Brahma Breeders thread

[bumpercarr]

It really is so much easier when you have more than one to look at. Then the differences are pretty obvious (for about 95%, there are always a few that you can't tell for a while yet). Last year I had one cockerel that I moved about every week to the pullet pen, then back to the cockerel pen....finally could figure out that he was a he and not a she. He eventually went into the cull pen since he obviously didn't have the type I was looking for.

 

[4hBrahmas]

So I've been raising chickens for 5 years and have always favored the Brahma breed. I'm actually starting to to get really into breeding and showing them. Would you guys be willing to look at two of my hens and give me some critics? I have had a SOP for years, but connecting real birds with the words and drawings is still a bit of a challenge.

 

[curious chickee]

Post the pictures

 

[DesertBrahma]

Well lost 1 chick last night. They were all doing great last night but it past away. It was the smallest one. I think it may not have been as healthy as i thought it was. May not have developed right. So I'm down to 4 baby chicks. I have Amelia, Mrs Nibbles, Dusty and Baby left. It's rotten I lost Arlo. I was hoping all of them would survive. But the good news is I think all of them are girls. So they will all definitely stay. I think it's almost time to make a bigger cave for them also lol. They're all eating and drinking great, and running around like crazy. When we go over to the brooder they all climb on to their heat cave and talk to us. When I pick them up they just relax into my hand and talk to me. My 2 yr old wants to cuddle them but he's a little ruff so i hold his hand and show him how to be gentle and just use 1 finger to pet them lol. My 4 yr old is really gentle with them. He even got his chick Dusty to climb in his hand. I was beyond ecstatic about how gentle he was. He's helping me care for them. He checks on them before and after school and before bed at night . He also carries the food and water containers over and tries to help me fill them. We're going to do our first clean out tomorrow and I'll get to show him how to clean the brooder, and put a clean blanket over the heat cave.

 

[big medicine]

Well lost 1 chick last night. They were all doing great last night but it past away. It was the smallest one. I think it may not have been as healthy as i thought it was. May not have developed right. So I'm down to 4 baby chicks. I have Amelia, Mrs Nibbles, Dusty and Baby left. It's rotten I lost Arlo. I was hoping all of them would survive. But the good news is I think all of them are girls. So they will all definitely stay. I think it's almost time to make a bigger cave for them also lol. They're all eating and drinking great, and running around like crazy. When we go over to the brooder they all climb on to their heat cave and talk to us. When I pick them up they just relax into my hand and talk to me. My 2 yr old wants to cuddle them but he's a little ruff so i hold his hand and show him how to be gentle and just use 1 finger to pet them lol. My 4 yr old is really gentle with them. He even got his chick Dusty to climb in his hand. I was beyond ecstatic about how gentle he was. He's helping me care for them. He checks on them before and after school and before bed at night . He also carries the food and water containers over and tries to help me fill them. We're going to do our first clean out tomorrow and I'll get to show him how to clean the brooder, and put a clean blanket over the heat cave.

They figure a newly hatched chick can live for 3 days on the last of the yoke they absorb right before they hatch ( making it possible to ship) If a chick did not develop correctly internally it may not become apparent until it has utilized the last of the yoke

 

[DesertBrahma]

I wish I knew what happened. I've been very careful about hygiene, and sanitation. I made sure I was very careful about moving them from the incubator to the brooder. I've been very careful about placing their food and water and about drowning risks. I'm making sure their heat is just right, and they can easily get in and out. I think I'm going to lose another one here soon. It's been staying in the heat cave and doesn't want to come out. It's sleeping a lot too. I'm going to go get some sav-a-chick electrolyte solution in a little bit if it doesn't perk up. The other 3 are doing fine walking around playing, investigating everything including the cat food when I brought them out for the boys to see. The cat just looked at it like it was crazy lol. I only had them out for a couple minutes today. Then they went right back in the brooder away from everything and everyone lol. Oh well my cats already know I'm crazy. He just laid down and let the chicks investigate some lol. He's a good kitty. My boys loved it. The not so perky chick i left in the brooder. I don't want to stress it and make it sick.

 

[4hBrahmas]

Dark is about a year and a half and the buff is about 9 months. Both LF. Sorry for the lack of tail on my buff, she hasn't grown it back yet after molting

 

[curious chickee]

Dark is about a year and a half and the buff is about 9 months. Both LF. Sorry for the lack of tail on my buff, she hasn't grown it back yet after molting

I am still learning but both look like their heads are a bit narrow not as wide as I would like. And the darks tail looks a bit pinched not as wide spread as I would like. It could be the pictures and the angles of the photo.

 

[4hBrahmas]

I am still learning but both look like their heads are a bit narrow not as wide as I would like. And the darks tail looks a bit pinched not as wide spread as I would like. It could be the pictures and the angles of the photo.

I wasn't sure about her tail either, so I don't thing it's the angle on that. I got the dark from some breeder around me and he didn't seem to know what he was doing really. I might try to get some pictures closer up if I can.

 

[curious chickee]

I wasn't sure about her tail either, so I don't thing it's the angle on that. I got the dark from some breeder around me and he didn't seem to know what he was doing really. I might try to get some pictures closer up if I can.

A top view if you can get one will show width of head and width of body. From what I have learned, the wider the head the better.