Brahma Breeders thread

[brahmabreeder]

A question for anyone:

In view of brahmabreeder's loss, while I think that he is doing everything right........, how many males should I keep to prevent a total collapse of a program? I have two cocks and two cockerels.

I would say at least two back up males would be fine. I still have four light cockerels that aren't being used, but I don't think I'll end up using them. Last year the male that died was the only male I used and those pullets and cockerels are possibly full siblings and I don't want to breed that close. At least not yet. Thank fully though my buffs are going strong and are actually starting to lay fertile eggs.

I am sorry for your loss. I haven't noticed mites on my five hen flock. They seem very healthy, laying eggs through the winter. I spray the coop at clean out (about every six weeks) and they have ashes and sand to dust bathe in. I'm just concerned if an experienced person misses mites what about me; I've only been at this about a year. What signs should I be looking for? Thanks.

Mites will usually be found around their vent. The ones I seem to get all the time are the ones that hide in the coop during the day and come and feast at night. I noticed my rooster had dirty feather spots yesterday and when I checked them out there were mites all under there. It's frustrating that I dusted less than three months ago and he managed to get them so bad he died. He was the same male to get fly strike in the summer. Talk about disgusting. I think he was just screwed from the beginning. None of my other birds have had mite problems this bad he seemed to always want to get them.

 

[mom of silkies]

I am sorry to hear about your loss, but I have good news, I bred my buff roo with my white girl and got this really pretty roo that has buff on his neck and tail but white every were else. I will try to post a pic.

 

[ocap]

I am sorry to hear about your loss, but I have good news, I bred my buff roo with my white girl and got this really pretty roo that has buff on his neck and tail but white every were else. I will try to post a pic.

Congratulations on the hatch.

I am waiting on my buff pullets and one buff hen to begin the spring season. only 10F outside and low light of winter so I will be waiting and waiting.

 

[OleMissChic]

I don't know what ya'll are feeding. I do know there is much less WASTE with pellets as opposed to mash or crumbles.

I feed Scratch and Peck organic which is made of whole grains, peas, etc so I like to make a mash for the girls. I haven't found there to be any waste but then again my girls don't waste much. If a bug flies by it gets eaten. lol

 

[dwbees]

Hey folks, I have a question. I have 3 Buff Brahma hens right now and I'm looking to start breeding them soon, I just located a 9 month old Buff Rooster for them. The hens are around a year old now and laying well. How old does the Rooster need to be to reach breeding age?

 

[OleMissChic]

Hey folks, I have a question. I have 3 Buff Brahma hens right now and I'm looking to start breeding them soon, I just located a 9 month old Buff Rooster for them. The hens are around a year old now and laying well. How old does the Rooster need to be to reach breeding age?

Any chicken can start showing sexual maturity early or late so it can depend on the individual. My current brahmas are slow to mature and at 7 months my cockerel shows zero interest in girls, crowing or disputes with other males. I had one start crowing at 4 weeks and he was mating with fertile eggs before 5 months of age and still had growing to do. I would ask the sellers if he's showing signs of maturity and if they know if he's fertilizing eggs yet but 9 months seems like a good bet. If the cockerel is in a pen of other bachelors then it can make all the difference in the world once he's got his own ladies.

 

[big medicine]

I agree, there may be several variables that can effect when a cockerel may become active.

Among these obviously age, but that can vary by the genetics involved and at what size a bird will mature to. Larger birds tend to take longer to get there.

Time of year can be a factor, the same age bird going into the shorter days of winter will usually not be as "hormoned up" as he would with the longer days going into spring/summer.

Living conditions, say if a cockerel is growing up in a mixed flock amongst one or more mature cocks, he will usually refrain from displaying much to avoid a possible confrontation with the alpha male. Depending on breed, Brahmas seem to be pretty tolerant of each other, much more than some breeds.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Hey folks, I have a question. I have 3 Buff Brahma hens right now and I'm looking to start breeding them soon, I just located a 9 month old Buff Rooster for them. The hens are around a year old now and laying well. How old does the Rooster need to be to reach breeding age?

I know that this is totally off topic, but you said your girls lay really well, my question is how well. I am curious. This March I am promised a buff and a dark Brahma hen. I do not know much about them and laying was a concern of mine.

 

[ocap]

I know that this is totally off topic, but you said your girls lay really well, my question is how well. I am curious. This March I am promised a buff and a dark Brahma hen. I do not know much about them and laying was a concern of mine.

I have one brahma large fowl hen so the sample size is too small to be statistically accurate. During her first spring she laid three eggs every four days, morning, noon then 4:00 pm followed by a day off. Her egg production dropped in the summer and stopped completely in the fall during her molt and has not yet started back. She was hatched June 2013.

 

[dwbees]

Any chicken can start showing sexual maturity early or late so it can depend on the individual. My current brahmas are slow to mature and at 7 months my cockerel shows zero interest in girls, crowing or disputes with other males. I had one start crowing at 4 weeks and he was mating with fertile eggs before 5 months of age and still had growing to do. I would ask the sellers if he's showing signs of maturity and if they know if he's fertilizing eggs yet but 9 months seems like a good bet. If the cockerel is in a pen of other bachelors then it can make all the difference in the world once he's got his own ladies.

I agree, there may be several variables that can effect when a cockerel may become active.

Among these obviously age, but that can vary by the genetics involved and at what size a bird will mature to. Larger birds tend to take longer to get there.

Time of year can be a factor, the same age bird going into the shorter days of winter will usually not be as "hormoned up" as he would with the longer days going into spring/summer.

Living conditions, say if a cockerel is growing up in a mixed flock amongst one or more mature cocks, he will usually refrain from displaying much to avoid a possible confrontation with the alpha male. Depending on breed, Brahmas seem to be pretty tolerant of each other, much more than some breeds.

Thanks for responding Olemiss and Bigmedicine, Sounds like 9 months is a pretty good age to get him.

I know that this is totally off topic, but you said your girls lay really well, my question is how well. I am curious. This March I am promised a buff and a dark Brahma hen. I do not know much about them and laying was a concern of mine.

Right now I have 3 Buff Brahma hens and one is giving me around 4 eggs a week another 2 and the last only 1. Granted it is winter but they do vary greatly. I also have Ameracaunas, Speckled Sussex and Buff Orps which all lay much better than the Brahmas.