New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 20, 2017

I love freshly feathered chickens, they are looking great.

1muttsfan · Nov 20, 2017

Brandy's lacing is really nice. And wow is Bailey dark!
And of course Bash the Handsome. Nuff said.

speckledhen · Nov 21, 2017

B.J. my dark gal has awesome lacing as well. Sure wish some new girls would have the better lacing.
New video that features the Brahmas and the current Betsy situation, plus the goofy Belgian D'Anvers.

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 21, 2017

Sometimes when they are getting in their new feathers they aren't exactly the end color. My mottled breeds will come in much whiter and than will get darker feathers in as the molt progresses.

I got some old biddies too. I can't do them in either. Some have passed this year, and a few look like they might not make another winter.

Sorry about Betsy.

Love the pip-squeeks. Spike is funny.

speckledhen · Nov 21, 2017

oldhenlikesdogs said:
Sometimes when they are getting in their new feathers they aren't exactly the end color. My mottled breeds will come in much whiter and than will get darker feathers in as the molt progresses.

I got some old biddies too. I can't do them in either. Some have passed this year, and a few look like they might not make another winter.

Sorry about Betsy.

Love the pip-squeeks. Spike is funny.

Isn't he a goober? He's such a silly thing. His dad harasses him and he will dance on the roost and want me to come into his pen to hand feed him so he doesn't have to get on the floor to eat with the hens and incur the wrath of Aubrey. At least, Spike has no spurs. Aubrey, on the other hand, is dumb as a box of rocks. I need to cut those long spurs of his literally in half, but he almost has a heart attack if we try to catch him, turns purple if we have to hold him for any sort of maintenance.

speckledhen · Nov 25, 2017

Calling Brahma owners @Sjisty and @junebuggena and @brahmapapa, have any of you had crop issues with these birds? Now, Bailey has a crop that is backed up just like Betsy's started out two weeks ago. Again, like Betsy, in full molt and has lost a lot of weight, crop having to be massaged and all food withdrawn except plain yogurt with mealworms sprinkled on it, plus epsom salts in her water. Betsy, after two weeks, seems to be on the upswing, though her crop is not completely empty yet. It is pliable, though, and I put her back with the group and am hoping she doesn't have a relapse and can gain her weight back.

My hatchery Buff Brahma had pendulous crop that we had to manage for years, which occasionally was impacted, then soured, but we kept it operating until she passed at almost 10 years old. Now, crop issues with these young ones, who will be 2 years old next June. Both in full molt when the crop malfunctioned. I have thought perhaps they got something out on range that messed up the crop. No feed changes since they've been adults, none. It's a mystery. I have elderly and middle age adult hens in terrible molts and others a bit younger who have had nothing wrong at all with their crops, but they don't free range much at all, so less chance to get hold of something I am not aware of.

My Blue Orpington line was prone to crop issues, including pendulous crop, which, being genetic, was passed down to progeny on occasion. Makes me wonder about this very large bodied breed of hen as well. Thoughts? Experiences?

speckledhen · Dec 21, 2017

Betsy's crop is healed, finally, and Bailey is on the upswing as well, though both need to gain a ton of weight. Snapped a few pics of them now that most are fully feathered again post-molt. In one photo of B.J. and Betsy on the top shelf of the roost, you can see how much larger B.J. is than Betsy, though I'm sure that some of it is due to Betsy losing so much weight when her crop malfunctioned. No eggs at all now from any of them, including Cora. Geez. I need eggs! I have a hen threatening to go broody on me and I want Brahma eggs!

speckledhen · Jan 17, 2018

Miss Bossy B.J. laid an egg! I'm so happy! The Brahma egg drought is over! Hopefully, the rest of the girls will follow her lead. She is head hen, after all. Bailey and Betsy are doing extremely well after their scary bout of crop issues.

1muttsfan · Jan 17, 2018

So nice to hear that the drama is over (for now anyway!

)

speckledhen · Jan 21, 2018

New Brahma pictures! Though we've had issues recently, we healed both Betsy and Bailey of their crop issues, healed BR Lizzie's leg injury and healed up whatever was wrong with Blue Rock hen, Neela's eye (probably pecked, now that I think about it). It was stressful, but successful.