hope everyone else chimes in on this subject....I'd like to hear how others care for their birds.

 

[christian s]

Chick's should have perches (if you want) ages 2 weeks - 10 weeks

 

[christian s]

Mason Peepers and I


Mason (background) Me Center and pepper on my shoulder

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

Mason Peepers and I


Mason (background) Me Center and pepper on my shoulder

Cute! I love babies

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

I have a mixed flock also in my layer coop. The highest roost in there is 6 feet...the Brahmas never use this one. The main roost is around 4 feet and has a ramp. Many of my birds use the ramp at least half way down before flying/jumping. My lowest roosts are in my breeder coops at 2 feet with ramps from the pop door to the ground outside.
I think a safe height depends on your birds. My dark Brahmas are much more agile and better flyers than the lights. Last winter I had one light go through a hard molt and she just couldn't get up on the roost so every night I'd pick her up and set her up there. In the morning she'd wait for me to lift her down. Now that she's all feathered in again she will fly up by herself but still waits for me every morning.

I hope everyone else chimes in on this subject....I'd like to hear how others care for their birds.

My light brahmas are 10.5 wks old now. They are almost as big as my adult layers, though they are bigger than my game birds. The currently use the highest roost in their coop, which is about 3 feet high. My Brahmas are being raised for meat only, so I'm about to move them back to the tractor, where they will stay until harvest time. The roosts in the tractor are only about a foot high.

I keep a close eye on their weight, and make sure to not overfeed them. They are already huge!

 

[Sjisty]

Most of my Brahmas roost at night. Their roosts are 3 and 4 feet high. I do have two older girls, though, who stay on the floor of the coop at night. They are 8+ years old and have been sleeping on the floor for a couple of years now. We had to put a little roof over where they sleep so as to have a "poop catcher."

 

[bumpercarr]

My 8 month old sleeps on a roost that is about 2 feet above the floor. She got onto the 3rd floor of the coop one time and wouldn't come down on her own, it is 3 feet above the bottom of the second floor. Looks like 2 feet is as high as she wants to go! I'll be building a ladder into the 3rd floor at some point, I wasn't prepared for her to want to go up there when I moved her back into the coop.

 

[livininbrazil]

Some of my Brahmas roost 3' up, others less, others on the ground. I´ve only had one Brahma die of what I assume was heart prob. She was sitting on 15 eggs at the time, a week to go til hatch. I found her in the morning. all the eggs had died.
End of last week, î went to feed the birds....Geese, ducks, chickens... chucking food around for them, looking at a pretty grey chicken, thinking about when she´ll be starting to lay...chucked a bit more... then pretty chicken's on her back, gasping last breath. A cross-breed, no Brahma in her. It just happens.