Brahma Thread

[big medicine]

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[big medicine]

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Yeah, I've been offline for about a week, wife switched phone carriers, just got the DSL re-hooked up. My BYC membership expired while I was offline, so my inbox is currently at 246% capacity. My E-mail address is listed.

As to which color, there is no reason you could not have a mixed color flock. But I would recommend seperating them into breeding groups while collecting hatching eggs, and for about a month prior. There is really nothing to be gained by randomly crossing varieties, they tend to produce a muddied mix of colors and patterns that lacks the crispness of the pure lines.

As for my silver laced their history is pretty much covered here. http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=29277#Post29277 Some very good genetic knowledge can be found found here as well.

I would recommend looking into the American Brahma Club, here is a link to example of our newsletter. http://www.theamericanbrahmaclub.org/March%20news%20letter%202011%2523.pdf

You are fortunate in that there some good standard Brahmas have historically been breed in this part of the country. Some of the best lights were breed by the late Bill Bowman just noth of Toledo. I would recommend going to Indianapolis this fall to the big crossroads show, will be well worth the trip. I would suggest you pick up a copy of the Standard of Perfection for the official breed discription.

Gary

 

[ReiMiraa]

Alright I finally realized that some of these roosters are my Red Columbian Brahma Crossed with a Speckled Sussex. Interesting the white speckles are recessive and are now black speckled.... I only have roosters of this crossing i think. I think 4 different roosters all with a slight difference. Should this be something to persue. Black Speckled Red Brahmas.... it would be easy to add more back into the leg feathering but i am worried that the sussex genes of white legs are too dominant to overcome.... until these crossings I had never seen chickens with such white legs... its cool and makes the bird 'pop' more but if i continue along that would i just deviate too far from brahma land and have a new breed all together? I have noticed any crosses of brahmas mature much faster than either heritage parent. and since these are from the Red Brahma rooster then these are F2 on the male side while F1 on the female side (if i am starting to understand anything).. then again could my Buff Columbian roo been a father since his color is recessive? but then that doesn't account for the black speckling...

Sorry about the rotated picture... its normal on my computer but every time i upload it keeps getting rotated...

on all the crosses of anything with the sussexes I end up with this definitive line of solid color down the breast....

I currently have my Buff Columbian Roo in isolation with some of my hens of many different breeds to see what i get... last year i had a very large and well feathered barred rock color with the body type of a brahma but he became coyote chow....

also these guys are all Halloween Hatches and are still growing.... and are larger than the parents...
I know their combs are messed up... how long does it take to clean that out? i am noticing that straight combs are not dominant but do influence over the kind the brahma has....

 

[bantiebabe1200]

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Mallory, I've had the same questions for a couple of breeds, and here's what I learned: Spend several hours with a good breeder, and ask a ton of questions. Get the best birds you can afford from them, and spend a lot of time watching how the birds move, and act, etc. Take pics of they grow up and keep notes. Read everything you can get your hands on and get on different poultry threads, and ask more questions. Go to shows and pick the brains of the exhibitors and especially the judges.

Then do it again, and then again.

This is what I've been told from experienced breeders. (Oh, and cull hard - I hate that part. Not in the position to do that yet, but I still hate it, even though I know they are right.) I don't have the land or other resources for a breeding program right now, but I'm storing up all my learning so I'm ready when I do. And, I don't think it's fair for me to learn all my lessons on the birds if I can learn beforehand. I have files on paper, and on the computer, that hold everything I've learned so far. The breeders I've met have all been really great, and so helpful. Someday, we'll be the ones people come to, with the help from these guys today!

This is so very true! I've been doing the same thing. I'll be getting my first breeding birds in the fall, and I've been hanging on poor Tim and asking him tons of questions for a long time now. I hope Tim's patience holds out for me, lol! I've even been printing out threads, articles and photos to help me learn all I can. This information is all in a big binder that I can always refer to if I need help with anything! I'll be going to a show this spring purley for a good learning experience and to hope find a good breeder in my area I can talk to also. I'm like a hungry baby goat looking for food, or in this case knowledge.

 

[Mallory]

Thank you for both of your replies! Good advice all around. Thanks! There is SO much to take in! Obviously I need to learn a whole lot more before I tread those waters! I think I will start with one common color of Brahma, get familiar with the breed and standards (and chickens in GENERAL) and also enjoy eggs and meat from them. Meanwhile, keep researching about genetics and what all is involved. Maybe one day I will have enough 'know-how'!

However, I'm right back in my waffling-square-one.

Buff, Dark, or Light?? Ahhh I can't decide. LOL

 

[tuesdays chicks]

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easiest way to choose if you love them all is get a trio of the 1st ones that are available to you, because you know you will end up with all 3 in the end.

 

[Mallory]

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Are you trying to tell me choosing every color in the end is inevitable?

 

[jsimon]

You'll probably end up with more llike all three colors large and bantam, then like probably two or three project varities.

 

[dak]

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Make it stop....

 

[tuesdays chicks]

well I literally only have a byc flock all I wanted was 2 birds for eggs, accidentally got chicks out of straight run bantam box at the feed store, who asks questions when they see soooooo many adorable chicks and they haven't got any

? thats where I got my light bantam brahma, so hey thats ok for awhile little hens are nice, but then I wanted green eggs so of course I had to get some hatching ee eggs for my broody, that was november easter was coming feed store always has chicks heard they were getting brahma in so just had to go have a look, well no brahma but hey guess what more ee chicks that they are claiming are ameraucana well 2 of them wont hurt the flock maybe if I'm lucky I'll get blue eggs. so you see 2 went to 5 went to 7

. my dh didn't believe me when we were looking for a house that I wanted to live in the farms, he insisted I needed to be near the water and have a boat, so yes you will have all the colors in the end.