First and foremost, Brahmas are found to be extremely hardy chickens. They are also good egg-layers for their size. Considered a superior winter-layer, they produce the bulk of their eggs from October to May. The eggs of the Brahma are large and uniformly medium brown in color of up to around 300 eggs per year. The number laid will depend on the individual, her diet, and the quality of her environment. You can improve how many your chicken will lay if you provide her a secure home, a quality layer feed with 16% protein, plenty of calcium, fresh water, and a clean nest with nesting herbs.

 

The breed is easy to contain, not being able to fly low fences very easily. They also stand confinement extremely well – having calm and docile personalities.

 

Brahmas thrive best on dry, well-drained soils and cool climates. The feathering of their shanks and toes is a negative where the ground is damp and muddy. In winter it’s good to protect the feet from getting wet because the feathers on the feet can freeze and cause frostbite to their toes.

 

Often referred to as the “King of All Poultry, the Brahma is best known for its size and vigor. Brahmas are large chickens with feathers on shanks and toes, with a pea comb, smooth fitting plumage with dense down in all sections, and a wide head with skull projecting over the eyes called a “beetle brow.”

 

The hens tend to go broody in early summer and will sit devotedly on their nests. But because of the size of the hen, trampling of the chicks must be guarded against for the first few days after hatch.

 

This breed was developed in America from very large fowls imported from China. It also seems clear that Chittigong fowls from India were used in its breeding. In those early days it should be remembered there were no written standards, no poultry associations, and no registries. Since what became known as the Brahma chicken was being presented under at least twelve names, there was much confusion. The credit for shortening the name to Brahma goes to T.B. Miner, publisher of The Northern Farmer. There is actually a bit of controversy over how the Brahma came to be the magnificent chicken breed that it is.