Ponderous and humongous Brahmas

azygous

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Dec 11, 2009
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Being a confirmed fan of the Brahma chicken breed, I got me a few more Brahma chicks this summer, and one turned out to be a magnificent roo that I call Penrod.

Penrod is now going on seven months, and he is almost as large as the wild turkeys I have running all over my place. His legs are like tree trunks, his feet like battleships, and his bulk has given him a severe case of inadequacy when it comes to any demand for agility, hopping, flying, or leaping.

When Penrod began to whimper and whine when it came time to hopping into the coop at night, a doorway that was all of 20 inches off the ground, I saw that we had a problem. He would stand there and flex his knees, trying to gather up courage to attempt the jump for a full minute, only to attempt it and fail, hitting his neck on the stoop, bruising his pride mortally.

So I built him a special hanging stair, which he mastered on the very first try.

He's never been able to navigate a roosting perch that was higher off the floor than 18 inches without my putting him up there, so when I finished the new rooster coop, I built Penrod his very own personal perch that is 10 inches off the floor. I didn't even have to show him to it. He knew from the very start that it was for him. Occasionally, his side-kick and former brooder mate Darrel, a Black Cochin roo, will share the barely-deserves-to-be-called-a-perch with Penrod, but Darrel's pride normally dictates he use the regular perch that's 30 inches off the floor. Penrod has never shown any inclination whatsoever to roost anywhere but on his own personal perch close to the floor.

Penrod is my first Brahma roo. I know he's not done growing. I know they grow to be very large and heavy. Is this typical behavior of Brahma roos? Do they all balk at getting very far off the ground? In all fairness, my older Brahma hens are fairly reluctant to attempt roosting at higher elevations, too.
 
two dark brahmas here. they both go to the "coffee table" and never roost!
their buddies are three black astralorps. that gang never roosts even after
I've put then up a few times.
 
My big brahma boy, Thor:

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Your boy still has alot of growing to do. Thor continued to fill out until he was nearly two; so did the brahma girls.

None of the roosts in my brahma coop are higher than 18 inches off the floor.

A better pic of the size of his breast:

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Gosh, I love Brahmas! They're so big and beautiful! And such nice personalities!

Gritsar, Thor is gorgeous! Penrod has the same potential, I think! Has Thor been a sweet boy all this time? Or was he frisky and a bit unpredictable when he was a teen? Penrod gets rare bouts of his own puffed up importance where he displays a bit of belligerence. Two days ago, he pecked my thumb as I was putting down his food for him. Lost a chunk of flesh. Usually a swat on the rear, making him hop (not too high, since he's a ponderous Brahma), sets him straight and he'll behave. He's not a bit like my former head roo Stan, a SLW, who would square off with me for extended boxing matches. But maybe that's still ahead?
 
I have a Dark Brahma, around 11 months or so, and she doesn't like getting on very high objects. Mostly because of her size it's just hard to get her big beautiful bum higher then 18 inches lol.

I am getting a new coop and my roosts will be adjusted to the brahma's size regardless of my other girls that consist of wyandottes, barred rock, and easter eggers.

I can hear and feel whenever my Brahma gets off a perch, especially you can hear it. It's a THUD lol, so I know that is also why she likes lower roosts because getting down is weighted work
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What a most beautiful Roo - Gritsar! I would like to see some pics of Penrod also and your girls! I have two lovely Light Brahmas as well as two Black Astralorps they manage to reach their roosts at night that are 3 or 4 feet high, I beleive they feel that they have to keep up with the smaller ones, BRS & BO so they can all see out of the windows at night. My LB's have great personalities but their egg laying leaves me questioning that I quess they are really a meat bird rather then egg productiion???? My one henra lays bantam size eggs and the other (who it so sweet) has had a soft shell problem since her pullet age.

Any suggestions as to this since I have found a group of Brahma lover's?
 
Thanks for the compliments on Thor. I do love my big boy. I was just out carrying him around for a few minutes, just for the heck of it, while I checked nestboxes for eggs. Thor doesn't like to be held, preferring to keep his distance.

azygous Thor has always been a good boy. His light brahma "brother" (since re-homed) not so much. You can read on my BYC page on how I dealt with that. The only thing Thor has ever had a problem with is my red crocs (sandals). He puffs up when he sees them. Usually if I have the time, I'll kick one off and let him attack it to his hearts content. That satifies his need to protect his girls from the shoes.
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Morgan7782 As I was closing up their coop last night I heard a big thump. Opened the door back up and Lilith had knocked Thor off the roost. Poor boy, was standing in the dark all confused, so I scooped him up and found him a new spot. Yet another reason to keep the big brahmas roost low. They can injure the legs.

happyhappy How old are your girls? My brahma girls were decent layers their first year, but they really outdid themselves in the second season and are pumping eggs out like crazy so far this year. This is their third laying season. I'm averaging 6 eggs a day from 12 hens, so basically an egg every other day from them. Keep in mind that brahmas do take two years to mature fully. They won't produce like the hybrid laying machines, but they are steady layers, good winter layers and will lay for many years.

As for your girl with the soft shelled eggs, are you offering oyster shell to help her harden them up?
 
I looked it up. Heavyweight!!! Learn something new every day. I was confusing it with thoughtful, which obviously didn't make sense.
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