New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[1muttsfan]

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see some weird pig dog cross. Hopefully it stays on it's own side.

 

[speckledhen]

Wish we could get that pasture fenced. Then, there would be an extra barrier of protection, at least on that back side of the property. I've seen that dog running with another dog, but not one clue who it belongs to around here.

 

[1muttsfan]

2 dogs running together always get into way more trouble than one dog alone.

 

[speckledhen]

2 dogs running together always get into way more trouble than one dog alone.

Absolutely. I shudder to think of what could happen if they came to that same spot and Hector or Bash was near the fence with their hens at the same time. So far, the birds have been penned every time or even inside the barn, but my luck may run out some day.

 

[Pyxis]

@speckledhen, have you ever had a brahma chick feather out like this? Those feathers coming off the back of the thighs look like they might be vulture hocks to me. They aren't too stiff though, so fingers crossed it's just rapid feather growth in that area and this chick will grow into them.

 

[speckledhen]

@Pyxis yes, actually I have and it's too early to tell about vulture hocks. If those feathers are soft and not hard ones, it's not vulture hocks. Mine don't have vulture hocks and I see these soft feathers all the time at that age. Too early to worry!

When I first saw that and had posted a pic of my first group of chicks, Tom, the breeder, said to watch one chick for vulture hocks, but that he had worked very hard to make sure there were none in his stock. He told me that unless they were hard feathers, it was just normal, not the dreaded vulture hock. Being an import variety and that being acceptable over the pond, it's something to watch for, no question.

 

[Pyxis]

Thanks! I'll be keeping my eye on it, but fingers crossed it's not vulture hocks. It's my only lavender, so that would be a big bummer if it did have them.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks! I'll be keeping my eye on it, but fingers crossed it's not vulture hocks. It's my only lavender, so that would be a big bummer if it did have them.

It probably isn't, but just keep an eye on it. I'll have some with and some without that hock feather sticking out, but none with vulture hocks have ever come out of my stock so far. It's hard when these haven't been in the U.S. all that long and it's completely acceptable in Europe, so you get stock from over there and have to breed out that trait. If you watch just about any videos of Brahmas from there, they'll pretty much all have vulture hocks. Very common.

 

[speckledhen]

Flashback to Oct 2017...I miss those scruffy little dinosaurs! Not sure we'll have any chicks at all this year, though Brandy is insisting on sitting on nothing right now because I refused to give her eggs.