Brahma Thread

[BGMatt]

At what age can you really tell sex on dark Brahma - do I have to wait for the wing feathers to start coming in?

I'd watch the chest, the males will start growing solid black feathers there at fairly young ages.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

thanks!

 

[urbanfarmer101]

Is there any a sound way to sex these? Does the 3 row pea comb mean roo?

 

[BGMatt]

Is there any a sound way to sex these? Does the 3 row pea comb mean roo?

All pea combs should have 3 rows...that's how they got their name, they should look like a split pea pod. It doesn't not make them a cock or cockerel.

Cocks and cockerels will still have larger comb and wattles, along with their sex feathering in the hackle and saddle.

 

[Canieldonrad]

Bit of an old topic, but I was browsing through and saw talk of Marek's. There are problems with disease, and this is the most common of them. But if you ask me, I say "don't vaccinate." You are much better off breeding your stock to resist the disease. When I was younger we had hatchery chickens and every time we would hatch 2nd/3rd/4th generation most birds would die of Marek's. When we raised chicks from breeders we hardly ever saw the disease manifest in major ways. We might have lost 2-3 birds out of 50 chicks when using lines that had never had vaccinations.

Most of your breeders prefer this method, it makes for healthy flocks in the long run. The vaccination is a quick fix that, while providing results first time around, doesn't ensure the survival of poultry in the future.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Bit of an old topic, but I was browsing through and saw talk of Marek's. There are problems with disease, and this is the most common of them. But if you ask me, I say "don't vaccinate." You are much better off breeding your stock to resist the disease. When I was younger we had hatchery chickens and every time we would hatch 2nd/3rd/4th generation most birds would die of Marek's. When we raised chicks from breeders we hardly ever saw the disease manifest in major ways. We might have lost 2-3 birds out of 50 chicks when using lines that had never had vaccinations.

Most of your breeders prefer this method, it makes for healthy flocks in the long run. The vaccination is a quick fix that, while providing results first time around, doesn't ensure the survival of poultry in the future.

This is just a question, and not at all an attack -
How do you sell birds to other breeders if you have had Marek's or Mycoplasma or something else in your flock in the past that they may still carry?
This is a lively group and I really would like to know every one's opinion on this.

 

[RedRidge]

Bit of an old topic, but I was browsing through and saw talk of Marek's.  There are problems with disease, and this is the most common of  them.  But if you ask me, I say "don't vaccinate."  You are much better off breeding your stock to resist the disease.  When I was younger we had hatchery chickens and every time we would hatch 2nd/3rd/4th generation most birds would die of Marek's.  When we raised chicks from breeders we hardly ever saw the disease manifest in major ways.  We might have lost 2-3 birds out of 50 chicks when using lines that had never had vaccinations.

Most of your breeders prefer this method, it makes for healthy flocks in the long run.  The vaccination is a quick fix that, while providing results first time around, doesn't ensure the survival of poultry in the future.

Four generations of my family (human) have proven this true. We avoid all shots and are healthier than anyone else I know.
Obviously this is hot button with me but my animals don't get injected with unnecessary stuff either.

 

[brahmabreeder]

That's why I have read that hatching hatchery birds is a bad idea. Non of my breeder birds have had anything like that....yet.

 

[Canieldonrad]

This is just a question, and not at all an attack -
How do you sell birds to other breeders if you have had Marek's or Mycoplasma or something else in your flock in the past that they may still carry?
This is a lively group and I really would like to know every one's opinion on this.

Well Marek's is just something that is here, always will be, and has been for years. Birds have built quite a tolerance outside of vaccination. Chicken's are not the only birds to carry. Any bird that carries, carries for life. If you have ever exposed yourself or your birds to an outside flock(Neighbor, family, stockyard, swap meet, poultry exhibition, feed store, walmart, gas station, it really doesn't end), chances are you have Marek's, and you won't get rid of the disease(But it likely won't cause you any issue). But as most breeder stock is naturally selected for Marek's it hardly ever poses a threat to birds raised outside of vaccination.

To make it short, if you pick up a chicken today it probably has Marek's, if its a chick it will have Marek's soon. But you are very unlikely to get something that will cause you problems.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Well Marek's is just something that is here, always will be, and has been for years. Birds have built quite a tolerance outside of vaccination. Chicken's are not the only birds to carry. Any bird that carries, carries for life. If you have ever exposed yourself or your birds to an outside flock(Neighbor, family, stockyard, swap meet, poultry exhibition, feed store, walmart, gas station, it really doesn't end), chances are you have Marek's, and you won't get rid of the disease(But it likely won't cause you any issue). But as most breeder stock is naturally selected for Marek's it hardly ever poses a threat to birds raised outside of vaccination.

To make it short, if you pick up a chicken today it probably has Marek's, if its a chick it will have Marek's soon. But you are very unlikely to get something that will cause you problems.

I agree with the philosophy that birds that die of a disease should have anyway, and the strong will survive. Not everyone is into this though, so I question the practice of selling birds from a ranch that has had Marek's in the past and the birds probably still carry it. Some people have their pampered pets, and it would not be fair to them to expose their birds to a potentially life threatening illness.
My flock has tested neg for Marek's, but as I watch the sparrows and doves fly in and out of the coup I wonder a bit. I don't vaccinate for the above reason stated, however, as I progress in my projects and the potential for selling birds to fanciers instead of just the neighbors I ponder about if I should vaccinate or not, just to keep my butt covered.
This is a touchy subject, and I respect the what y'all on this thread have to say.