Mean Leghorns & Brahma's??

[CamsCluckinChicks]

Hi! I have 17 eight week old chicks, plus 6 two week olds (which are still in their own safe place in our garage). My 17 consist of 4 standard brown Leghorns, 2 Gold Wyandotte's, 1 Silver Wyandotte, 2 Red Star's, 2 Australorp's (ordered Black Stars, but I got these & they're SO sweet!), 2 Buff & 1 Blue Silkie, 2 Buff Brahma Bantam's - all hens & my WCB Polish roo.

My Leghorn's & Brahma's are not nice. They carry on if you manage to catch one...and I handled them a LOT when they were day old chicks up until 6 weeks of age & then they wouldn't allow me to touch them!! They also are bully's with the other chicks. I've always heard that Leghorn's can be aggressive, so I've been keeping an eye on them. But the Brahma's are supposed to be sweeties...right? Mine are not. Those 6 chicks are evil. Everyone else gets along great. I'm thinking about putting those 6 in their own coop with yard. I don't want to get rid of my Leghorn's because of their egg laying numbers...we might eat the Brahma's though. LOL! I'm just kidding - I won't eat my own chickens. They're 'pets' - family members.

Has anyone else had this experience? What did you do? I apologize if this has already been posted - I read through several pages & didn't find this particular thing - especially with Brahma's!! LOL! I'm wondering if the Brahma's will settle down as they age? Can you tell this is my 1st experience with chickens? But, I'm hooked!

Thanks!!

 

[TXmom]

I hope they settle down for you a little as they get older. My Brahmas are just babies right now, but my other pullets were pretty wild at that age, but did get a bit nicer after they started laying. They are going through that lovely teenage hormone hell at 17 weeks.

ETA: Oops, I read it wrong...time for COFFEE. Your's are 8 weeks, not 17 weeks....well, same thing, my girls got nicer once they were laying age (around 20 weeks). You have a little ways to go

But if they're being bullies to the other chicks, then you'll need to figure something out to keep them all safe.

 

[CamsCluckinChicks]

Great. I already have TWO teens...now I have 19?? Ugh. Grr. LOL!

Thanks for letting me know this is a 'stage' - at least hopefully. My husband wants to give the Silkie's, Cochin's & Polish their own coop & yard...but I want to get a Silkie roo & hope to leave my Polish roo & hen in with the standard's. Might end up with THREE coops & yards!! LOL!

If anyone would have told me I'd be this crazy over chickens a couple years ago, I would have laughed out loud!!

They are SO addictive!!

And yes - COFFEE!! I've had almost a full pot so far & I'm still dragging butt. Ah well - I can always sleep when I'm dead, right? LOL!

 

[embkm]

I've never had Brahma chicks, but my older girl is a sweetie.

I did notice that all my chicks, except my BO pullet, went through a stage between 10-15 weeks where they didn't want anything to do with me and their "pecking order" scuffles got a little more serious. Hopefully yours are just going through a phase and they will calm down for you.

 

[gritsar]

They grow thru stages. Sometimes they love ya, sometimes you're evil incarnate. They mellow out.

 

[CamsCluckinChicks]

I have noticed more pecking order behavior. I had to go out today & threaten two of the Leghorn's with becoming Sunday's dinner if they didn't stop pecking at & breast butting the other chicks! They were even trying to 'stare' down Marley, my WCB Polish roo! He backed down. My larger Australorp didn't, though...the Leghorn ended up running away from her. LOL!

Thank you for the info!!
Cami