I don’t really know your goals or why you want chickens so it’s a little difficult to give specific advice on breed or anything else. Brahmas are large, usually gentle, slow to mature (and usually slow to start laying), and are known to go broody. Many people are extremely happy with them. It just depends on what you want with your chickens. They are probably a good choice.
There are just so many options on what you can do and why you might do them. As long as you provide the basics (appropriate food, clean water, a dry living area, protection from predators, and appropriate environmental protection) they are not hard. You might spend some time reading in the Learning Center up at the top of this page, just pick topics that look interesting.
How much do you plan to handle them? Are they to be pets, eye candy, or just for eggs. Probably a combination. If you get them for pets, it’s probably better to get chicks and raise them yourself. You can still tame older chickens but it’s easier if they are in a brooder and young. Then you have the question if you want to brood them in your house or outside. If they are in the house they are handier for handling, outside it may take a bit more effort to tame them. People still manage, it’s just easier inside. But they create a lot of dust, can be noisy, and if the brooder is not kept dry, they can smell. Personally I want to stay married so I brood mine in the coop. Many people really love brooding them in the house. A compromise may be to brood them in an attached garage. Young kids can have a lot of fun watching them grow. There are so many different ways you can do any of this stuff, if anyone tells you that you have to do something a specific way, get a second opinion.
An advantage of getting older pullets, say “Point of Lay” pullets, is that you can be a lot more sure of gender. With baby chicks it’s always possible one or more may be male, even with sexed chicks from a hatchery. You can also skip the cost and work of a brooder and put them straight in the coop. A “Point of Lay” pullet is one 16 to 20 weeks old, probably not that far from starting to lay.
Good luck and welcome to the adventure. It will be a fun ride.
There are just so many options on what you can do and why you might do them. As long as you provide the basics (appropriate food, clean water, a dry living area, protection from predators, and appropriate environmental protection) they are not hard. You might spend some time reading in the Learning Center up at the top of this page, just pick topics that look interesting.
How much do you plan to handle them? Are they to be pets, eye candy, or just for eggs. Probably a combination. If you get them for pets, it’s probably better to get chicks and raise them yourself. You can still tame older chickens but it’s easier if they are in a brooder and young. Then you have the question if you want to brood them in your house or outside. If they are in the house they are handier for handling, outside it may take a bit more effort to tame them. People still manage, it’s just easier inside. But they create a lot of dust, can be noisy, and if the brooder is not kept dry, they can smell. Personally I want to stay married so I brood mine in the coop. Many people really love brooding them in the house. A compromise may be to brood them in an attached garage. Young kids can have a lot of fun watching them grow. There are so many different ways you can do any of this stuff, if anyone tells you that you have to do something a specific way, get a second opinion.
An advantage of getting older pullets, say “Point of Lay” pullets, is that you can be a lot more sure of gender. With baby chicks it’s always possible one or more may be male, even with sexed chicks from a hatchery. You can also skip the cost and work of a brooder and put them straight in the coop. A “Point of Lay” pullet is one 16 to 20 weeks old, probably not that far from starting to lay.
Good luck and welcome to the adventure. It will be a fun ride.
