Brahma Chicken

Quick Take

• These birds are called gentle giants, though at least one is blamed for killing a man. See the deadly incident →
• Being the biggest bird in the yard does not make a Brahma chicken safer from predators. In fact, their size works against them in a surprising way. See how size backfires →
• Brahma chickens dominated American meat production for nearly 80 years, then practically disappeared from farms, and the reason comes down to a brutal economic reality. Trace their rise and fall →
• The name 'Brahma' wasn't chosen for any cultural or historical reason. It stuck for a surprisingly mundane cause. Discover the naming story →

Brahma chickens are known as the “King of all Poultry” according to the Livestock Conservancy. They are one of the world’s largest chickens, by both height and weight. They average between 8 and 12 pounds, but look even larger thanks to their dense and fluffy feathers. Because of their huge size, these birds are not good at flying. Although their size could deter some predators, the fact that they can’t easily get away makes them an easy meal. Brahma chickens are called gentle giants because they are usually friendly and easy to handle. However, at least one Brahma chicken is blamed for killing a man in Ireland.

Incredible Brahma Chicken Facts

• Brahma chickens are one of the largest breeds of chickens in the world.
• These chickens were first bred in the United States in the 1840s.
• This breed was known by several names before authorities settled on Brahma.
• Brahma chickens produce a lot of meat, but they grow slowly and are too expensive to raise commercially.
• This breed is known to be good with other chickens, because it is too large to be intimidated.

Where to Find Brahma Chickens

Brahma chickens originated in the United States in the 1840s. They were bred from Chinese imports from Shanghai, including Cochin chickens, Malay chickens, and Chittagong fowl imported from India. There is much contention over exactly which breeds, and indeed which breeders, were involved in creating the Brahma chicken, but it is definitely an American bird.

One breeder from the United States, George Burnham, shipped several of his best Brahma chickens to England’s Queen Victoria in 1852. The birds were highly prized at that time, fetching up to $150 apiece. They were the most prolific meat chickens in the United States from the 1850s up to around 1930, but they are now considered too expensive to feed to be useful as commercially raised birds.

Brahma chickens are still found in many private flocks, mainly in cooler regions, in the United States and in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. They do not tolerate hot weather well, so they are less likely to be found in warm climates. They are also susceptible to frostbite in cold weather if the feathers around their feet and legs get wet, so their enclosures need to be kept dry.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the Brahma chicken is Gallus gallus domesticus. This is the same as other domesticated chickens around the world, which are descended from the red junglefowl of South and Southeast Asia. G. gallus was named by Linnaeus in 1758. Today, dozens of different breeds around the world comprise the Gallus gallus domesticus species.

The common name, Brahma chicken, was coined by T.B. Miner in either 1853 or 1854. He was the publisher of The Northern Farmer. He shortened the name to Brahma chicken, reportedly to save space in the publication. A couple of years before that, in 1852, poultry judges had agreed to the name Brahmapootra, but that name did not stick. Before that, the breed was known by as many as a dozen different names, all originating with different breeders, leading to much confusion and disagreement. The breed needed a single, concise name, and Brahma was the one that fit.

Appearance

Brahma chickens are very large. They average 8 to 12 pounds by weight, with the males of the breed weighing more than the females. They stand tall, reaching heights of up to 30 inches and holding their heads upright. Their tails are relatively short, but they are held upright, forming almost a V-shape with their heads when they are standing up.

These massive chickens appear even larger than their weight would suggest, due to their dense and plentiful feathers. Brahma chickens are fluffy in appearance, with feathers going all the way down their legs and covering their yellow feet.

Brahma chickens have a bright red pea comb, which is a short comb with three small ridges, the middle ridge being slightly longer than the ones on either side. Their wattle is also bright red, and their beak is short but strong. Their eyes are reddish brown, and they have red earlobes.

Recognized Varieties

These chickens come in a variety of colors. The American Poultry Association recognizes three varieties of large Brahma chickens, including light, dark, and buff. Light Brahma chickens are mostly crisp white, with black and white hackles and black tail feathers. Males also have black mixed in their saddle feathers. Buff Brahma chickens look similar to the light variety, except their base color is more golden instead of white.

Dark Brahma chickens are distinctly different from the other varieties. Females are dark gray with black markings and black tail feathers. Males, on the other hand, have a shiny black base and black tail feathers, while their hackles and saddle feathers are white with black markings.

The American Poultry Association also recognizes three varieties of bantam-sized Brahma chickens in the same colors as the large varieties. These bantam chickens look like miniature versions of their larger counterparts. They weigh less than 2.5 pounds, and although they are not great for meat, they are cute and friendly birds that make good pets.

Chicken Behavior

People describe Brahma chickens as gentle giants. They are thought to be generally good birds to have around children and to keep as pets. Brahma chickens tolerate handling well and get along fine around people and other chickens. They are only average egg layers, producing between 150 and 200 eggs per year, and females have a tendency to get broody and sit on their eggs. They are also hardy chickens, and they can withstand cold weather easily. Because of their size, they do not fly well, but they do need a large coop to accommodate their mass.

Diet

Because Brahma chickens are so large, they can be very expensive to feed. They will forage for food on their own, but they need plenty of space and will still need to be fed commercial feed and other foods. Brahma chickens require a lot of protein and calcium, especially hens that are laying. They also need vitamins, including vitamin C and others. Owners can add nutrients to their diets through table scraps, including fruits and vegetables.

Reproduction

Brahma chickens grow slowly. Hens don’t begin to lay eggs until they reach about seven months of age. They lay medium to large light brown eggs. They average between about 150 and 200 eggs per year, and they lay most productively between the months of October and May. The hens get broody and prefer to sit on their eggs. The incubation period is approximately 21 days.

Brahma chickens require low nest boxes, about one foot off the ground. Because of their size, they can injure themselves jumping off higher nest boxes, and they don’t fly well enough to easily perch up high anyway.

Although Brahma hens tend to be good mothers, they sometimes break their own eggs and stomp on their own chicks accidentally. This is simply due to their great size. However, they are still a good choice if you want to raise chickens, because they do go broody easily and take good care of their chicks.

Predators

Foxes, weasels, raccoons, and birds of prey such as hawks, owls, and eagles are all common predators of chickens. Snakes also prey on young chickens and eggs. One might think that because Brahma chickens get so big, they would be less likely to be killed by predators. Their size may be protective in some ways, but it also prevents them from flying, running, or otherwise escaping quickly from an attacker. Their inability to fly also makes owners less likely to provide overhead enclosures or tall fences, leaving the birds at greater risk.

Lifespan

Brahma chickens typically live between 8 and 10 years. The Livestock Conservancy removed the Brahma chicken from its Conservation Priority List in 2023, meaning it is no longer considered at risk and is not actively tracked in any conservation category.

One Bad Chicken

A Brahma chicken is blamed for killing a man in Ireland in 2022. The elderly man had been raising chickens and had reportedly had trouble with one aggressive Brahma rooster. One day, the rooster apparently attacked the man, ripping his leg open with a spur. The man’s adult daughter found him in the house, in a pool of blood. The medical examiner determined that the deceased man had a diseased heart, but also said that the attack by the rooster contributed to his death.