Processing Brahmas

[Kmanrriquez]

What age can u process Brahma. We are looking for a dual purpose bird and the Brahma looks promising. Any suggestions.

 

[Illia]

The same age you process any normal dual purpose or production bred chicken - 5-8 months of age, depending on your preference. They're still tender all throughout that time frame.


Brahmas, as a warning, are no better a breed than any other if you get them from a hatchery. I got a good handful of them from McMurray and they all ended up normal laying hen size, hardly much meat on them. If you could, the best thing to do is look for show quality stock. Yes it is more expensive but very much worth it! You can continue to breed them down the road, selecting the best for future breeding, and trust me, there's a very satisfying difference between 5 lbs and 10 lbs

I myself have Light Brahmas, hatchery stock, who weigh from 4-6 lbs. My non-hatchery Blue Partridge weighs 10 lbs. Brahmas should weigh 8-12 lbs.

 

[Kmanrriquez]

So you have brahmas you process for meat. The reason these interest me is the brahma is meat, egg laying and broodness. Do u suggest another bird like this.

 

[Illia]

There's a lot of good ones, Brahmas included, you just need to keep an eye out and avoid hatchery stock, especially if you want broodiness. Brahmas fit the bill very well but only if from non-hatchery strain.

Personally I'd highly suggest you look around locally for people, like on Craigslist, selling Light Sussex, Coronation Sussex, or Coronation Split Sussex that are from imported and/or Greenfire lines. HUGE birds, great layers of very large pink eggs, and very broody and super moms too. In my state it isn't hard to find local breeders, you may or may not find some as well.

But honestly, any English or American type dual purpose breed is a great one, just make sure to get from good breeders who know their breed and will gaurantee birds that weigh over 6 lbs at adulthood. Also, make sure to eye out for stock that has gone broody before.

Avoid common things like Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Australorps.

 

[LilyD]

So you have brahmas you process for meat. The reason these interest me is the brahma is meat, egg laying and broodness. Do u suggest another bird like this.

I also process Brahmas for the meat (Light Brahmas) and I agree that hatchery stock starts out smaller. You can start with them but the first year they will be small and have less breast meat than you are used to in chickens. As you breed them and grow out the babies keep the largest ones as breeding stock and eat the smaller. That way each generation you will get larger, heavier and meatier brahmas. The ones we just processed in April were about 10 pounds live weight and 8 pounds dressed out. They also had some very nice breast meat and TONS of dark meat. I am a dark meat person so this was perfect for me.

I process mine between 6 and 9 months and I use them for everything, grilling, roasting, frying, crockpot. They taste great no matter what in my opinion. The other breed I am working on is the Dorking. They don't get as large but have more breast meat naturally and are made as a meat bird but still lay well. I haven't butchered any yet but I hear from others that they are very tasty.

Hope this helps.

 

[jacobkelly15]

for dual purpose bird. i suggest naked necks. they are great layers and are good meat birds also. i suggest you look into cornish X rock birds. they are just for meat. i would never eat a brahma! or any other breed unless it was a cornish x rock!

 

[LilyD]

Just did 12 more Brahmas the other day for the freezer. Breast meat is not as much as CRX of course but they are definitely sustainable. They lay well and I have two broody hens at the moment out of 7 lol. You can process them younger around 20 weeks or so for a smaller fryer or parts for the grill they process out at about 3.5 lbs rather than 8 or 9 at 6 to 9 months. I think they are amazing!!

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

I also was wondering about age to butcher my light brahma's. Ordered mine from Cackel hatchery and they are "huge" at 4 months already bigger then friends sexlink. Have one hen that lays large eggs and a double yolker every time!! Also got a monster egg the other day. It is so big it won't fit in a jumbo egg carton. If i want to let some go broody what size eggs should i set them on??. Guess my main reason for posting was age of butchering and to say that my hatchery chicks from cackle seem to be what the breed size says.

 

[oshun55555]

I have heard so many times that a Brahma is not a good meat bird, they are my main meat bird, I think they are great, I just ate one tonight 5 months old and 6 pounds, it was a big Silver Laced Cockerel. Not as much breast meat as a franken chicken, but plenty for my family.

 

[BantamWhisperer]

Looks yum!