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sarajoy

sarajoy

In the Brooder
7 Years
Nov 4, 2012
91
1
29
Hi. I'm new to backyardchickens.com. I have a small flock, 2 rir's (started with three that came with the coop I got off of the local craigslist, but one got killed by a hawk... ) and three light brahma's that came from a neighbor. Originally she gave me 4, two of which were roosters. I didn't think I wanted a rooster, so I took the roosters over to another neighbor, an Amish family who have a lot of hens but no roosters at this point (planned to get one next spring to expland their flock). Next time I visited they told me that one of them must be a hen, was sitting and clucking, hiding in the corner with his head down while the smaller hens were pecking him. I went to pick up the "hen" and tucked "her" in with my other hens, sleeping. Next morning it was clear he was a rooster. I think he just was around too many other roosters at his original home, and went submissive as a self-protective device? He's over a year, so should have been mature. And his overnight "recovery" of his crow makes it seem he was keeping quiet for a reason. Anyways, it was a good thing I ended up with a rooster. My rir's and light brahma's were feuding rather intensively, the alpha rir hen kind of running things, including chasing the lb's out of the coop. I made the lb's a "cave" home, under the raised coop, packing straw bales up around the outer edges to keep wind from blowing in. Lay down a thick bedding, and they took to it well. But the rooster, when he got here, marched everyone up into the coop, and that was that.

The two rir's are very companionable - have befriended my special needs adult son, follow him around "chatting" away. But the light brahma's are so beautiful, and so docile. I think I'm going to attempt to expand my light brahma stock. In fact, if i could find 2 more laying hens I would get them now. I will hopefully have some fertile eggs come spring and can expand the flock that way. But if anyone has any LB hens they are wanting to find a new home for, I'd be interested in two of them.

I live in SE Kansas with my special needs adult son and the fellow who cares for him at night. Would love to hear from any other SE Kansas chicken folks, especially if you also are a fan of light brahmas.

Sara
 
WELCOME TO BYC!!!
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Greetings from a fellow Kansan, sarajoy, and
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! Great to have you here. Sounsd like you have taken some really great measure to look our for your birds. I've had that experience with RIRs before as well - they can be really bossy! Best of luck to you and in increasing your brahma flock!
 
Thank you Liz! Glad to be here. Sara (from SE Kansas, but formerly from CA)
 
Thanks to "weimermama" from Alabama. Its great to be here! Sara from Kansas
 
Thank you Red Sox from Kansas. I am in luck, as to the light brahma flock increase. I've just purchased 3 additional hens - adolescent ones, and am so so excited! Once they've matured a little more they'll help my other hens have a rest from my very busy light brahma rooster. And help me to start growing my flock. We'll be moving farther out into the country next spring where I can expand their quarters. But I have plenty room for the extra hens on there way, and the extra bodies will help through the cold of the winter. Today we're having a high of 53, and its cold and wet (just showering) but very windy. My light brahmas are sticking in the coop. Half of their run is covered to lessen the wind and keep it dry, but they aren't even venturing out there. So the extra bodies will be a good thing once we have "real" winter. Actually, it doesn't get horrible in this part of Kansas (little warmer here than farther west I think). Usually only a couple weeks (at the most) total when day time temps don't get much over freezing. It typically does freeze each night, but then gets up into 40's or even lower 50's or once a while even higher than that (but usually with a strong wind when that happens). But today feels like winter, sigh.... Sara
 

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