Brahma Breeders thread

[DesertBrahma]

Stupid phone evidently didn't post my last post. So here it is. Do any of you give your chickens any supplements? I have grit and oyster shell free choice. I also have their feed as the Nutrena Feather Fixer free choice. They free range in my backyard because of stupid coyotes. I've never been this bug free since I moved here. I haven't even had grasshoppers. I also give a little scratch in the evening a few times a week, and some black oil sunflower seeds. It's starting to cool down late night/ early morning but I don't want to overload their systems. Should I be giving anything else? Oh they also get into my compost heap and I give them some veggie scraps. I have a couple cabbage heads I'm going to split and give to them tomorrow . I've seen the kickin chicken, and bloiler booster as tsc but I haven't gotten any. I don't know if it would help or hinder them.

 

[ocap]

Stupid phone evidently didn't post my last post. So here it is. Do any of you give your chickens any supplements? I have grit and oyster shell free choice. I also have their feed as the Nutrena Feather Fixer free choice. They free range in my backyard because of stupid coyotes. I've never been this bug free since I moved here. I haven't even had grasshoppers. I also give a little scratch in the evening a few times a week, and some black oil sunflower seeds. It's starting to cool down late night/ early morning but I don't want to overload their systems. Should I be giving anything else? Oh they also get into my compost heap and I give them some veggie scraps. I have a couple cabbage heads I'm going to split and give to them tomorrow . I've seen the kickin chicken, and bloiler booster as tsc but I haven't gotten any. I don't know if it would help or hinder them.

half way through my pullets first summer of laying the eggs shells became thin (breaking in the nest), I started putting a little oyster shell on top of the feather fixer. Eggs are fine a couple of weeks later.

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

I'm currently working on Lemon "pyles". I'm interested in Isabelles and lavender laced possibly.

Sorry I never saw your reply. I would love to have the colors you mentioned as well. Do you have pics of your Lemon Pyles? I have a hen I could probably use for a Pyle project but I just don't have the room at the moment.

 

[big medicine]

For the folks with "pyles", humor me here.

How would you describe, or what color would you call your birds if the parts of your birds pattern that are "white" was black instead ?

I went with "white" because a true pyle has dominant white, while the vast majority of what they call "pyle" in European Brahmas are actually two copy blue/splash.

 

[OleMissChic]

I'm actually printing all the advice on here and making a binder with it. I'm going to reread all of it as I go along with this adventure. I want the advice, and to learn from the people who have been where I am now. If I hatch any chicks the ones I cull will go to feed my family. I got into raising these chickens to feed my family healthier. I liked this breed because they are really pretty, dual purpose, and gentle. I know it's going to take a while for them to get up to size but that's ok. I'm tired of getting chicken from the grocery store that is full of chemicals, and junk we don't need. I want healthy, and big. I have 2 boys and a husband that eat a lot. I also like the bug patrols they do lol. Mine don't like being handled but that's ok too. I don't have them to have an oddly shaped cat as my dog thinks of them. Should I get a smaller hen to be a broody, or should I use an incubator?

I have bantam cochins I use to hatch and they have a better hatch rate than my incubators. Country living often means weather knocks out electricity and I can't risk it. Of course, I don't always have broody girls so then I save eggs to incubate. Like Big Medicine said, if you go the broody route isolate, isolate, isolate. Otherwise, you risk other hens going broody and a drop in egg production, you also risk egg stealing my other hens or hens laying their eggs in the same box and having different development times. I keep broody girls away from the others and break any that I don't want to sit. I also don't let them keep valuable chicks and raise them myself leaving them with a couple "lesser" chicks to raise.

Every situation is different, you'll find what works best for you.

 

[DesertBrahma]

I've decided not to worry about it until it's time to. I haven't even gotten my first egg yet lol.I'm still printing all the advice on here though.

 

[OleMissChic]

Sorry I never saw your reply. I would love to have the colors you mentioned as well. Do you have pics of your Lemon Pyles? I have a hen I could probably use for a Pyle project but I just don't have the room at the moment.

Big Medicine got to this before I could respond. I said "Pyles" because that is what they are commonly called overseas and the Lemon "Pyles/Splash" variety still seems to be uncommon here in the US.

My profile pic is one of my girls as a pullet and there are others in my photos. I think I reference them in my photos as Lemon "Chiffons" - that's what I call my own flock.

 

[Lemac]

Sorry I never saw your reply. I would love to have the colors you mentioned as well. Do you have pics of your Lemon Pyles? I have a hen I could probably use for a Pyle project but I just don't have the room at the moment.

This colour is called lemon pyles in US ?

 

[OleMissChic]

I've decided not to worry about it until it's time to. I haven't even gotten my first egg yet lol.I'm still printing all the advice on here though.

Stupid phone evidently didn't post my last post. So here it is. Do any of you give your chickens any supplements? I have grit and oyster shell free choice. I also have their feed as the Nutrena Feather Fixer free choice. They free range in my backyard because of stupid coyotes. I've never been this bug free since I moved here. I haven't even had grasshoppers. I also give a little scratch in the evening a few times a week, and some black oil sunflower seeds. It's starting to cool down late night/ early morning but I don't want to overload their systems. Should I be giving anything else? Oh they also get into my compost heap and I give them some veggie scraps. I have a couple cabbage heads I'm going to split and give to them tomorrow . I've seen the kickin chicken, and bloiler booster as tsc but I haven't gotten any. I don't know if it would help or hinder them.

Isn't the pest control wonderful!

For my production flock (eating eggs) I ferment "organic, non gmo" feed year round as well as free range. I also give organ meat during their molts and I haven't found anything better for it.
All my birds (and animals) get herbal wormer once a week and free choice kelp. I've noticed a big difference in chick growth and egg production on Thorvin kelp. I also do the veggie scraps.

I'll be honest, I don't invest in organic feed for my breeders, they get the closest thing to natural that I can find locally and then I ferment and add the kelp and they do well on it.

As a general rule, I no longer buy the prepackaged "fix its" you find at tsc. For any eggs or meat I process I try to keep those birds as naturally as possible.
There's no one way to do things, you'll find what works best for your flock. What I mentioned works well for mine.

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

This colour is called lemon pyles in US ?

Yes, I believe so. My one hen looks similar. They are very pretty. I hope your eggs fare well.