your experiences with Brahma roosters?

[gritsar]

Quote:
I can only tell you my experience. Even after I got a second flock of chickens, the different breeds listed in my siggy, Thor never tried to mate or really interact with those hens. He was content with his brahma girls. So I can't tell you if he was too big for the other girls or not because he never tried. However, my brahma flock includes one bantam brahma, Maggie. Thor never hurt Maggie, nor did he really tear up the backs of the other brahma hens. Only one hen, a LF, had to wear a saddle because something about her she didn't mess with Thor well.
I guess the answer to your question would be that if the rooster is gentle and a good "mater" the hens would be fine. With a rough roo or an inexperienced one injuries could happen.

BTW, my brahmas came from Ideal Poultry. For the most part, the lights and buffs are definitely hatchery quality. My darks are great though - breeder quality or close to it.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I agree with Gristar, brahmas are awesome! I had a bantam light brahma roo and a bantam hen, the hen passed away suddenly so we parted with out beloved elvis. He was such a sweet boy even as a teenager, he was good with the chicks raised with the flock, good to his girls, and great to me..... It broke my heart to give him up but I decided to go with cochins and seramas at the time. He went to a good home on a farm that was also a petting zoo, since he was such a social boy and loved human interaction I thought that was the best bet for him. He is still at the petting zoo and has become a very popular boy! My brahmas never got caught up in the pecking order issues, they just went about their merry way and could care less about the ruckus. Elvis didn't leave here without leaving some of his "DNA" if you will. He had been head over heels for my red frizzle cochin hen who also passed 4 days after he left here. She left me a hidden nest with 4 eggs in it.... Long story short all 4 eggs hatched, 2 p[ullets and 2 cockerels.... 1 pullet turned out frizzled and the other pullet straight feathered, same with the 2 cockerels only the frizzle cockerel was only half frizzled. All chicks inherited their fathers color and temperment.

Here is elvis, he was HUGE for a bantam light brahma. Definatley not hatchery quality.

And his daughters I kept back from the 4 chicks he fathered... Dumplin and grace

You won't be sorry if you choose a brahma rooster, I promise

 

[hipeatall]

I don't mind answering your questions...

#1 We didn't handle them too much - in other words, I don't think anything we did effected their temperament.

#2 They were breeder/show quality birds... beautiful birds and we had no problem at all re-homing them.

I'd like to add that I have hatched and raised more than my fair share of roosters and these boys were so bad that totally put me off brahmas

. I once had a breeder offer to include dark brahma hatching eggs at no charge with an order and I told her no thank you... yes, I turned down free hatching eggs!

Please do not take this personally, like you, I am only speaking from my experience here... the original poster for this thread was requesting "your experiences with Brahma roosters?". I understand and respect that you have had a very different experience with this breed and quite honestly, I hope everyone has a much better experience with the breed than we did!


Quote:
Two questions just out of curiosity, if you don't mind.

#1 Did you or your family members baby those roosters when they were young, try to make pets out of them?

#2 Were they hatchery quality, breeder quality or show quality?

 

[GoChick]

I'm So glad I posted this question! You guys totally convinced me and my husband! I read him the whole thread and showed a the pictures. We're getting a Brahma roo this weekend! I found a breeder about one hour away, she has a roo hatched in April 2010 and some hatched this year. I'm leaning towards the 2010 one, she confirmed he's fertile, and that he never showed any signs of aggression. My husband thinks we should get one of the younger ones, from April this year, so he'd get used to us more easy.

We have six hens who just turned one year old and seven pullets born in April this year.

Which rooster should we get? The older or the cockerel?

 

[EMaker]

Quote:
I have only had SF hens. In fact, I started out with three and our triple digit temps. this summer killed two of them. They are definitely not suited for the summers we have here in SW Arkansas. The remaining SF struggles but she's doing okay.

I think the SF roos are pretty, but nothing beats a brahma in my book. I had Thor's son, a dark/light brahma cross, but he was enormous and had to go. He was much too large for my standard hens and wouldn't stay with the brahma girls no matter what I tried.

Gritsar, I love your GSD puppy photo. GSDs are absolutely the best dogs ever.

I've had GSDa since I was a child. Lost my last one a year ago.

I am almost emotionally healed enough to get a new puppy. I'll never choose any breed but a GSD!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Two questions just out of curiosity, if you don't mind.

#1 Did you or your family members baby those roosters when they were young, try to make pets out of them?

#2 Were they hatchery quality, breeder quality or show quality?


No offense taken and I do hope that I didn't offend. I was honestly just curious. I do understand that there are bad strains or genes or whatever you want to call it in some if not all breeds. Case in point - I've read lots of posts here on BYC about how much people LOVE their salmon faverolles; what sweet, friendly birds they are. Personally I can't stand the SF that I have. Mean, flightly bird that screams if I even approach her. The two that I lost due to the heat weren't much better, although the one did get used to me handling her when she was broody.
So, I'll always have brahmas but will never have another SF. For some people the opposite is true and I'm totally cool with that.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
OT - thank you. I'm sorry for your loss. Our older GSD Jax happened to us quite unexpectedly the same week we lost our Charlie Girl (a irish wolfhound/?). We weren't really ready for another dog, but Jax needed a good home and we have no regrets.

Jax's younger brother Kane, my avie, is still cute but now weighs 105 lbs. At this very moment he is simultaneously wrestling with his brother and licking the back of my ankles.

 

[hipeatall]

I'm glad you were not offended by my comments... I was not at all offended by yours. I love this forum... but sometimes with typed messages it's hard to know how words will be read.

Amy

Quote:

No offense taken and I do hope that I didn't offend. I was honestly just curious. I do understand that there are bad strains or genes or whatever you want to call it in some if not all breeds. Case in point - I've read lots of posts here on BYC about how much people LOVE their salmon faverolles; what sweet, friendly birds they are. Personally I can't stand the SF that I have. Mean, flightly bird that screams if I even approach her. The two that I lost due to the heat weren't much better, although the one did get used to me handling her when she was broody.
So, I'll always have brahmas but will never have another SF. For some people the opposite is true and I'm totally cool with that.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Personal preference I guess, but I'd go with a younger roo. Let the hens raise him and teach him how to be a gentleman. Mark my words, he'll get his butt handed to him a couple times if he doesn't behave, but unless there's blood drawn I'd leave it to the hens to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Right now I have a polish cockerel that's a little over 4 months old. Poor guy gets a whoopin' from my older hens at least once a day, but he's learning respect.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT QUARANTINE OF THE NEW BIRD, no matter how good the breeders facilities look.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
I just have to add that I've never seen a Frizzled Brahma before! How incredibly adorable!