Brahma Thread

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Well, seems like I go offline for a day and the boards light up! Now, can someone please tell me why my brahmas are my only chickens that won't go into the coop for bed every night? Everyone else goes into their respective coops, but every night I have to go out and move the brahmas into the coop. It's not hard, I just pick them up one by one and give them a little shove on the fluffy butt when I put them down facing the door. I suspect it is because the cockerel doesn't go into the coop at night (they all go in during the day to lay their eggs) and as their leader, they feel like they should stay out with him. Should I put him in the pot and get a new cockerel since he doesn't have the sense to protect his girls inside the house at night?

I have never had this problem with the brahmas I have had, but that has been very few. I had more of a problem of that with my EEs. I let them sleep outside and survived through the harsh winter in a bush, I tried the whole shove in the coop may times, but what can I say they are rebels. To me it doesn't seem like an overly big deal, but now all mine go in the barn. Unless you really do not like this habit I wouldn't send him to the pot. It is hard to prove that he is the root of the problem. Must of my hens could care less about the rooster and just do what they want, and the roosters follow. It is hard to tell what is going on in their bird brains

 

[bamadude]

Well, seems like I go offline for a day and the boards light up!  Now, can someone please tell me why my brahmas are my only chickens that won't go into the coop for bed every night?  Everyone else goes into their respective coops, but every night I have to go out and move the brahmas into the coop.  It's not hard, I just pick them up one by one and give them a little shove on the fluffy butt when I put them down facing the door.  I suspect it is because the cockerel doesn't go into the coop at night (they all go in during the day to lay their eggs) and as their leader, they feel like they should stay out with him.  Should I put him in the pot and get a new cockerel since he doesn't have the sense to protect his girls inside the house at night?

have u tried a laser pointer. Mine will chase it right into their coop

 

[Tim63]

You could gently punt them in.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I've got about 4000 rounds that I'm having trouble feeding through my Walther. I was told to fire 2-300 rounds of CCI mini mags through it and then the feed problem would go away. Headed to the range this afternoon, I just don't shoot the rifle enough to use up that much ammo in my lifetime.

If you will have a gunsmith polish the feed ramp the gun will feed better.
I am a shooting instructor and hubby is a gunsmith

 

[bumpercarr]

If you will have a gunsmith polish the feed ramp the gun will feed better.
I am a shooting instructor and hubby is a gunsmith

Thanks for the info. It seems that the slide rubs slightly on the hammer, so it has some feed problems when using a 36 grains vs. 40 grain ammo. I realized after shooting yesterday that I only have about 150 rounds of 40 grain left, and of course no one has it right now. So, I'll hope that the 150 I shot yesterday and the 150 that I'll shoot out of it tomorrow will wear down that hammer or slide enough to make it stop hanging on the lower grain ammunition. I'll look when I'm on my way out of Houston next week to see if maybe Gander Mountain has some 40 grain ammo. Otherwise, I'll save enough rounds to use if I need to until summer gets here and the backlog is caught up.

I really wish that we had a decent gunsmith anywhere close by. We only have two in town, I used one to mount my scope on my AR and I had to remount it myself after spending about 100 rounds to try to sight it in. The other one always tells me he can't do anything when I ask him to take a look at my gun...I think all he's capable of doing is breaking down and reassembling or something...don't know how he stays in business. My husband needs his sig adjusted but he is afraid to take it to anyone here

I guess we need to look further away to find a good gunsmith.

 

[bumpercarr]

You could gently punt them in.

have u tried a laser pointer. Mine will chase it right into their coop

Both good ideas....Tim, you are too funny.

 

[bumpercarr]

You would really think that by now they would know to go to bed at dark. I have automatic coop doors (I travel a lot and the housesitter likes not having to get up early to let the girls out) that close about 10 minutes after dark. Every single night, I have to go out with the flashlight, open the door, pick them up one by one and gently push them into the house. It's like a bad habit, they go right in, just not without me going through the evening routine. Drives me just a little nuts, if I wasn't so worried about predators, I'd let them stay out all night. It's just that I have owls, cats and raccoons that would love to get to one of the big ones while they are sleeping. What a great meal they would make!

 

[big medicine]

Well, seems like I go offline for a day and the boards light up! Now, can someone please tell me why my brahmas are my only chickens that won't go into the coop for bed every night? Everyone else goes into their respective coops, but every night I have to go out and move the brahmas into the coop. It's not hard, I just pick them up one by one and give them a little shove on the fluffy butt when I put them down facing the door. I suspect it is because the cockerel doesn't go into the coop at night (they all go in during the day to lay their eggs) and as their leader, they feel like they should stay out with him. Should I put him in the pot and get a new cockerel since he doesn't have the sense to protect his girls inside the house at night?

The only times I can recall having issues with birds not going in at night are.

Young birds on their first couple times going outside, some just not figuring out how/where to get back in the coop.

Changing bedding with young birds. Sometimes freaks them out, and are afraid to step foot on this strange new stuff in their coop.

Sometimes new or timid birds being bullied by the established occupants of coop.

If running multiple males in a pen, a change in the power structure can some times result in the overthrown male being kept out by the new boss.

If a over abundance of hormoned up young cockerels, pullets may be hesitant to enter coop.

If this is a new thing, I would be looking for something that has spooked them, such as a cat or something taking up sleeping in the coop. Or possibly something making it unpleasant for them at night like being unbearably hot, or possibly a heavy mite infestation.

I have never known a cockerel to have that much sway with hens. Especially hens of any age, they would probably be more likely to challenge him to a fight.

 

[big medicine]

Just read your last post. My money is on your door is closing too early, or did, and that got them doing it.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Eh, I have a few that do that to me, but I don't mind. They only get let out on nice days, so it's not a hassle to do that.