Backyard wimp retention is an increasingly democratic hobby that is go through a resurgence . More and more cities are undulate back ordinances that foreclose keep volaille on your prop , lead to an uptick in interest . There are hundreds of different types of chicken to choose from – hybrids , heritage breed , crosses . One of those strain is the Brahma chicken , a rather large , feathery - footed poulet .
All aboutBrahma chickens
When it comes to picking the right breed of chicken for your home or farm , knowing the basic of the Brahma wimp breed will facilitate you make that decision .
Brahma chickens , sometimes call Brahmaputra , are very large , tall , meaty chickens with long feather and feathery feet . The breed hails from the United States . They are a dual - purpose bird , unspoiled for both meat and eggs . They mature at 7 month honest-to-god .
Brahmas come in a handful of color variety , including buff , dark , and light . They set 130 - 150 large , brown eggs per year . Hens top out at about 10 pounds while rooster can spring up to 12 pounds . They can live 5 - 8 days . This breed is realise by the American Poultry Association/
Temperament
Brahmas are broadly speaking middling teachable chicken , known for their calm nature and overall laid - back position . It ’s a great breed if you desire a orotund chicken and have untried kids around . Some Brahma chicken keepers say that the Brahma has a propensity to become connected to its possessor .
When it comes to rooster , and this applies to just about every strain of chicken , if you treat them with respect and are kind , they will typically come back the favor . Knowing their boundaries and reading their consistence oral communication is important . If , despite all your good efforts , your Brahma rooster wo n’t stop being aggressive , it may be best to remove him from the flock and seem for a nicer rooster .
Purpose
The Brahma chicken is a threefold - aim chicken , bred for both meat and eggs . Their eggs laying fall behind other more fertile breed , grow at most 150 eggs per twelvemonth . Once mature , biddy weigh about 10 quid and cock weigh about 12 Pound .
Coop and run
Chickens be given to pick up bad behaviors when their coop and run are n’t up to their standards , so making sure you have the appropriate coop and run for your Brahma chickens is vitally important .
Brahmas care to have plenty of coop and run space to go about the business sector of being a good chicken . The more quad you could provide them , the happier they ’ll be and the more eggs they ’ll lay . Brahma chicken should be render 10 or more square feet of free cooking stove area per razzing .
crybaby runs and coops should be kept by rights clean out and provided fresh husk regularly . At least one nest box per place hen is preferred , although they can bear “ buddying up ” and laying eggs in the same nest boxful . These chickens are known to divagate some and will occasionally find originative places to lay their eggs .
Common Brahma chicken problems
The Brahma wimp is evenhandedly stout , though one breed - specific problem they experience is foul peg feather . Breeds with longer leg and foot feathers tend to experience a flock more filth buildup around the legs and foot , which can lead to various wellness problems .
Viral diseases
Chickens are susceptible to a number of viral sickness , admit Marek ’s disease , vaian flu , domestic fowl lues , Newcastle disease , and bronchitis . Some of these conditions are more common than others . sign of a viral contagion among your chicken include sneeze , cough , reduced nut production , reduced feeding , slackness , discharge around the optic and sinuses , sore , and paralysis in the case of Newcastle disease .
Most bird develop from a reputable breeder or hatchery are vaccinated against the more rough-cut viral infections , like Marek ’s . Chicks gain from smaller - weighing machine seller may not be vaccinate . Always ask if your chicks have been vaccinated and what they ’re vaccinated for .
Bacterial illness
Bacterial contagion are a real concern for crybaby , as hencoop , runs , and the open air , in general , can be havens for bacteria . The most common bacterial infections for chickens are salmonellosis and colibacillosis . These infections can be tight spreading and taint entire sight .
Signs your chicken may be struggling with a bacterial infection let in reduced egg laying , breathing problems , reduced appetency , and death . Salmonellosis does n’t always present symptoms in chickens .
Fungal diseases
The two most uncouth types of fungal disease are brooder pneumonia and ringworm . tinea can be propagate to human beings as well , so if you suspect your crybaby have roundworm , handle them carefully and wash your manpower and dress immediately .
Brooder pneumonia be given to only infect young chicks spending their first few week in a incubator . tinea usually take in up on its own with time . hold brooders and coops uninfected is key to avoiding these fungal infections .
Parasitic infection
Like most of our pets , chickens can experience parasitical infections . Worms , check mark , louse , and mites are some of the more common I . Symptoms of these parasites include loss of appetite , lethargy , skin pique , and unexpected loss of plumage outside of normal molting .
Be mistrustful of used henhouse . Always disinfect them good before introducing your chickens . put back coop bedding often and periodically disinfect chicken coops to reduce the presence of parasites .
Injuries
It can be a rough and tumble life for chickens as they go about establishing pecking order and forage for solid food . injury , particularly foot injuries , are n’t uncommon . Most surface - horizontal surface injuries will clear up on their own , but groundwork injuries are particularly concerning as the chickens ’ talon run to come into contact with their own manure as well as other pathogen in the soil and on the ground .
Common signs of a infantry injury are difficulty walking or putting weight on the invertebrate foot as well as lethargy . In the face of bumblefoot , a type of staph contagion , both the chickens ’ digits and sometimes entire foundation can become swollen with festering - filled abscesses . Foot accidental injury should be treated and bandage as shortly as they are discover .
Egg binding
Egg binding is an often tragic progeny for wimp . It ’s get when an testis becomes stuck between the hen ’s uterus and cloaca . Signs of egg cover include impuissance , inability to perch , often choosing to posture or lie on the soil , straining , and a deficiency of egg place . Egg dressing can quickly become a fatal status and will generally require a tripper to an avian vet to fix .
“Pasty butt”
Pasty can , sometimes call gluey outlet , is a clean unwashed term that afflicts chicks . It can quickly become a lifespan - threatening progeny if not handle . Pasty volcano run to be because of stress and dehydration . It appears when thick stools kibosh the doll ’s vent-hole , foreclose it from pass on dung .
Eventually , the biddy will become ill and refuse to wipe out . mark of pasty butt admit modest chick size and a pasty mat of droppings over the vent . This condition is easily treated by cleaning the pretend arena and removing the stuck muck .
BreedingBrahma Chickens
Breeding your Brahma poulet does n’t take issue importantly from breed other types of inheritance chicken . One military issue with breed these chickens is their slow ripening . They take 7 month to lead off lay . Some breeders argue that they are n’t really ripe until 2 year of historic period . But if your volaille are ready , providing your Brahma hens access to a Brahma cock and allow nature to take its course will concede healthy , strong doll . A ratio of 10 hens for every rooster will typically yield good prolificacy rates . you’re able to allow a broody hen to sit on her orchis , though broodiness is spotty with this strain , or brood them in an brooder . A speedy pathfinder to hatch :
For more entropy , break out ourcomprehensive usher on incubating chicken eggs .
What to feedBrahma chickens
Up until about 16 weeks old , your Brahma chick should be fed a commercial chick starter feed with 18 % protein . This sum protein will help your young skirt spring up and develop into healthy shuttle . After 16 weeks , they can be switched to a 16 % protein layer provender to support sizable feathering and unspoiled egg production . Chickens enjoy being put out to pasture where they can eat grass , bugs , and other plant life . They will also fain wipe out some yield , veggie , grains , and leafy greens . Free - ranging your bird will also cut down importantly on your provender costs .
For more information , check into out ourcomprehensive guide on what food chickens can and can not eat .
History of Brahma chickens
The Brahma chicken is an senior breed of poulet to begin with engender in the United States . They were cover from birds imported from China and were the principal source of chicken meat from the 1850s to about the 1930s .
