Brahma Thread

[pgpoultry]

If you had my hens, Tim, you would have long time to wait to do selective breeding as they are either broody, with chicks (some of them wait as long as 3 months to start to lay again) or have just plain got fat and have stopped laying for that reason. Today I am unable to find two of my Darks who are broody gavin tipped them out of the nesting boxes....they free range over a huge area with thousands of places where they could hide, so could be anywhere.I hope the foxes don't get them

The last hen to hatch had been sitting on some La Flèche X Brahma ......which have lovely black feathers but the weirdest combs.

 

[chickee]

Interesting, my buff bantams are the same way. It is a problem as my primary interest is breeding/exhibiting. In the spring I set eggs weekly....broody hens DON'T LAY. With the fertility issues and the excessive broodieness...the bantam buffs are a bit difficult. We usually stick Cornish eggs under the broodies. Conversely....I seldom have a light bantam go boody???? Always able to hatch two or three times as many lights. Just interesting how different lines/strains can vary in there propensity to go broody. Can't really breed it out of them as the birds I keep for breeding are excellent in one area or another. Traits i want to maintain or improve.


Tim(Hank to Gary)

And I am finding that these bantam buff Brahmas are a super hardy breed! Out of 9 shipped eggs 8 hatched in my first batch and now in my second batch 11 out of twelve shipped eggs in the incubator are growing!

After reading your other post I am keeping my fingers crossed for at least 50% pullets! I am overrun with rooster chicks at the moment

 

[cherylcohen]

Cheryl....watch those Blue Partridge Brahmas......they are very broody creatures. Mine just want to spend their whole summer (and believe me we don't have much to call a summer) sitting on eggs.

ACK!!! Maybe it's because they have only been here 6 weeks, but so far so good. It's funny they won't roost in the coop, but have no problem laying eggs...again so far!!

 

[brahmabreeder]

When do LF brahma roosters start to breed? Also I got five chicks to hatch yesterday and one died during the night.

 

[Tim63]

First thing in the morning. After they crow of course.

 

[Summer98]

Let's see some pictures of everyone's beautiful Brahmas! (Especially the neat, uncommon colors). Is there a Brahma picture thread?

 

[brahmabreeder]

First thing in the morning. After they crow of course.

Sorry if the question was confusing. I meant at what age do they start to breed?

 

[Tim63]

I was being silly, I understood your question. I would say around eight months.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Morning everyone! My bantam brahma has gone broody (first time ever for both of us), I just swapped her eggs for fertile ones but I am worried she can't cover the number I gave her. She now has 14 D'Anver eggs. What do you guys think? Should I remove a few?

 

[Tim63]

Not sure how big a D'Anver egg is. I usually limit them to 10 Brahma/Cornish bantam sized eggs.