Light Brahma poll... egg laying quirks.

[Mojo Chick'n]

Heya all -

I have a small flock of light brahmas, and I adore them - personality is fantastic, size is great, etc... When they lay, they lay great, also - but when they don't feel like laying, they don't. period. at all.

Things I have noticed that stop them from laying are A) too hot B) too wet C) too cold D) too stormy E) too sunny F) too cloudy

you get the picture.

It is never the same thing twice that makes them stop laying - no pattern, so I don't know for sure what it truly is that makes them stop laying for up to three weeks at a time.

Does anyone else have this issue with Brahmas?

I love them, and plan to keep a few around, anyway - just because - but I am tempted to change my plans of having a breeding flock around.

I have two who insist on going broody at the drop of a hat, also - which is fine, unless I have 160+ chicks already and don't need them to. Also, one particular "broody" tends to switch nests every three or four days - she'll sit on eggs, then leave them for fresh eggs laid by her coop mates. Needless to say, I don't allow her to set eggs anymore, but it does get annoying fighting with her when I go gather eggs. She will do ok, if I put her and the eggs into a cage, but at the moment, as I said, I don't need more chicks from broodies.

This is the Year of the Broody, I think

been reading a LOT of posts on broody hens lately.

Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else had egg laying issues with their brahmas, or if it was something particular to my flock.

meri

 

[gritsar]

Well, I don't like to hear about broody brahmas - since mine wouldn't go broody if their lives depended on it.

However, mine have continued to lay well no matter what the weather conditions. They laid well all winter - however it was their first winter. They laid well during the wet spring and have continued to lay well despite recent temps. in the low 100s. We added a small fan that blows across the nestboxes.
The only thing I have noticed in the horrible heat is more egg defects. Some are twisted at one end. I got one yesterday shaped like a kidney bean. A few have been smaller than normal.
My flock has layer feed available 24/7, several water sources during the day and a full waterer in the coop at night. I leave oyster shell out for them and they forage all day long.
ETA: When I say that they are laying well, I mean an average of 9 eggs a day from 13 hens; with one day a week the count dropping to 5 or 6. A day once or twice a month with 13 eggs.

 

[AkTomboy]

My girl is 3 and she lays 6 eggs a week. No matter the weather and so on. She also is one who wants to go broody as often as she blinks. But she is one of the best sweet girls I have ever had.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Makes mental note: Talk to moderator about banning all talk of brahmas going broody!!!!

Just kidding.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Makes mental note: Talk to moderator about banning all talk of brahmas going broody!!!!

Just kidding.

Mine have never gone broody. Never. My LBxWL hen has gone broody, but not my pure LBs.

They're very consistent with their laying too, and the only thing that changes with them is the color. Some are a dark pinkish brown, some really pale. Just depends.

 

[gocrow77]

Mine have not given me any problems really so far. I usually get 4-7 eggs a week from each of them - I've only had them a few months. In the hotter weather I spay all their favorite hangout spots down with cool well water and keep their water fresh and full with it as well. At the moment they are laying right through a molt as well. No broodyness either - I wish! Those big girls could sit and cover 10 eggs easily. I'm making due with a silkie that is covering 2 bantam and 3 Brahma eggs ATM, lol. My incubator gets it's share as well. I plan to raise and breed ALOT more Brahmas, mine are awesome!

 

[Blackbird]

I just got my first Brahma egg today! My LBs are about 7 months old. My mom has two that are about 3-4 years old. As far as I know they lay pretty well, only one went broody though.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Hmmm, maybe my girls just don't adore their rooster. I have a big Delaware roo in there with them (and he LOVES his ladies - sometimes he does the sneak attack, they don't like the sneak attack).

I can't think of any other reason to have such a weird laying cycle out of them. They did lay reasonably well this winter, only really stopped for three weeks during the coldest part, then picked up ok, then stopped when it got hot suddenly, then it normalized, and they did too, and then it got cold and damp and they stopped again

They have a big 5 gallon waterer, their coop is in the shadiest part of the critter area, and they have a huge run (they don't get to free range, unfortunately, because their rooster fights with this other rooster, well, any other rooster, and he is HUGE, so he pretty much murders any other males in his area.)

I do have a brahma cockerel I'm planning to put in with them as soon as he is old enough (the Del roo is getting his very own Del girlies). Maybe they'll like his attentions better - although he was the same size as they are at 1.5 years old when he was only 13 weeks old. So he is gonna be a huge monster, too.

As soon as he begins to crow and shows he is "manly" enough to defend himself against those girls, he gets to join them

(I have a feeling they'd eat him alive if I put him in too soon.)

Well, if everyone else is having theirs lay just fine, I need to keep looking for a different reason why mine stop sometimes.

hmmm... curiouser and curiouser....

meri

 

[gritsar]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Mine have never gone broody. Never. My LBxWL hen has gone broody, but not my pure LBs.

They're very consistent with their laying too, and the only thing that changes with them is the color. Some are a dark pinkish brown, some really pale. Just depends.

I'm looking at getting a few bantam hens to do my brooding for me, that is if my DH didn't get the numerous hints about me wanting a bator for my birthday.
I'm thinking it would be pretty cool to watch a serama try to cover a bunch of brahma eggs.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:

I'm looking at getting a few bantam hens to do my brooding for me, that is if my DH didn't get the numerous hints about me wanting a bator for my birthday.
I'm thinking it would be pretty cool to watch a serama try to cover a bunch of brahma eggs.

now That's a picture!!

meri