Backyard Brahmas!!

[big medicine]

No such temperament issues with these guys.

 

[bumpercarr]

There are a bunch of genetics involving combs besides the main pea or rose . These modifiers all have an effect on the finer features of the comb.

For example both Brahmas and Cornish are both pea combed, but the Cornish combs tend to be higher in the rear than a Brahma pea comb. Brahma on left, Cornish on right.



Even among my blue laced red Brahma project birds their is considerable variation of their pea combs.

This guy not a bad comb, but not great.


This guy, gives me almost a Malay type feel the way he holds his head/neck. He has that extra bit at the front I need to get rid of.


This guy has a semi decent comb, his draw back is too much waddle, which should be small on a pea combed bird. He is a year older but that is a lot of wattle.


This guy nice tight wattles, but pretty much a mess of a comb.

Isn't it funny how you get one thing right and then another problem crops up to try to fix! I have the same issue with combs/wattles, but I only have 5 cockerels right now so not much of a choice. Some of mine have good combs, lousy wattles; some have lousy both and some have lousy combs and good wattles. Wish I could just get one with the "right" combo!

Fortunately, I love problem solving so trying to "fix" my chickens is a great problem to work on in my semi-retirement!

 

[holm25]

Little Buff Brahma!!

 

[WendyF]

Aaw, how old is she? She is gorgeous!

 

[holm25]

Aaw, how old is she? She is gorgeous!

13 weeks today!!!

 

[Marthab1953]

Little Buff Brahma!!

She is a pretty little girl.

 

[big medicine]

Isn't it funny how you get one thing right and then another problem crops up to try to fix! I have the same issue with combs/wattles, but I only have 5 cockerels right now so not much of a choice. Some of mine have good combs, lousy wattles; some have lousy both and some have lousy combs and good wattles. Wish I could just get one with the "right" combo!

Fortunately, I love problem solving so trying to "fix" my chickens is a great problem to work on in my semi-retirement!

The odds of getting the rare "right combo" in these projects is improved if you hatch like a crazy person, and I'm not talking about walking around arguing with yourself kind of crazy here. The more you have to choose from the better until you have refined the variables some.

This is why it is always your best investment to buy the best quality birds you can afford from a breeder of an established line. They, or the folks before them have done many years of this hard work for you.

 

[bumpercarr]

The odds of getting the rare "right combo" in these projects is improved if you hatch like a crazy person, and I'm not talking about walking around arguing with yourself kind of crazy here. The more you have to choose from the better until you have refined the variables some.

This is why it is always your best investment to buy the best quality birds you can afford from a breeder of an established line. They, or the folks before them have done many years of this hard work for you.

Agreed. I had a bigger selection of cockerels before I went on vacation, unfortunately, it seems that the hawks liked the taste of the cockerels better than the taste of the pullets. Of course, I'd prefer that they liked the taste of the dove that drive me crazy better than the taste of my well fed chickens!

But, on a better note, I do have two cockerels that show some promise. One is from the partridge pair that I lost in the first dog attack this spring and one is a dark that I hatched out 8 weeks ago. Both of them look (so far) to have the requisite comb/wattle combination and although not perfect, they're looking pretty good so far. I'd probably give them a good solid B. So far, those two are going to be my breeders unless I come across something that I just can't resist in November in Ohio.

For some reason, I don't have the same problems with most of the pullets, although I do have a few that I just don't like the look of the wattles...I can't quite put my finger on what I don't like. If I ever get around to getting some pictures, maybe you can help me out with them. The best partridge pullet by far in body/head has a weird coloration. I'm thinking about breeding her at least once to see if the color passes on or not. All three of the dark pullets look pretty good to me so far, but they are all still under 5 months old so it is a little early to tell what they've got going on.

 

[livininbrazil]

No such temperament issues with these guys.

I love the temperament of the Brahmas. And such a contrast, the temperament of the Indians here. They´re tall, and it did cross my mind getting Indian blood into mine to give them more height, but then I found a reasonable Brahma cockerel, so decided to keep it simpler. I´d just hate to have a bad-tempered Brahma. The Indians have a reputation for being fighters. And they go some, too! My Brahmas cocks seem to like that they have a fence between them.. it gives them an excuse to ignore each other.

 

[big medicine]

I love the temperament of the Brahmas. And such a contrast, the temperament of the Indians here. They´re tall, and it did cross my mind getting Indian blood into mine to give them more height, but then I found a reasonable Brahma cockerel, so decided to keep it simpler. I´d just hate to have a bad-tempered Brahma. The Indians have a reputation for being fighters. And they go some, too! My Brahmas cocks seem to like that they have a fence between them.. it gives them an excuse to ignore each other.

Now mine, when divided into breeding pens, seem to like to show off for the ladies by talking smack through the fence with the males in the neighboring pens. Knowing that they didn't need to back it up seems to encourage them. In years past when I could let everybody free range together after I had all the chicks I needed. These great braggarts that had been badmouthing their neighbors through the wire with impunity, would suddenly find themselves face to face with out the protection of the wire. and feathers would fly. After 10 minutes, or so, the order of the universe would be restored, and things would settle down. I don't believe you would get away with that with most breeds.