Light Brahma chicken, or King of all Poultry, is typically known for its strength, vitality, and size. In 1901, the chicken was recorded to have weighed 13 to 14 pounds for hens and an incredible 17 to 18 pounds for roosters.
Around 1850, Brahma chicken and the Cochin breed sustained the hen fever nationwide poultry obsession in America and Britain.
Brahma is a big chicken breed with a pea comb, wide and broad front projecting head skull, shanks, feathered toes, and dense down with smooth fitting feathers.
They generally are available in 3 versions, particularly; light, dark, and buff Brahma. Both dark and light Brahma variants were first accepted by the American Standard of Perfection in 1874, while the buff version was acknowledged in 1924.
Continue reading to learn whatever you need to know about the history, look, and qualities, egg and meat yield, perfect living conditions, advantages, and obstacles, along with the factors to consider, to make when figuring out whether to rear Brahmas chicken or not.
History of Brahma Chicken
The origin of the Brahma chicken is not well recorded; nevertheless, the chicken breed was established in the United States of America from breeding China’s big shanghai fowls and India’s Chittagong fowls, which provides the distinct pea comb.
The Brahma name originated from the Brahmaputra River that streamed from China to India and was later on reduced to Brahma in 1854 by T.B. Miner, the publisher of The Northern Farmer, to conserve space.
In 1852, George Burnham delivered 9 Brahma chickens as a gift to her majesty, the queen of England, Queen Victoria, and ensured that it was extremely advertised to market his stock.
Due to the quality of Burnham’s flock, they were utilized to establish the dark Brahma chicken version in England, which was later on delivered to the United States of America.
This relocation settled, as the rate of one Brahma chicken leaped from $12– 15 to $100– 150.
The Brahma chicken stayed as the best table fare-up chicken due to its plus-size until 1930, when more recent breeds were developed and presented.
Its sluggish muscle and size gain made it fall from the chain of command and is presently acknowledged as a heritage breed by the American Poultry Association.
In recent years, the Brahma breed has been acquiring appeal with yard homesteaders and chicken keepers.
Look and Characteristics
The Brahma chicken has variations in its look and characteristics depending upon the breed that it comes from.
Nevertheless, listed below are a few of the basic looks and particular resemblances that the various versions share.
Size
Light Brahma chicken is best known for its plus-size that makes it perfect for meat production. A few of its breed members can grow to 30 inches.
However, the huge development mainly depends upon breeding schemes. In addition, they averagely weigh about 10lbs for hens and 12lbs for roosters making them among the biggest chicken breeds on the planet.
It deserves keeping in mind that there are five acknowledged bantam ranges of the Brahma chicken specifically; light, dark, buff, black, and white.
The bantam roosters can weigh approximately 38oz, while the bantam hens weigh 34oz. Finding bantam versions of Brahma chicken tends to be difficult to split as few breeders worldwide are noted.
Brahma roosters are larger than hens. They have a broad, deep, and long body, and when they stand, they make a narrow V shape from their side.
They also have a little head with prominent eyes, a short and strong beak, and a pea comb with little wattles.
Colors
As specified previously, Brahma chicken can be found in 3 unique versions, particularly light, dark, and buff.
The good idea is that they have thick plumes, smooth plumage, and a unique color scheme that make them unique.
The three chicken variants have three acknowledged plume color schemes that assist in recognizing them.
Light:
Just like the name recommends, the light Brahma has contrasting white and black plumes. Its plumage is white with a gray undertone.
In addition, it has black hackle plumes with little striping on its saddles.
On the other hand, their tail is black with white laced concealed plumes that make them have an excellent visual appearance perfect for exhibits.
Dark:
The dark male Brahma has a strong black tail, breast, and body with silver feathers and black saddle strips while its shoulder location is silver.
On the other hand, the hen has a greyish body, breast, wings, and back with black penciling. Its feathers are black with greyish penciling.
Buff:
The buff Brahma chicken looks like the light variant, just that the buff happens of white.
This implies that its body is buff with a gray undertone while its tail is black with buff laced concealed plumes. Its warm pigmentation makes it the preferred amongst breeders and exhibits.
Although there have been other color versions like gold partridge and blue exchequer, they have not been popular enough to be acknowledged by APA.
The character of Light Brahma Chickens
Although Light Brahma chickens are big, making them daunting, they are normally friendly birds that take pleasure in humans.
As long as you are feeding and providing treats, they will crawl to your hand for a treat or cuddle.
They tend to be typically docile and peaceful as they communicate with others quickly, making them easy to deal with and the ideal family pets.
Due to their plus size, they can not fly quickly, making it easy to contain in a 2 to 3-foot fence. They set their nests well, are great moms to their chicks, and are not bullies.
They, for that reason, connect with other birds quickly and friendly making them great company due to their calm character.
Broodiness
Brahma hens require time before going broody; however, when they do, they devotedly rest on the nests till their eggs hatch.
This chicken type tends to turn broody throughout early summertime; however, it depends upon a specific hen.
It is important to keep in mind that these hens tend to establish the broody state of moods once they see another broody hen.
If one of your chickens ends up being a broody, you may find all your flock displaying the habits the next day.
It would be a good idea to separate a broody hen from your flock and let her hatch her own eggs.
To ensure that all the eggs are hatched, you might light candlelight in the space where the hen is sitting to guarantee that the egg embryos develop to maturity.
Due to their plus size, Brahma hens can trample on their eggs and chicks. Keeping a keen eye on the eggs and recently hatched chicks are, for that reason crucial, to secure them against any damage.
They are likewise excellent brooders since they can rest on lots of eggs due to their plus size.
Interaction With Others
Remarkably, Brahma roosters tend to prefer hens when in a big and blended flock. They are not devastating or threatening and communicate with other chicken types rather well.
Nevertheless, they get assaulted by other chicken types due to their peace. This holding true; paying very close attention to your Brahma chicken is essential to prevent severe injuries.
If you aren’t sure whether your Brahma chicken is being assaulted, search for plume loss and bleeding indications.
If you see any of these indications, you need to separate the hurt chicken from the rest and feed it with a protein supplement to allow the plumes to grow back rapidly.
Their excellent interaction abilities make them perfect for integrating into your currently existing flock.
Health and Wellbeing
Brahma chickens have feathered foot which is troublesome, specifically throughout the winter.
When you leave your chickens to wander around, their feathered feet get muddy and wet therefore establishing mud balls which in turn trigger injury if not addressed.
In addition, the damp conditions throughout the winter trigger the chicken to suffer frostbite in the freezing temperature levels.
To handle the injury brought on by mud balls, you need to check their legs frequently and if bleeding, use pressure and styptic powder on them.
To reduce these injuries, you might decide to restrict your Brahma chicken in their home up until the winter is over.
Considering that the Brahma chicken feathering is tight and thick, they are likewise more vulnerable to attack by mice and lice.
The chicken, for that reason, requires evaluation and application of pesticides to manage the spread of lice and mites, which might trigger illness if left ignored.
Besides the small health concerns described above, Brahma chicken is normally sturdy with health and illness resistance due to its tight feathering and pea comb.
Egg Yield
Brahma chickens are good egg layers considering their plus size. They are typically described as remarkable winter season layers as they lay the bulk of their eggs from October through May.
Their evenly brown eggs are usually big with extremely big yolks finest matched for baking or cooking.
The variety of eggs that each Brahma can lay depends upon its specific qualities, with the average being 3 to 4 eggs weekly and 130 to 140 eggs annually.
You can increase their laying capability by offering them a safe house, comfy nesting boxes, and quality feeds abundant in calcium and protein.
Layer feeds abundant in protein and calcium allow them to keep reliable laying schedules.
Brahma chicken begins laying at the age of 6 to 8 months however can remain for as long as 12 months.
Provided you supply them with correct living conditions, they grow throughout the winter seasons while other types are not laying.
Meat Yield
The Light Brahma chicken was and still is considered among the very best meat-producing chicken breeds throughout the world. Their broilers are ready for the butcher at the age of 8 to 10 weeks due to their plus size.
However, eight months is the most rewarding age to slaughter them. They get body muscles rapidly due to the big feed consumption and thus their meat-producing expertise.
The typical weight of a Brahma rooster is 5 to 5.4 kg, while the typical weight of a hen is 4 to 4.3 kg. A Brahma chicken can, for that reason, be utilized to feed a household of 4.
When you feed your Brahma chicken well, they can weigh more than the typical weight. A Brahma rooster typically weighs more than the hen.
Perfect Living Conditions of Light Brahma Chicken
Like any other bird, whenever you desire Brahma chickens to be efficient, you should initially supply them with perfect living conditions. Below are a few of the living conditions that are perfect for a Brahma chicken.
Correct Housing
Housing plays an essential function in the efficiency of a Brahma chicken. They require a roomy home, ideally 4 square feet per chicken, to wander easily due to their plus size.
The good idea is that they do not mind residing in confinements, unlike other chicken breeds.
In addition, Brahma chickens need to reside in a well-ventilated home that permits complimentary blood circulation of fresh air for optimal efficiency.
To avoid suffering an injury due to their feathered legs, your house flooring needs to be kept dry at all times.
Although the Brahma chicken seasons have various weather conditions, your housing should be warm throughout the winter and cool throughout the summer.
Setting up an electrical bulb throughout the winter season would make your home warmer, while supplying shade and water would do throughout the hot summertime season.
You also need to set up comfy laying boxes if you want to enhance your chicken laying schedules. The more comfy your house will be, the more efficient your chicken will be.
Disinfection and Vaccination
Brahmas chicken, much like any other chicken breed, is vulnerable to illness and health problems.
Although Brahma chicken is extremely resistant to illness due to its thick plumes and feathered legs, it must be immunized regularly.
This goes a long way in safeguarding them against contracting illness which might dip their performance.
Brahma chicken’s thick plumes make them vulnerable to lice and mite problems. If left ignored, the lice and mites might seriously impact their health and trigger illness.
To avoid this, they should be sanitized after every four days with a high-quality disinfectant.
A previous new castle disease and Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) vaccines need to be offered to the chicken because they are the most well-known illness that impacts Brahma chicken.
De-worming for endo-parasites should likewise be provided every eight weeks to ensure much better development and outcomes.
Feeding
Brahma chickens are no exception to other birds around the world. To increase their efficiency, they should be fed with healthy chicken feeds and the ideal water parts.
It deserves to keep in mind that roosters and hens have a particular feed that they must eat, depending upon their usage.
For example, egg-laying Brahma hens need to be fed with feeds abundant in calcium and protein in addition to greens. Calcium and protein feed allow them to lay a wide variety of eggs and enhance their laying schedule.
The advantage of this chicken breed is that they are good foragers and can feed on their own. Nevertheless, they require to be supplemented with other kinds of feeds.
The beaks of the Light Brahma chicken breed can grow long if not handled. This, in turn, makes them lose the majority of the feeds while feeding, triggering terrific losses.
To prevent this, their beaks need to be cut off after a long time to prevent feed waste.
Advantages of Rearing Light Brahma Chicken
Light Brahma chickens feature their reasonable share of advantages that every poultry farmer needs to think about when everything is stated and done.
Below are a few of the advantages that you get raising the chicken breed.
They include Aesthetic Value to a Home.
Brahma chickens are available in various versions, particularly; light, dark, and buff, with each range having unique color plume patterns.
Their unique color schemes are gorgeous, and they likewise have a little head, smooth face, and big eyes, which highlights their visual worth.
In addition, they are 30 inches high, have a broad and long body, in addition to a narrow V shape profile. They likewise have a stunning pea comb a little overhanging their eyes, highlighting why they are mostly utilized in exhibits.
For that reason, when you integrate them into your house garden, they increase the visual worth of your house.
They are Hardy Birds
Chicken illnesses are devastating due to their extremely infectious nature and their capability to kill many chickens quickly, triggering losses.
The advantage of Brahma chickens is that they are strong and illness resistant due to their thick feathering.
This, in turn, lowers their threat of experiencing typical illnesses like cold, which permits you to minimize your cash.
In addition, the chicken breed has the capability to the season in various weather conditions, which describes why they have the ability to lay eggs throughout the winter season.
The chicken breed can, for that reason, be raised in numerous parts of the world with no issues.
They are Calm and Docile
Unlike other kinds of chickens, the Light Brahma chickens are majestic, big, and docile birds. Due to their plus size, they are unable to fly with ease.
They can, for that reason, be included by a 2 to 3 inches fence. They are likewise extremely friendly and curious around people that make them easy to manage.
Brahma chickens are likewise exceptional moms and brooders due to their friendly personalities. They can rest on many eggs due to their plus size and can look after other chicken breeds’ chicks.
They can also be included in the existing flock rather quickly because they are normally friendly.
Nevertheless, Brahma roosters are too docile such that they can not secure hens from foxes or eagles.
They are a Dual Chicken Breed
Light Brahma chickens are both outstanding in producing meat and laying eggs. They have an exceptional laying schedule with a laying capability of 3 to 4 big brown eggs weekly and 130 to 140 eggs annually.
The good idea with them is that you can enhance their laying capability when correctly and properly fed and supplied with much better living conditions.
Due to their plus size, Brahma chickens are perfect meat yielders and can weigh as much as 5.5 kg for roosters and 4.5 kg for hens.
Their capability to consume big volumes of feed and quickly construct muscles makes them the ideal meat yielders.
Brahma broilers can begin to be butchered at the age of 6 to 8 months, therefore offering you fast cash. One Brahma chicken has the capability to feed a household of 4 individuals.
Cons of Rearing Light Brahma Chicken
Although raising the Brahma chicken includes its reasonable share of advantages, it likewise has its dark sides that you need to think about. Below are a few of the cons that you may stumble upon when you begin raising Brahma chicken.
They are Heavy Eaters
As mentioned previously, Brahma chicken takes in a lot of chicken feeds to construct their big body muscles. In addition, they are terrific foragers and take in a lot of greens.
Their heavy consumption implies a high expense of production when compared to other chicken brand names.
However, they are great scavengers, indicating that they can quickly get scavenge for food as soon as you launch them into the garden.
Once they are full-grown, you can then supplement them with chicken feeds like layers mash for layers. The advantage is that even if they are heavy eaters, they have a high food conversion rate and gain muscles quickly.
Chicken feeds can averagely cost approximately $20 per 50 kg bag, which can differ depending upon your region. You must, for that reason, be well ready economically before considering raising Brahma chicken.
They Take Longer to Mature
Owing to the size of Brahma chickens, they take a very long time to grow completely. For example, a rooster can use up to 2 years which is a truly very long time compared to other chicken types.
On the other hand, chicks take a minimum of 6 months to begin laying eggs compared to the four months for other chicken types.
If you desire fast cash, then the Brahma chicken is not your perfect chicken type to purchase.
They are perfect for long-term purposes since as soon as they begin laying eggs and are completely mature, they have an effective laying schedule and produce big volumes of meat compared to other breeds.
This requires a great deal of perseverance and highlights why Brahma chickens are ignored as yard chicken types.
They Have Feathered Feet
Among the distinct functions that make the Brahma chicken stand apart is its feathered feet. Although the feet are thought about as a visual magnet, they are rather a curse than a true blessing.
This is since throughout the winter when it is snowy or muddy, the thick feet plumes catch mud balls, triggering injuries if left ignored.
This makes this breed of chicken a non-starter in places with clay soil. Periodic examination and cleansing of their legs are, for that reason, required to prevent injuries. In case of injury, dress the injury and restrict them in the cage up until it recovers.
Choosing Whether to Rear Light Brahma Chickens or Not
Now that you understand that you are required to learn about Brahma chickens, it is time to choose whether it is the ideal chicken for you.
Before making your choice, you need to consider a variety of problems, as detailed listed below.
Size of Your Coop for Light Brahma Chickens
The size of your cage plays a huge function in identifying whether you are qualified to rear light Brahma chickens or not.
Light Brahma chickens are among the most significant chickens worldwide and, for that reason, require sufficient area to reside in. Having a little cage will worry the chickens and impact their efficiency.
Before purchasing Light Brahma chickens to rear, initially, guarantee that you have actually increased the size of your cage so that they can fit.
Your cage needs to be big enough such that you can stand in it while gathering eggs.
Besides having a big cage, you need to guarantee that you have an adequate garden area where you can let them wander for a long time.
A cage suggested for Brahma chickens must determine approximately 4 square feet per bird.
The more free space, the merrier and much healthier your chickens will be, as they do not like overcrowding as it typically causes illness and plume pecking. Please note that broadening the size of the cage costs cash.
Cage Door Opening
Similar to the size of your cage, the opening must be big enough for a chicken the size of light Brahma chickens to go through.
If you have a little cage opening, your chicken will discover it difficult getting or leaving the cage. This will, in turn, trigger the ditching of the plumes hence triggering injury.
If your existing cage opening is small, you require to think about re-constructing it to increase its size. While building the cage opening, guarantee that it determines over 13 inches height since that is the optimum height of a Brahma chicken.
Size of The Nesting Boxes
Nesting boxes need not just be comfortable however likewise practical for a chicken to lay on. Little and unpleasant nesting boxes will prevent your chicken from resting on its eggs to hatch, causing losses.
Keeping in mind that the Brahma chicken is two times the size of the typical chicken, you will require to make sure that you have actually increased the size of your nesting boxes.
Light Brahma chicken can not fit in a little nesting box because it is unpleasant. Altering the nesting boxes must not be tough to do as long as you have the needed products.
Your Reasons for Poultry Rearing
When figuring out whether the light Brahma chicken is the best chicken to buy or not, you should initially ask yourself what your goal is.
Various poultry farmers have various factors regarding why they invest their cash in poultry farming. Your answers to that concern will, in turn, notify you whether they are the best chicken to buy or not.
For example, if your primary goal of venturing into poultry farming is getting eggs to offer or for your household, then the Brahma chicken is not the ideal chicken to buy, as there are other much better layers in the market.
Nevertheless, if your sole factor is to get high meat-yielding chicken, the Brahma chicken is the best chicken to invest your cash in due to its big size.
The Size of the Roosting Bar
During the night, Brahma chicken will require to roost in the cage. That is why the size and strength of the roosting bar are really crucial whenever you are thinking about raising big chicken types.
Much like their size, Brahma chickens weigh twice as much as other chicken types that you might be raising.
In case your roosting bar is lightweight, roosting will be an obstacle for the big chicken type.
You should ensure that you have a sufficient and tough roosting bar in your cage to supply your chicken with a sufficient roosting area. Updating your roosting bar to 2 by four would be perfect for the Brahma chicken.
Bottom Line
When choosing to rear Light Brahma chicken, you need to invest your cash in a high-quality chicken range that will provide your cash.
Thankfully, many hatcheries throughout the nation offer the chicken type that you can pick from. Nevertheless, you need to tread thoroughly when selecting the source of your chicken to prevent suffering losses.
Buying poultry farming is really financially rewarding if you do it ideally and follow the appropriate actions.
Besides offering you a consistent supply of eggs and meat, they effectively produce limitless volumes of manure that can be disintegrated and contributed to your garden to increase yields.
Nevertheless, get your chicken from reputable hatcheries and those that you can rely on.
References:
- Brahma Chicken. The Livestock Conservatory. Accessed December 2018.
- George Pickering Burnham (1874). The China Fowl: Shanghai, Cochin, and “Brahma”. Melrose, Massachusetts: Rand, Avery, and Co.
- [s.n.] (1954). Breeds of Chickens For Meat and Egg Production. Farmers’ Bulletin 2065. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. Pages 14–15.
- Cyril Hrnčár, Monika Hässlerová, Jozef Bujko (2013). The Effect of Oviposition Time on Egg Quality Parameters in Brown Leghorn, Oravka, and Brahma Hens. Scientific Papers: Animal Science and Biotechnologies 46.
- APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
- Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognized by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424.
- Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.