Brahma Breeders thread

[curious chickee]

My daughter is just starting 4H and chose buff Bahama bantams for her showmanship and breeding project. We are looking to get a breeding trio or quad. Her poultry leader is talking to a nearby breeder for us. Questions about set ups for breeding. We have a 400 sq ft mixed large fowl coop already set up and plan on keeping the bantams temporially inside an enclosed coop within the coop until we build them a seperate enclosure. Any suggestions about setting it up for long term breeding. How big would they need? How high off the ground should the roost be for bantams. Would on the ground nesting boxes be best or little off the ground. We will have a seperate brooding pen with a momma heating pad within so they can see each other from day one for incubator chicks. We will be using deep litter and fermented feed, but how much protein for show quality birds? How do you keep their feet feathers staying nice? When using an incubator for breeding how long to you collect the eggs for and do you keep them at room temp or are they still vile in the refrigerator. Trying to learn everything we can to make my daughter's showing a success.

 

[newmarch2014]

Hi all, I only have hatchery birds right now so have no aspirations of breeding or showing these birds ever. They are simply for my enjoyment and learning curve till I get closer to retirement when I have plenty of time to invest in buying breeding stock and

breeding and such. I am however a lover of learning and absorbing all the information and mental comparisons I can. I am still a bit in the dark on the vulture hocks question. I am attaching a pic of my cockbird that was my surprise out of my chicks this spring (of course I was hoping for all pullets). I would imagine he must have vulture hocks as he is just a hatchery bird but are they not extreme maybe? I just do better with a frame of reference that I can actually pick up and investigate.

 

[DesertBrahma]

Newmarch2014, I'm in the same boat as you are. Mine are for my family to learn, and food for us. I'm still learning, and waiting for my chickies to get big and old enough. From what I'm understanding vulture hocks are the feathers right at the base of the "drumstick" that point straight back towards the tail region. I'm not completely sure but from everything I've been reading that's what they are. I'm still at the beginning of my education for my chickens though. I hope this helps. If it doesn't disregard as me having hot air between my ears.

 

[curious chickee]

Dang, the breeder fell through. He only has bantam dark and light brahmas. He also breeds Standard Buff Cochins which is where the misunderstanding came in. Anybody with show quailty Bantan Buff Brahama in CA with breeding pair or trio.

 

[curious chickee]

or hatching eggs

 

[ocap]

For anyone who bred their birds this spring...Any promising birds popping up? I've got a few lights and buffs that don't look too bad. All of mine are on the young side since I got a late start. Tails are starting to come in on some of the buffs which will give me a better idea on who to keep.

I have at least one and maybe three pullets have better tail angle. I switched the C late in the spring in an effort to increase my percentage of fertile eggs and he might have been the cause of the better pullets.

 

[cvamoca]

I have a question guys. I just calculated my chickens age. My now 4 oldest are 7 1/2 months old. When should I start expecting eggs? I just lost 1 of my pullets last night. I didn't see any obvious signs of injury on her. So I'm down to 3 pullets, and 3 cockerels. My 2 younger pullets are about 6 1/2 months old. I know they've had plenty of feed, water, and clean coop. I think it was another stress situation. I have just put my best looking cockerel in with the girls a week ago. I'm going to get a larger shed for them on the 1st and sort of confine the other 2 cockerels. I just haven't seen any signs of the oldest pullet being ready to lay, or the other 2 besides their faces going salmon color. I'm putting the egg boxes in today so they can get used to them and lay their eggs in them, and I can't wait for the first egg to get here. So does anyone have any idea when I can expect some eggs?

My Buff chicks hatched the last week of April- and of 7 pullets, I got 3 eggs today- they started laying last week. I am really surprised--I expected they would grow more and not lay till at least November, so while I'd be happier if they continue to grow and fill out more, I'm happy that I'm getting eggs so soon.

 

[DesertBrahma]

I still have not gotten any eggs. I'm checking 2x a day and nothing. If they don't do something soon I'm going to slate every one of them for the soup pot. The little stinkers. I know they're getting enough to eat, drink and room to move. They're just not giving me any eggs.

 

[Redeemed]

Hello
I am new to Brahmas and have been looking to talk to people about them to gain knowledge about the breed. I have three Brahmas one they to be a rooster and two promised to be hen............Well the larger of the light Brahmas is growing saddle feathers "she" is a light Brahma . She has not crowed yet but I am wondering if I should expect "her" to? She is now six months old and the dark Rooster is crowing now. The three of them are getting along fine and they come up to be picked up and nuzzle me under my chin.

Can you give me some things to look for in them since their waddles are the same on both Light hens.

 

[curious chickee]

Those long skinny saddle feathers are a good sign of a cockerel. I know how you feel my two buff wyadonettes I thought were hens until those dang feathers came in late. Only one of them ever crowed. I would suggest not keeping both cockerels as your poor pullet will be overbred. Let the boys grow a bit more and then keep the best.