Brahma Thread

[GA Peach in VA]

CallyB57
I purchased my Buff Brahma and Golden Laced Wydottes from Ideal 2 weeks ago. They are in the same brooder and they get along fine--no pecking problems. The do chase each other around and they all sleep together.
I do have a question for anyone familar with the breed. I ordered 6 Brahma chicks. I wanted 5 pullets and 1 roo. Well, one died during shipping. But, I don't know if it was a roo or pullet. Ideal didn't mark the male. But, I have on chick that has yellow chick feathers on it's wings. The rest of the Brahma chicks are darker coloring. Could this one be my roo?

The chick in the back row lookin at the camera!
The Brahmas and GLW are growing up together in the brooder.
When I let these gals out with my 4 week old EE's, the EE's go after this chick with a passion. I don't know why they single this one out of the 9 chicks.

 

[nhnanna]

Quote:
Can you put my name on the list for eggs? Thanks

 

[CallyB57]

Quote:
GA Peach - All of my buff Brahmas look exactly the same...their heads are all very light gold and something about their heads remind me of doves. There are 3 of your chicks that look kind of like mine-the one with the light gold head in the front of the photo on the right and the one looking at the camera in the back - and the one right beside the one that is looking at the camera in the back. With the dark Brahmas you can tell right away almost the difference between the male and female (at least, that is my understanding) and I'm pretty sure I got all pullets like I ordered. With the buff Brahmas, they were all identical as chicks, so I am unable to tell, even at 4 weeks old, which, if any might be a rooster. There is ALWAYS a rooster in the bunch when you order from a hatchery (or at least that is MY experience). However, all the buff chicks are exactly alike. You can look for some subtle differences, such as the comb might be a little bigger, or the feet might be much bigger, or the chick might be more aggressive..if you can combine several features, you might be able to identify a rooster. It's a guess, at best, but I have found that most of my guesses are pretty accurate. Sorry I could not be of more help to you - I know nothing about vent sexing, and I'm fairly new at raising chicks. Probably someone who is much more knowledgeable about the Brahma breed will reply to your question.

 

[Rootball]

The book "Bantam Chickens" by Fred P. Jeffery. page 170 states "Somes(1971) points out that the buff brahma is an auto sexing breed--93 percent accuracy in differintiating males from females at hatching time. All chicks are black on back and head. The male is clear cream-yellow on the upper surface of wings, sides of head, and belly. The female is smokey Gray in these areas."


I find this to be true with darks and partridge as well....to me it is most noticeable on the shoulders.
Here is a photo at brahma club site that illustrates

 

[Rootball]

Quote:
Can you put my name on the list for eggs? Thanks

sure!!!

 

[CallyB57]

I have a couple of EE's, only 1 BOrpington, and the rest Brahmas. I am very fond of Brahmas, but my favorite chickens are the BOrpington hen and the EE hen. They both were picked on and harrassed by an EE roo and the Brahmas. They are both faster, lighter, and can fly, while the Brahmas are cumbersome with the flight issue, so they easily escaped. But, if penned in an 8x8 pen, the EE and the BOrpington were trapped and could not get away, hence, they were 'henpecked'. Someone told my husband he was 'henpecked' once, and he left me...so I'm careful about being too pushy and aggressive in my old age. I always just thought when I was young that I was a 'perfectionist'. Back to the chickens - I put the BOrpington and the EE hens together in a fenced garden during the day, then at night I lock them in the henhouse alone, and this is working out fine. The Brahmas have a large covered coop and they sleep outside every night on a roost anyway- it is safe, as it is lined in hardware cloth, covered on the top, and has 3' of chicken wired buried under the ground on 3 sides of their coop. The 4th side has stones and firebrick against the edge of the fence. Anyway, separating them is the only way I seem to be able to keep the peace, but when my large fenced run is completed - 2 weeks max, they are going to HAVE TO get along, or nature will have to take it's course. I can not continue to referee these birds, though I love the hens so much. They are affectionate and funny and easily handled, so it is going to be tough to let them be in charge of their own fates when it comes to fitting in with the other birds.
You know what I love about this site...I have been an idiot in some of the things I have said, but not one person was critical of me - all knowing that I will learn about chickens and eventually see what a dummy I have been. This is the absolute best chicken site with the best people around. I hope that I never offend anyone and I hope nobody ever thinks I'm a 'henpecker' at this site.

 

[flagday76]

Here is my light brahma bantam cock bird that I've been showing. He isn't perfect, but a good starter bird

 

[ravencreek]

Well here is one of my babies...

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Here's mine. It's my one & only brahma - we hatched it from an egg (first time with that too). I posted it before and got a roo consensus, but the pictures weren't that great - a little blurry. I think I'm just in denial cause I really wanted it to be a girl.

Is there any way at all that this 8 week old chick is a pullet and I can keep it?

(it's a little scared here, cause it hadn't been in the house before)

wattles - are they too big for 8 weeks (8 weeks & 2 days)

 

[gritsar]

Arizona, that first pic makes me think cockerel, but I'm not 100% certain; more like 80% certain.