Do You Have Any Brahma Hens? Tell Me About Them

[farmgirlsomeday]

I am either going to be adding a Gold Laced Wyandotte or a Dark Brahma to my flock (I'm still trying to decide), and I would love some input from BYCers. Are Brahmas really as gentle and sweet and one hears that they are? Are they kind of like giant Silkies in personality? Also, I know they aren't known for their egg production, but if you have any Brahma hens, can you describe how often they lay for you, what times of year, and what color/size eggs you get? Are the different color varieties of Brahma known for being different at all in terms of temperament or egg-laying? Thanks!

 

[Sjisty]

I have 30-ish Brahmas. I have one dark Brahma hen, about 7 years old. While she is not a lap chicken, she is very friendly and will come when she is called. She is also housebroken and lays an egg in our house almost every day. She would lay a little later every day, until her last egg was about 5:00 p.m. Then she usually skipped the next day, but the day after that as soon as I opened the coop door, she was running to our front door to be let in to lay her egg. Now she is older and only lays occasionally.

I have one buff Brahma hen, also about 7 years old. She is a touch-me-not, but still lays eggs faithfully, about 5 eggs weekly.

I have numerous partridge Brahmas ranging from pullets to 7 years old. Some are lap chickens, some don't like to be picked up. Again, they lay approximately 5 eggs weekly.

I have 2 light Brahma hens, almost 8 years old. They don't like being picked up, but can be petted and again are pretty calm. One, Domino, also comes inside the house to lay. She lays probably 3 eggs a week, but she's almost 8 years old. When she was younger, she was a much better layer.

I have been experimenting with other colors. I have several blue Brahmas. Two of them are definitely lap chickens, one hen, one rooster, loving to sit on my lap for as long as I will let them.

In my experience, they slow down in the heat of summer (we are in Florida). They pretty much stop for a few weeks in the late fall when they go through a major molt. The winter doesn't bother them, but again, we are in Florida so there's no snow or temperatures much below 20 degrees.

I have 4 broody hens right now. My dark Brahma went broody about 3 years ago, but hasn't been broody since. Others have been broody a couple of times a year.

Sorry for the long answer - I hope I covered everything for you!

 

[draye]

I have 6 (might not be full blooded though, their feet need work as far as the feathering goes). Anyway, I call them Brahmas (Light). I really like mine they are gentle as stated by others. As far as laying goes I get anywhere from 3 to 5 every other day.
I do get eggs everyday day just about but average 6 every two days.