Brahma Thread

[ocap]

After all the horror stories I have heard of people taking prized birds to shows and coming back sick - the only showing I plan to be doing with my chickens is on these forums (much safer).

I am a fan of Langshans and Jerseys (just not a fan of the black color so much) and am thinking about getting into additional feather footed types (similar to the Langshans) such as Brahma or Cochin and I'm weighing their qualities.

So overall how do you all like the Brahma breeds? What is the most wonderful thing about them? Hardiness? Growth rate/size? Personality? Flavor? Quiet? Good foraging skills?

Brahma = personality and quiet (so far), they are docile to the point of being picked on a lot. buff brahma large fowl has become my first choice!!!! They were forced to forage by other chickens. I will find out more about the desire to forage as I slowly eliminate the other breeds.

 

[sharron]

Dee, I have been selling eggs for three years now on BYC. I am NPIP, but I have never been asked by any of the buyers if I was. It seems to be a non-issue. I am not saying this is good or bad. Just the way it is.
Clare

 

[Sjisty]

 

[Tammy N]

Quote: Dak, after buying from a TOP Dark Brahma Breeder and getting GM I am asking for NPIP and what theirs covers I learned a Hard Lesson my baby patron can never be replaced he used to jump in my lap and give hugs Im sorry loosing him because of someone wanting money is sad very sad glad your NPIP . what does yours Cover ? what do you test for ? and have you ever had an upper resp ?

 

[DEEINIOWA]

Dee, I have been selling eggs for three years now on BYC.  I am NPIP, but I have never been asked by any of the buyers if I was.  It seems to be a non-issue.  I am not saying this is good or bad.  Just the way it is.
Clare
I am in Iowa and the IPA inspects my farm annually when I renew my hatchery licence. By law I have to attach an NPIP form with every chick order or egg order I do. Plus keep written records of all birds sold over 4 months of age. And those must have NPIP P-T papers and be blood tested. That's the law in Iowa anyways....

 

[Tammy N]

Quote: Dee do you test for anything other then the Minimum in Iowa ?

 

[livininbrazil]

So overall how do you all like the Brahma breeds? What is the most wonderful thing about them? Hardiness? Growth rate/size? Personality? Flavor? Quiet? Good foraging skills?

I have Brahmas. They come from a breeder, not hatchery stock, I don´t know if that would make a difference. They are easy-going birds, the hens are easy to pick up or catch. It gets down to freezing at night sometimes here, so obviously they´re fine with that, but mine also tolerate the heat which is around the mid-30s (ºC) and upward for many months. Rate of growth is slow compared with other breeds of chicken (Delaware and Rock) that I´ve had. The hens come running with their chicks when I´m busy outside in the hope I´ll up-turn something that has lots of termites underneath, they become very tame. Obviously they´re free-range. I feed them a bit of corn and greens and stuff, but mainly they find their own by foraging. They are very beautiful as free-rangers, passers-by like to see them. They have nicer personalities than the other chickens that I´ve had, too. I haven´t found other birds pick on them, but maybe that´s because they all have plenty of space, and they don´t go looking for a spat either. I don´t eat them, so can´t say about that. My other chickens always let me know when they´ve laid an egg..big song and dance. The brahmas don´t let on much. I really like them. I have partridge and black, mainly.

 

[swirler]

Oh, for a quiet Brahma! My golden partridge hen honks like a goose when someone else is on her preferred nest.

 

[informative]

• BGMatt "I don't range my birds much or at all. Too high a risk of predation, plus ranging exposes them to catching all manor of sickness and/or parasites from wild animals, much higher risk then a showroom!"

Really? What would chickens catch from wild random animals? First off, ranging is not just chickens running loose. Most likely animals they will encounter are armadillos or small rodents like squirrels and mice maybe a random snake is my biggest predator concern and maybe raccoon. Haven't lost any yet but I am either sitting there watching them or they are in the tractors. I still consider that ranging for bugs because I move the tractors often.

I would think dozens or hundreds of other chickens from random farms would be much more likely to have a germ which would be a threat to other chickens than different odd wild species of other animals.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Studies of commercial flocks have shown caged birds to be the healthiest. Insects, worms, wild animals and birds, can carry bacteria on their feet, bodies and fur, and in their droppings and saliva. Sharing ground, eating them, and eating or drinking from the same reservior can play a role in fowl cholera, pox, infectious bursal disease, mareks and probably many other diseases. I would think may also be more likely to get into natural or created toxins/poisons. Having said all that, I still like to give them a little free run time every couple days.
As far as predation, that just depends on where you live. I have coyotes, dogs, hawks, birds, raccoons, skunks, and bobcats. I have to cover my pens with chicken wire, twice on the sides and once on the top,and bury it 6 inches into a trench, followed with fence post cement and a base board. A neighbor had a bear tear the door off his henhouse. After he replaced and reinforced it, the bear came back and tore the siding off. He's out of chicken raising.