Nov 3, 2011. Considering Marans chickens? The 14 things you must know first If you are able to raise your Brahma chickens on green grass, you shouldnt have a problem, but keep the health needs of this chicken in mind before you take the leap in purchasing one. However, it can take up to 12 months for the hen to start laying, particularly if she's a larger hen, or if she matures during the winter months. Some additional space considerations are perches and nesting boxes. Write us at info(at)knowyourchickens.com with any questions or concerns! Brahmas may not be the best choice for the commercial market because of their slow growth rates, large size, and need for consistent care. Technically, these silkie chickens are not adhering to the Standard of Perfection and therefore cannot be entered into competitions.) During this same period, the Light Brahmas from the US led to the development of Dark Brahmas in the UK and later on, the Buff Brahma. Brahma chickens can live up to 8 years. Brahma chickens are large birds, so if you are looking for a smaller bird, then this might not be the right breed for you. Therefore, Brahmas require a highly nutritious diet to avoid disease, stunted growth, or poor egg laying ability. Other than Brahmas, some chicken breeds with feathered feet are Booted Bantams, Cochins, Faverolles, and Silkies. Again, each Brahma chicken will have a slightly different personality depending on its individual demeanor. I have 6 hens and the are in their third season, how many years will the hens lay? One full-grown bird can feed a big family! For this reason, ensure that you offer your flocks lots of other feeds. This breed is also not among prolific egg layers. As Brahmas cannot fly too high because of their size and weight, a 3 foot fence should effectively keep them confined to their pen. Beginning in the 1850s until about 1930, the Brahma chicken was the primary breed for meat production in the United States. A 2-foot fence or 5-6 square foot space for each chicken in the coop is enough to keep them in place. Brahma chickens were developed for northern climates and are arguably the least susceptible breed to cold and exposure. Brahma chickens usual only require attention to parasites such as lice, mites and worms. Heritage Chicken Breeds: The Ultimate List of Heritage Chickens Because Brahmas are larger than your average chicken, they need extra care, medication, and suitable confinement should they suffer an injury or fall ill. Their feathered legs and feet also make them prone to ailments such as bumblefoot or broken quills. Some larger breeds will require even more space. Back in the 1800s their weight was very impressive. Landing on a thorn or sharp object when jumping off a roost can cause the debris to penetrate the skin and cause infection. But all of them have 4 toes. 8-10 lbs (3.6-4.5 kg) Growing Cockerels. Brahma Chicken All You Need To Know: Colors, Eggs And More For the most part Brahmas are not known for broodiness. Light Brahma hens dont have as much black feathering apart from the tail. Today, this breed, which is officially recognized by the American Poultry Association, is considered a heritage breed. Both the light and dark varieties are popular among American fancier breeders, however, the penciling feather patterns in the Dark Brahma remain a fan favorite. 10 Best Chicken Show Breeds (And Why They're a Keeper!) Otherwise, the hatching procedures and advice for raising these birds is the same as with other breeds. A large Brahma chicken will take much longer to mature than other chicken breeds. However, the meat of an adult Brahma is not as tender as a young Brahma. They also have broad brows with heavy eyebrows. As theyre naturally curious and more inclined to follow you around, they also make great pets. The yolks, in particular, are exceptionally large and great for using in cooking or baking. Light Brahma roosters have a prominent black collar of feathers below the black and white neck feathers. At 1-3 days,girls have uneven pipe cleaner looking wing feathers while boys tend to be straight. All you need to do is feed them lots of treats, and theyll crawl right into your hand for a cuddle or a snack. Generally speaking, Brahma chickens start laying their first egg at around 7 months of age. Complete Buff Brahma Guide: What You Need To Know The babies ended up being 1 yellow with darkish yellow skin, 1redish with pink skin, and 1 black with black skin. Because these chickens have such a tall stance, that creates a wider and fuller-bodied appearance compared to other breeds. However, Brahmas are still ideal egg layers and meat producers on a small scale. They can accidentally squish their chicks, especially in a small enclosure. Brahmas will tolerate confinement since they are less active than Mediterranean breeds, but they absolutely shine when allowed to free range. Parasite infestation is common in hens and roosters too. Brahma chickens are one of the largest chicken breeds. This is largely due to the breeds massive size and complacency in being housed in confinement. Now you can say it with confidence! What you do have to look out for is more boisterous or bossy hens picking on the Brahmas. Similar to the perches nesting boxes should be low to the ground. 10-12 lbs (4.5-5.4 kg) Fully Grown Brahma Hens. The Brahma chicken is an Asiatic poultry breed named after the Brahmaputra River in India. He is so cute and takes care of my girls. Faverolles chickens are recognized as a standard breed by the American Poultry Association in two varieties: Salmon in 1914; White in 1981. . If your Brahma hen goes broody, let her hatch her own eggs you can candle them to make sure the embryos are developing. Brahma can start laying eggs between 6 to 7 months of age. You can eat chickens without any problem. Your Brahma hens will also need a finely tuned diet with proper portions of protein in order to maintain a reliable egg laying schedule. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. KnowYourChickens.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. Unlike Plymouth Rock, this chicken breed with feathered legs is not aggressive towards humans and other chickens. We recommend 5-6 square foot for each chicken in the coop. Although Brahmas can withstand harsh winter, their feathers can be problematic in this season. Whilst they will tolerate confinement they prefer roaming around. Do chickens have 4 or 5 toes? - Thank Chickens However, it fell off the radar commercially soon after while remaining a favorite amongst backyard flocks. Brahmas can even be as heavy as 12lbs for cocks and around 10lbs for hens. Although this breed of chicken originated as a meat production species, it is now frequently reared for egg production as it is so productive and docile to raise. It's spelled "Marans," but it's pronounced, "Muh-ran.". Brahma Hen Egg Production While many people raise Brahmas for meat, they're decent egg producers as well. Because of their determination, a really broody hen can be given fertilized eggs from another chicken to hatch. But, researchers believe that the Brahma breed was developed in the United States from very large fowls or birds imported from Shanghai. The growth of their muscles and bone structure is slower than the average chicken. The eggs of Brahma chicken weight approximately 55-60 grams. Lets take a closer look at the origins of these big birds and how to identify Brahma chickens according to their breed standard. If your hen begins to lose feathers as a result of a roosters pursuits, feed her a high protein supplement to encourage them to grow back. There are three varieties of large fowl and bantam size classifications of Brahma recognized by the American Poultry Association. Why? When it comes to common egg color brown and pink are the norm. Use the search! Brahma chickens, there are a few factors to consider that may dissuade you from There are also rarer Brahma varieties that you They give a little bit of everything you would need and want from a chicken. Founder of Chickens & You. Its feather pattern is similar to the Plymouth Rock and Silver Laced Wyandotte or Golden Laced Wyandotte. Males are straw-colored with reddish brown and black markings. The Brahma prefers to lay in cooler weather so when the other girls are winding down for the year, the Brahma will be laying from October through March. The good thing is that, despite being huge, Brahmas can thrive in confined spaces. However, it would be best to understand whether these chickens are the right fit for your home. The hens have a more uniform, feather structure, still quite triangular but wider than a Brahma rooster. Whilst Brahmas can fit into a 12x12 nesting box they will appreciate a larger 14x14 box. Their legs and feet are feathered and each foot should have four toes. Another common problem with feathered leg birds is the accumulation of either mud or poop on the toes. The exact number of eggs will vary, of course, depending on the individual, but you can increase the egg laying ability of your flock of Brahmas by providing them with secure homes and nesting boxes as well as quality layer feed with at least 16 percent protein and plenty of calcium. The size of the Brahma chicken cannot be emphasized enough. I absolutely love all of my chickens now and I dont think Ill ever be able to live without them now. They are very sweet and docile which makes them the perfect breed for beginners or kids. However, if you must keep the Brahmas together with other pets, it would help if you trained and prepared the other pets beforehand. American standards also require thin feathers on the feet with a large or heavy-set body. Due to their enormous size roosters of 18lb were not unknown. They're well known for being broody in the early summer and for remaining relatively unconcerned about the condition of their eggs throughout the rest of the year. For instance the Brahma chicken (pictured below) needs five to six square feet (0.4 to 0.5m) of space in the coop and 12 to 14 feet (1.1 to 1.3m) in the pen. Brahmas are quiet birds and rarely make a lot of noise. Keep reading to discover more about this wonderful breed. A Brahma hen can take 2 years to finish growing while roosters can take up to 3 years before reaching full maturity! You can find them at a number of chicken hatcheries and breeders that deal specifically with this breed, such as Cackle Hatchery, Meyer Hatchery, and more. They are winter hardy birds and lay large light brown color eggs. A Guide to Brahma Chickens: The King of Poultry When feet are soaked or muddy, they can become frostbitten when temperatures drop. Typically Brahmas start laying eggs when they're 6 or 7 months old. Chickens have different feet depending on the breed, sex, and age of the chicken. In general, Brahma roosters wont be destructive or threatening to your hens, but roosters of other chicken breeds can be so its important that you keep an eye on your girls to make sure they arent hurt by the rooster. Most backyard chicken keepers will place their Brahmas in a sheltered area during harsh weather conditions. They will lay right through the winter and slow down as spring starts to arrive. Owners should understand that these fowls are great foragers and are happier chasing bugs and worms in the yard. Back in the 1800s their weight was very impressive. Despite their size they are a very gentle chicken that is well suited for beginners or families. While there will be some variation among the individuals of the species, these are some general similarities in appearance of the breed. Interestingly enough, lighter ear lobes usually mean lighter eggs! This big yet gentle chicken breed can give you four brown eggs per week. If predators are a concern, a Brahma rooster wont do much to help you. About 6 weeks ago I purchased 6 buff Brahma hens and a rooster, along with a few others. Brahma fowl species are an excellent choice for chicken enthusiasts looking more for personality than eggs in their flock. How big do faverolles get? There is a lot of information available. While the frequency and size of eggs will vary according to the diet and age of each bird, one things for sure, if you have a happy chicken, you could certainly enjoy more eggs! Brahmas are easy-going and much less likely to start picking on new chickens that are introduced to the flock. On average, these birds will reach about 12 pounds for roosters and 10 pounds for hens. Your email address will not be published. These are not only unsanitary, but they can be dangerous. To get more meat from these meat birds, you need to wait because young (about 5 to 6 months) Brahma chickens do not have much meat. Do you have enough space to accommodate the king of chickens? The Livestock Conservancy recognizes them as recovering, for a long time dropping from popularity but experiencing a resurgence in growth as they become more popular with backyard chicken keepers. It would also be best to provide up to 14 hours of light to Brahma hens to allow them to lay eggs. The Brahma is a large bird although most of their bulk is feathers. Ideally, you should only butcher Brahmas when they reach their market weight of at least 8lbs. You can extend the lifespan of your Brahma chicken by providing it with quality food, water, shelter, and veterinary care.