Light Sussex vs. Light Brahma for Winter

[ChickForLife]

The one that's really a Light Sussex hen:

Yup, what @NatJ said

 

[The Happster]

Nevermind. I messed up AGAIN!

It happens. Forget it.


Seconding the pea comb idea.
Those single combs don't do very well in extremely cold weather.

 

[sourland]

I'm a fan of clean legged birds in areas prone to winter snow.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I think LS would be better. Feathered legs would mean more extra care to be given about their feet.

 

[ManitobaQuail]

That’s actually what I was thinking as well. It rained and the legs of the brahmas are really messy and, probably more of our case, our brahmas are super timid and kind of annoying to catch if they don't go back to the coop themselves when we let them out...

I'm a fan of clean legged birds in areas prone to winter snow.

While I would for myself always go for Sussex, it does seem Brahma will suit you better.

I have had a great experience with Sussex.
My current LS has been hatching chicks since she was 5-6 months, and laying consistently every day she wasn't brooding.
She's still laying at almost five years old.
She's also extremely friendly.

I found her today in the scratch bucket...someone had escaped her pen...

Thanks for sharing. Have you had Brahmas as well? Our "brahmas" are extremely terrified of people and practically never comes out of the coop when we are near. And they are not in as good of condition than our LSs.

 

[ManitobaQuail]

I'm no expert on breed standards - nor do I have any inclination to try to be, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. No, that's not a pure breed.

and now that we are past that...

Does it have a pea comb? Great for avoiding frostbite.
Is it a large bird? Great for surviving winter weather.
Does it have feathered feet? Good to protect the legs - caveat, must keep coop and run DRY to prevent icy mud from accumulating on those feathered feet and promoting frost bite. I'd start adding material to the floor of the run (straw, pine shavings, etc) now, so you needn't rush to do it later - and double check the run next rain to ensure the ground slopes away from it. Won't help with snow, will help with snow melt.


Its the characteristics that matter, not the purity of the bird - breed purity is merely a useful shortcut for describing a bird with that character.

Finally, Brahma tend to be pretty quiet, but predator alert. Also good things.

Our supposedly Brahma hens

 

[ManitobaQuail]

I would keep the four often they will not lay daily
in the winter if there is no draft on the bird those temps are fine for them

I would if I could...speaking of eggs, do they pretty much lay the same colour eggs? I’ve been trying to catch them in the act but never successfully. Today one of them laid at 7PM.... don’t know who laid what/who’s been laying and who’s NOT...

 

[NatJ]

do they pretty much lay the same colour eggs?

Yes.

I’ve been trying to catch them in the act but never successfully. Today one of them laid at 7PM.... don’t know who laid what/who’s been laying and who’s NOT...

Pick up each bird and have a look at her vent (butt hole). A layer will have a vent that looks like an egg could come out: it's sort of moist and stretchy-looking, and almost as wide as an egg. A non-layer has a much smaller, puckered looking vent.

Once you've seen both versions, they are easy to tell apart. If you look at all four and they match, then you have four layers.

 

[ManitobaQuail]

Yes.



Pick up each bird and have a look at her vent (butt hole). A layer will have a vent that looks like an egg could come out: it's sort of moist and stretchy-looking, and almost as wide as an egg. A non-layer has a much smaller, puckered looking vent.

Once you've seen both versions, they are easy to tell apart. If you look at all four and they match, then you have four layers.

Ahh good to know! Thanks!

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I have 4 Light Brahmas and they dealt with my cold Wyoming winter just fine last year. What I haven’t liked about them is their suceptibilty to pests. They had the worst of the poultry lice and now they have scaly leg mites. Our Buff Orps and EEs have way fewer pests than the Brahmas.