dark brahma chicks very slow to develop...

[jobeth3]

i was sent a dark brahma chick in my mcmurray order...he is just under 4 weeks old. i have never raised this breed, and i am wondering if they are all really slow to develop? i have white leghorns, buff orps and marans the same age...they are almost all feathered out, and are larger than the brahma. he has very few real feathers (only on the his wings), still fuzzy/ chick-like, and a little smaller than the others. is this normal for the breed?

 

[feathers_3]

I think he will be just fine. I raised up some Brahmas last year and if I am remembering correctly, they developed a little slower than my NHRs. I wouldn't worry yet. I have mutts right now that are 3 1/2 weeks old and there are still some with just wing feathers and a couple body feathers. All chickens grow at different rates. I think it will ok.

 

[Rockin' Reds]

The Dark Brahmas I raised last year seemed much slower than everyone else in feathering and getting some size on them. They were also really slow to start laying eggs. They are all a year old now and doing great and laying well. Hopefully yours will too.

 

[gryeyes]

Brahmas ARE slower to mature than many other breeds. Nothing wrong with that, just different.

Love Brahmas - they are such gentle, docile, friendly chickens!

 

[dancingflower68]

My Buff Brahma Peaches is lagging behind my others too..I read they are slow to mature, so I'm not too concerned, just keeping an eye on her! Here she is at 11 days old.....

 

[mamahen10]

So Glad to hear that there is nothing wrong with my dark brahma. Mine was a surprise chicken from McMurrays also and is 5 weeks old today. All my other breeds of chickens are about 90% feathered and the brahma has mainly just wing feathers and the rest is still chick fluff. It is a pretty ugly duckling right now. I was thinking about putting the chicks out into chicken house next week because they are really outgrowing their brooder box, but wonder if I should hold this one back. What do others think.

 

[valentinehill]

Our Speckled Sussex and Brahma chicks were born on the same day, and are about 3 weeks now. The Sussex looks normal for three weeks, but I swear the Brahma hasn't grown at all!

 

[valentinehill]

Well this is just terrible, but I thought I'd pass it on so it doesn't happen to anyone else. We woke up this morning to find that the Brahma had been suffocated by her three larger brooder mates! Such an awful outcome, especially because we were moving them into the larger brooder today.

 

[5LexingtonHens]

I wonder if this applies to light Brahmas as well. I have two of them and only one is on the slow side as far as development-hardly any feathers except on the wing tips. The chick seems happy, alert, active and is eating and drinking plenty. Maybe this varies by chicken?

 

[Lovely_Ladies]

Well this is just terrible, but I thought I'd pass it on so it doesn't happen to anyone else. We woke up this morning to find that the Brahma had been suffocated by her three larger brooder mates! Such an awful outcome, especially because we were moving them into the larger brooder today.

I realize this post is really old. I do apologize for the tragic way you lost your chicken.However, I do appreciate your post because I have been cruising the net reading about the growth of Brahma roosters. I now have five 7 week old dark brahmas. 4 pullets 1 cockerel. All of them hatched on the same day. The girls are much bigger than the boy. As everyone knows Brahma are big. All the girls seem to pile up on the boy. It never even crossed my mind that the bigger ones could suffocate him. Thank you for sharing this. I am on the alert now!