You brahma people have done it

[fluffycrow]

Brahma weren't high up on my list of chickens I'd like to own, but now, (appart from my gamefowl) they're at the very top. I had no plans to get any more chicks after I hot my three beautiful silkies, but as you might know, they all passed from some kind of disease. I find that for some reason their deaths have left me in need of more chicks, maybe to fill the void. As a side note, I will obviously be waiting at least two more weeks before I add any chicks, and probably way more, but I am warming up to the idea of some brahma chicks, though admittedly with some guilt. So, I've made this thread for you brahma peeps to share all the ins and outs of keeping brahmas, everything from how quickly the mature, their personality, how often they go broody, how the roosters are, to what foods they prefer, how you like to set up their coops, quirky things they do, stuff like that. I hope this will be educational for me, and cheer me up a bit, after all everyone knows thr best way to overcome the grief of losing your chickens is to get more. Oh, and obviously, photos of your beautiful birds are mandatory!

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't currently have any Brahmas in my flock, but they are wonderful birds in many ways.

My experience is that the hens are moderate layers, easygoing but not pushovers, almost incapable of flight once mature (needed a ramp up to the roosts and nests), occasionally but not inevitably broody, and utterly indifferent to bad weather.

They are reputedly highly cold-tolerant but also weirdly tolerant to heat despite having none of the features that normally indicate adaptation to a hot climate -- my theory being that the same thick feathers that insulate them from the cold also insulate them to the heat *up to a point*.

I've only had one Brahma rooster (and a couple Australorp x Brahma cockerels), and found that Marion was a gentle giant with a lovely, deep-toned crow.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We had some for a while. Can't remember what happened to the last one, I think she just got old. I've got a pair of bantam gals now. One is prettier than the other, but the pretty one is way more flighty

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

I really want to get some brahmas, but have too many other breeds on my list right now

 

[fluffycrow]

I don't currently have any Brahmas in my flock, but they are wonderful birds in many ways.

My experience is that the hens are moderate layers, easygoing but not pushovers, almost incapable of flight once mature (needed a ramp up to the roosts and nests), occasionally but not inevitably broody, and utterly indifferent to bad weather.

They are reputedly highly cold-tolerant but also weirdly tolerant to heat despite having none of the features that normally indicate adaptation to a hot climate -- my theory being that the same thick feathers that insulate them from the cold also insulate them to the heat *up to a point*.

I've only had one Brahma rooster (and a couple Australorp x Brahma cockerels), and found that Marion was a gentle giant with a lovely, deep-toned crow.


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Ugh such beautiful birds! And pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, the broodyness might be a little less than I'd like, but I'd take it over nothing which is my current state. As for the flying thing, are not mature birds better at it? And I see you have a stick in the run, could they jump on to it?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I have two Brahma hens and neither have gone broody. They aren't my best layers, but I still get at least 1-2 eggs each from them a week. Personality wise mine are almost indifferent? I guess would be the best way to describe it. Despite being raised with most of the other they just kind of stick together and do their own thing. They will come up to me sometimes, but aren't as curious or people friendly as some of my others which doesn't bother me because I don't raise my chickens in an attempt to make them puppies. Some of my chickens follow me around all day or if they hear the front door open come sprinting up through the yard, but my brahmas do not seem to really care either way. Both of my hens feet are very very heavily feathered compared to my other feather footed breeds. So if you live anywhere that gets snow or ice you will have to watch that as the ice/snow can get built up on those feet. Another note is that mine only will roost on things close to the ground. 1ft maximum seems to be my girls comfort level for heights so I also have low nesting boxes for them.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My gal I lost never successfully brooded. She would get a batch, set for 2-2.5 weeks and then just leave

 

[fluffycrow]

My gal I lost never successfully brooded. She would get a batch, set for 2-2.5 weeks and then just leave

Oop that sounds like one of my past chickens

 

[MysteryChicken]

Brahma weren't high up on my list of chickens I'd like to own, but now, (appart from my gamefowl) they're at the very top. I had no plans to get any more chicks after I hot my three beautiful silkies, but as you might know, they all passed from some kind of disease. I find that for some reason their deaths have left me in need of more chicks, maybe to fill the void. As a side note, I will obviously be waiting at least two more weeks before I add any chicks, and probably way more, but I am warming up to the idea of some brahma chicks, though admittedly with some guilt. So, I've made this thread for you brahma peeps to share all the ins and outs of keeping brahmas, everything from how quickly the mature, their personality, how often they go broody, how the roosters are, to what foods they prefer, how you like to set up their coops, quirky things they do, stuff like that. I hope this will be educational for me, and cheer me up a bit, after all everyone knows thr best way to overcome the grief of losing your chickens is to get more. Oh, and obviously, photos of your beautiful birds are mandatory!

I had 4 light Brahmas at one point. 1, hen had a immune system disorder that lead to a worm overload, & death.

That left me with 3. Out of the remaining 3 I hatched eggs for my Giant Silkie Project. I butchered 2, but left one to continue laying, & to keep the hen number up until butcher day. The last one ended up catching the flu I had, & had to be put down this year.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ugh such beautiful birds! And pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, the broodyness might be a little less than I'd like, but I'd take it over nothing which is my current state. As for the flying thing, are not mature birds better at it? And I see you have a stick in the run, could they jump on to it?

My most recent Brahma could achieve about 18" of wing-assisted hop if POWERFULLY motivated by the thought that someone else was getting a treat she wasn't sharing.

They're BIG, heavy girls without the wing power to get all that mass off the ground. Not like my lightweight California Whites, who fly quite nicely even when mature.

It's not a large sample size, by my Dark Brahmas have been more broody than my Light Brahmas. One of the girls in my in-town flock actually managed to hide an egg from me despite my regular checks and hatched it.