Brahma Thread

[bigjohn752000]

im in north louisiana my wife like s the partrige in blue or black alot thanks for the response ocap
next week i will be traveling to southeast kansas so between her and there lol

 

[ocap]

good luck on your search BigJohn. might try posting in the wanted section and/or the Arkansas Thread, let them know you are passing through.

 

[bigjohn752000]

thank you very much i will

 

[Beanzie]

Any opinions on selectively breeding hatchery quality stock? Perhaps the offspring several generations down may not be the perfect show quality, but does anyone believe that you can get fairly far with selective breeding? As someone with hatchery quality birds I would just like to know, although it is unlikely I would ever show so my little project isn't for a specific goal. I have no problem culling birds, either. I actually am looking forward to having nice healthy heritage breeds to butcher and I'd like to get my meat mostly from culls rather than breed specifically for meat. Has anyone tried to improve upon hatchery stock? I even recently have been observing my birds and I have noticed that out of my five DB hens one in particular has a much better type than the others. She is broader, and just more substantial than the others. I would likely use her as a foundation.

Also, when cementing a type or color in a poorly founded breed, how many generations can it take for the birds to breed true again? I only have a GLW rooster that I am crossing over my DBs at this moment. They *should* if I remember correctly produce a sex-linked cross which will be mostly for my amusement. If I had nice birds out of the cross, and selectively bred them, would I possibly be able to get birds that resemble Brahmas more than a Wyandotte? Wyandottes are a substantial bird, but my rooster isn't very large.

Just asking out of curiosity, if anyone could answer that would be lovely!

 

[bumpercarr]

Big rooster fight today.

My husband scared the flock with the tractor, a hen got out and then the rooster chased after her and then the second rooster got out and it was pandemonium. Fortunately, looks like no one was seriously hurt although there was certainly a lot of blood. And here I thought that Brahmas couldn't fly!

 

[bumpercarr]

I won those bantam dark eggs from John Neff. Very excited to get them next week. Perfect timing, as my current incubator clutch will hatch on Wednesday. I guess I need to get going on my new coop set up, I don't have anyplace for bantams right now. A question for anyone that hatches bantams....do you use the regular size egg turners or the quail size? I have both, just wondered what I should get set up for them.

 

[Tim63]

I won those bantam dark eggs from John Neff. Very excited to get them next week. Perfect timing, as my current incubator clutch will hatch on Wednesday. I guess I need to get going on my new coop set up, I don't have anyplace for bantams right now. A question for anyone that hatches bantams....do you use the regular size egg turners or the quail size? I have both, just wondered what I should get set up for them.

Regular. The quail turner is much too small. You will be suprised how large Bantam Brahma eggs are.

 

[BGMatt]

Any opinions on selectively breeding hatchery quality stock? Perhaps the offspring several generations down may not be the perfect show quality, but does anyone believe that you can get fairly far with selective breeding? As someone with hatchery quality birds I would just like to know, although it is unlikely I would ever show so my little project isn't for a specific goal. I have no problem culling birds, either. I actually am looking forward to having nice healthy heritage breeds to butcher and I'd like to get my meat mostly from culls rather than breed specifically for meat. Has anyone tried to improve upon hatchery stock? I even recently have been observing my birds and I have noticed that out of my five DB hens one in particular has a much better type than the others. She is broader, and just more substantial than the others. I would likely use her as a foundation.

Also, when cementing a type or color in a poorly founded breed, how many generations can it take for the birds to breed true again? I only have a GLW rooster that I am crossing over my DBs at this moment. They *should* if I remember correctly produce a sex-linked cross which will be mostly for my amusement. If I had nice birds out of the cross, and selectively bred them, would I possibly be able to get birds that resemble Brahmas more than a Wyandotte? Wyandottes are a substantial bird, but my rooster isn't very large.

Just asking out of curiosity, if anyone could answer that would be lovely!

The hardest and slowest thing to improve, in my opinion anyway, is size. Hatchery stock in Brahmas (and other asiatics) biggest problem is size, being way too small. I do believe with a very extensive breeding program you could eventually bring them to an acceptable level. But you are way ahead time and money wise to start with good foundation stock. I hold that opinion because I have seen it done, albeit with smaller breeds that aren't as drastic a gap size wise.

Will leave the cochin/brahma cross question to someone that has done that...I believe that's how they made the Laced Brahmas, but not sure.

Edit: For reference for "eventually" I would expect it to take 10-15 years or more to take hatchery quality Brahmas and turn them into acceptable quality. Something like a Leghorn, Polish, Hamburg etc might only take 5 years of very extensive breeding. When I say Extensive, I mean hatching multiple hundreds to get single digit number of keepers.

 

[bumpercarr]

Regular. The quail turner is much too small. You will be suprised how large Bantam Brahma eggs are.

Thanks, Tim. I knew you'd know the answer!

 

[CackleJoy]

Hi all - this is not my bird. Someone offered him to me. I'd like to know if this is what vulture hocks look like. He doesn't look like my other DB cockerel did at that age. I'd appreciate input. Thank you.