New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[1muttsfan]

Look at that tail go!

 

[speckledhen]

The Brahma Brigade is turning 14 weeks old tomorrow so new pics for you. Free range time today with several other groups.



My elderly blue Orpington hen, Dusty, was following them around today. Maybe she likes Bash's blue feathers?

 

[1muttsfan]

What pretty birds.

 

[Sjisty]

I just love Bash! Can't you stick a stamp on his beak and send him to me?

 

[speckledhen]

I just love Bash! Can't you stick a stamp on his beak and send him to me?

I love Bash, too. The play of colors is just gorgeous, isn't it? Bruno is so huge and I didn't think I'd be all that enamored with a straight partridge male, but I love his looks, too. And his size, oh my. I am lucky to have a nice example of both varieties for my males, then with two partridge girls (very different from each other), two blue partridge pullets and my dark gal, there's a nice balance. It will be fun one day to see the chicks I get from them, though for awhile, I'll probably have to sell all of them except for maybe a pullet or two.

 

[Sjisty]

My original blue boy, Gizmo. He weighed in at 15 pounds. I have loved the blue partridge Brahmas the best ever since!

 

[speckledhen]

My original blue boy, Gizmo. He weighed in at 15 pounds. I have loved the blue partridge Brahmas the best ever since!

Wow, you mean sweet young Bash will turn into a hunka stud muffin like that?

I am loving these. Yesterday, one of those boys crowed when I was in the barn. It was super deep, oh my! But, when I rushed down the aisle to catch him doing it as second time, they both just looked at me like "What, Mom? You want something?" Ack! I can't catch them at it for nothing. My BR cockerel who is two weeks older than they are hasn't shut his mouth since he was 7 weeks old, but these two are wily, playing games with me. But, from what I heard yesterday, a new deep, soulful crower is back on the farm since losing my Suede four years ago. Warms my heart.

ETA: What is your longest lived Brahma rooster?

 

[Sjisty]

My roosters don't seem to live very long, maybe 6 to 7 years. Gizmo was only 3 when we found him dead on his favorite roosting spot. We think because these guys are cold weather birds and we're in Florida might have something to do with it. Rocky (light Brahma) was our oldest. I think he was 6-ish when he died. Also, the boys get taken by any random predator that we have. We had a fox once, coyotes three times over the years, and stray dogs a couple of times, each time losing a rooster. We lost our last blue partridge, I'm almost sure, to a grapefruit! He was strutting around the yard, then an hour later I found him dead with a grapefruit next to his body. We have two grapefruit trees, and he was under one of them.

I have lost three 10-year-old hens in the last few months, so I'm guessing 10 is about the expected lifespan of the girls. We still have Gizmo's sister, who is over 10 years old and seems healthy.

 

[1muttsfan]

Pretty boy!

 

[speckledhen]

My roosters don't seem to live very long, maybe 6 to 7 years. Gizmo was only 3 when we found him dead on his favorite roosting spot. We think because these guys are cold weather birds and we're in Florida might have something to do with it. Rocky (light Brahma) was our oldest. I think he was 6-ish when he died. Also, the boys get taken by any random predator that we have. We had a fox once, coyotes three times over the years, and stray dogs a couple of times, each time losing a rooster. We lost our last blue partridge, I'm almost sure, to a grapefruit! He was strutting around the yard, then an hour later I found him dead with a grapefruit next to his body. We have two grapefruit trees, and he was under one of them.

I have lost three 10-year-old hens in the last few months, so I'm guessing 10 is about the expected lifespan of the girls. We still have Gizmo's sister, who is over 10 years old and seems healthy.

Oh, dear, what an undignified way to go! I keep saying to a couple of my hens, who start choking on the scratch grains occasionally, that choking on your food is a stupid way to die, but I think I lost one hen to exactly that. I heard her honking after I gave them their morning grains and then, just a little while later, found her dead under the coop, very young and healthy. They eat so fast, they just suck that stuff in and choke. Silly piglets.

Interesting about the 10 year old hens. Caroline, my hatchery Buff Brahma, will be 10 in January. She, so far, is my longest lived hen.

Took some pics today, trying mostly to get one of Bruno standing upright, which ain't easy!


B. J.

Managed to get only B.J. and Bonnie and Brandy below-the others were moving targets.






And Caroline, Queen of Everything around here. She has these cysts in each nare and the rest appear to be closed off, but somehow, she's breathing. Trust me, I've tried and tried to pull whatever it is out, but she stresses and sometimes, turns dark so I just quit. She will be 10 after the first of the year, IF she can keep air moving through her system. She's always had weird sinus issues. I don't think they are well-formed. She's sneezed since she was a year old and had recurring sinusitis since she was 5 1/2 yrs old when we get bouts of wet weather.