Brahma questions

[felidaet]

I looked through the Brahma thread but it did not answer my questions. I have a mixed flock of various breeds. I am thinking of expanding my flock this spring. I have had Light, Buff, and Drak Brahmas included on my wish list but now I am starting to have second thoughts.

1) My Pet Chicken says they lay three medium size eggs per week. Is this accurate? Some of my breeds lay better and bigger than on MPC.

2) I see this is a very large breed. Are they heavy feeders?

3) How well do they get along with other full size breeds?

Any opinions would be appreciated.

By the way, I will be getting hatchery birds from local feed stores. They get most of their chicks from the major national hatcheries.

Thanks.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Brahma's are not known to be great layers. We have had them in the past and they were very late to start laying and when they did it was sporadic at best. Didn't notice that they were bigger eaters than the rest. They were mild mannered but dominant.
We now have Buff Brahma Bantams and love them. They are too young to lay still but they are true pets. They love to come in the house and sit with us. We also have a standard Buff Brahma roo who is a teddy bear. He loves to be held. He is about a year old now. We are looking for a few girls for him. I think you will find a mixed bag of thoughts on the Brahma's. Standards are big birds but make great pets.

 

[Goose and Fig]

My bantam brahmas lay better than my standards. I wouldn't say they're big eaters. They're attractive birds and good foreagers. If I get a few less eggs, it doesn't bother me. They are pretty easy going and get along with all my other breeds. I don't have any brahma roos- but I've seen some buffs in person and they are HUGE!

 

[Randy]

Ours laid well thier first year then quit last fall and haven't gotten hardly an egg all winter. My biggest dislike is that it takes forever for them to mature.

 

[big medicine]

From a purely economic standpoint, you would do better to get more gold comets, or leghorns. More eggs, less feed, quicker maturity, less space required. That being said, I wouldn't trade my brahmas for anything I've come across yet. Brahmas tend to be very calm, mellow birds, rarely a problem in a mixed flock. I often tell people who are looking into brahmas for the first time that their looks will draw you to them, but it's their temperment and personalities that will seal the deal.

 

[Chris09]

1) My Pet Chicken says they lay three medium size eggs per week. Is this accurate? Some of my breeds lay better and bigger than on MPC.

I have some Light Brahma that are still pullets and they lay everyday.

2) I see this is a very large breed. Are they heavy feeders?

Most hatchery Brahma aren't going to get as big as they should be. Mine and other Hatchery Brahma that I have seen are a little bigger (weight wise) than my Show Quality R.I. Reds.

3) How well do they get along with other full size breeds?

Mine do well with other Large Fowl breeds.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

When you get your chicks, put them on a high protein starter till they start to lay.



Chris​

 

[gritsar]

I have 13 LF brahma hens and a dark brahma roo. Hatchery stock that are nearly two years old.
I am right now, middle of January, averaging 7 eggs a day from 13 hens; yesterday I got 9. We don't add light, but our coop is designed to take advantage of every bit of natural light.
I don't consider my flock to be heavy feeders, but I free range and they are good foragers, no matter what some of the books say.
All in all a very peaceful flock although I do have two hens that are very dominant and get into it (with each other) every once in awhile. My roo settles them back down again. My roo is a sweetheart.
The only disadvantage I can see to the LF brahmas is their late maturity, that's if you are the kind to get antsy about first eggs. My light brahma hens were the first to lay and did so early, but I waited nine and a half months on a few of my dark brahma hens.

My roo, with some of his hens:

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I LOVE brahmas! They are absolute sweethearts! Very gentle, but they do have personality. I have not found them to lay any less than other birds in my layer flock (which have included feed store orpingtons, barred rocks, RIR, a lt brown leghorn, an EE, an australorp, plus various mixes. Baby frequently laid a double yolker-HUGE eggs. Her single yolker eggs were larger than any of the other birds. My bantam buffs are probably a bit more timid than my silkies, but it is really an individual pecking order thing--some birds demand dominance--others are happy to let a different bird take that role.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
In my opinion, brahmas are worth the wait. Of course, I raise silkies and am USED to waiting. Lovely flock you have there

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
In my opinion, brahmas are worth the wait. Of course, I raise silkies and am USED to waiting. Lovely flock you have there

Thanks. I've been very pleased with them. I didn't mind the wait on eggs from my dark hens. I knew they would get to it when their bodies were ready.

My dark girls are now my most consistent layers.