Brahma chicken
The Brahma is one of the largest chicken breeds, with feathered legs and feet and a small pea comb. Hens weigh 8½ to 10 lb and roosters 11 to 12 lb, depending on the variety. It was generally considered the leading meat breed from the 1850s to about 1930, and hens lay up to 200 brown eggs a year, mostly from October to May. Brahmas are calm and stand cold very well, but they do not tolerate heat.
- Temperament
- Calm, Docile, Gentle
- Cold tolerance
- Heat tolerance
- Coop space per bird
- 3 sq ft
Is the Brahma right for you?
Good fit if
- You have cold winters and want eggs through them
- You want a big, calm bird for meat and eggs
- You have low fences. Brahmas are too heavy to fly over them easily
- You keep birds confined. The Livestock Conservancy says they stand confinement extremely well
Poor fit if
- You live somewhere hot. Brahmas do not tolerate heat well
- Your ground is damp or muddy. Mud clings to the foot feathers and the toes can get frostbite
- You want fast results. Brahmas mature slowly
- You want a cheap bird to feed. Their size means they can need a lot of feed
Appearance and varieties
Brahmas are large chickens that can stand up to 30 inches tall. They have feathers on their yellow shanks and toes, a pea comb, red wattles and earlobes, reddish-brown eyes and a yellow beak. The head is broad, with the skull projecting over the eyes in what breeders call a beetle brow. The plumage fits smoothly, with dense down underneath.
The standard weights are 12 lb for a Light cock and 9½ lb for a Light hen, and 11 lb and 8½ lb for the Dark and Buff. The Livestock Conservancy records individual birds in 1901 reaching 13 to 14 lb for females and 17 to 18¼ lb for males, but says those were never the rule.
The APA recognises three colours: Light, Dark and Buff, in large fowl and in bantam.124
Temperament and handling
The Livestock Conservancy describes Brahmas as calm and docile, not flighty or skittish. They are not aggressive with other breeds, and because of their size other breeds do not usually intimidate them. They are friendly with people, though their size can intimidate smaller children. Oklahoma State University calls their nature gentle.
They like to spend most of the day foraging, but they do not range widely or scratch as actively as the Mediterranean breeds. Hens tend to go broody in early summer and sit devotedly. Because the hen is so heavy, watch the hatchlings to make sure they don't get trampled.12
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | Up to 200 a year, medium to large, brown1 | The Livestock Conservancy calls the Brahma a superior winter layer that produces the bulk of its eggs from October to May. |
| Broilers | Killed at about 8–10 weeks1 | Historical, from The Livestock Conservancy. |
| Roasters | Ready at about 8 months1 | Historical, from The Livestock Conservancy, which notes this is later than many breeds. |
| Start of lay | About 6 months61 | University of Minnesota Extension's figure for hens in general, not for this breed. Brahmas mature slowly. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
University of Minnesota Extension gives a minimum of 3 to 5 sq ft of indoor space per bird, one nest box for every 4 to 5 hens, and a place to roost. That is for chickens in general. Brahmas stand confinement extremely well and are easy to contain: their weight keeps them from flying over low fences.
Keep the ground dry. The Livestock Conservancy says Brahmas thrive best on dry, well-drained soil. On damp, muddy ground the mud clings to the feathers on their shanks and toes and keeps the feet wet, which makes the toes prone to frostbite.
Cold is otherwise this breed's strength; it was known as the chicken least susceptible to cold and exposure. For chickens in general, University of Minnesota Extension still advises supplemental heat when the coop falls below 35 °F, and good airflow to keep moisture down.
Heat is the problem. The Livestock Conservancy says Brahmas do not tolerate it well and need ample shade and water in southern climates. For poultry in general, birds start to pant and eat less as the air nears 85 °F.69101
Feed
Feed a prepared ration balanced for vitamins, minerals and protein. Laying hens also need crushed oyster shell for eggshells and grit for digestion. The Livestock Conservancy notes that Brahmas can require a lot of feed because of their size. For chickens in general, feed intake can rise by up to 25 percent in cold weather.
Keep clean, fresh water available all the time. Kitchen scraps and scratch grains are fine as treats in moderation.691
Health
The Livestock Conservancy calls Brahmas extremely hardy. The one breed-specific concern in our sources is the feathered feet: kept wet and muddy, the toes are prone to frostbite. University of Minnesota Extension describes a healthy chicken as active and alert with bright eyes, and says the easiest way to spot disease is to know what normal looks like for each bird. Clean the coop and run weekly, and clean feeders and waterers regularly.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a bird stops eating, wheezes or seems unwell, call a vet who treats poultry, or your county extension office.16
Price and where to buy
| Quality | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Day-old pullet | $4.46–$9.978 |
| Day-old chick, unsexed | $3.57–$6.0578 |
| Day-old cockerel | $2.71–$4.9578 |
Prices are per Light Brahma chick, read from two hatchery pages on 9 October 2026. Cackle's page carries customer reviews dated up to 8 August 2025; McMurray's carries a site notice about a change beginning 19 November 2026. Both listed the chicks as unavailable or sold out on the day we looked. The top of each range is for the smallest orders and the bottom for the largest. Other colours may be priced differently.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cackle Hatchery | Hatchery | Pullets $4.46–6.49, unsexed $3.57–5.19, males $2.71–4.22; ships February to October |
| Murray McMurray Hatchery | Hatchery | Pullets $5.85–9.90, unsexed $3.57–6.05, males $2.92–4.95 |
History
After China opened its ports to trade in 1843, ships began bringing home very large chickens with feathered shanks and toes from the area around Shanghai. The Brahma was developed in America from those birds. The Livestock Conservancy says Chittagong fowl from what is now Bangladesh were used to a small degree and gave the breed its head and comb, which set it apart from the Cochin.
The birds were sold under at least twelve names. T.B. Miner, publisher of The Northern Farmer, shortened the name to Brahma in 1853 or 1854 to save space on the page. Oklahoma State says the breed is named after the Brahmaputra river.
In December 1852 the breeder George Burnham sent nine Light Brahmas to Queen Victoria and made sure the gift was publicised. Prices jumped from $12–15 a pair to $100–150. Brahmas and Cochins fuelled the 'Hen Fever' that gripped America and England around 1850. Burnham's stock was the basis for the Dark Brahma, which was developed in England and shipped back.
The Brahma was generally considered the leading meat breed from the mid-1850s to about 1930. The Light and Dark were in the first APA Standard in 1874 and the Buff was added in 1924. Its slow growth is why commercial producers later passed it by. The Brahma graduated from The Livestock Conservancy's priority list in 2023.12
Common questions
How big do Brahma chickens get?
The standard weights are 12 lb for a Light Brahma cock and 9½ lb for a hen, and 11 lb and 8½ lb for the Dark and Buff. The Livestock Conservancy says they can stand up to 30 inches tall. A few birds recorded in 1901 reached 17 to 18¼ lb, but that was never typical.21
What colour eggs do Brahmas lay?
Brown, medium to large in size.1
How many eggs does a Brahma lay?
Up to 200 a year, according to The Livestock Conservancy, with most laid from October to May. Oklahoma State University rates Brahmas as fair layers.12
Are Brahma chickens friendly?
Yes. The Livestock Conservancy calls them calm and docile, not flighty, and friendly with people, though it notes their size can intimidate smaller children.1
Are Brahmas cold hardy?
Very. The pea comb and tight, downy feathering made the Brahma known as the chicken least susceptible to cold. Keep their feathered feet dry, though: wet, muddy toes are prone to frostbite. They do not handle heat well.12
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- The Livestock Conservancy, Brahma Chicken.
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Brahma Chickens (archived copy).
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- American Poultry Association, Accepted Breeds & Varieties.
- American Bantam Association, Active Breed and Variety List, March 2021 (PDF).
- University of Minnesota Extension, Raising chickens for eggs.
- Cackle Hatchery, Light Brahma Chickens.
- Murray McMurray Hatchery, Light Brahmas.
- University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for chickens in cold weather.
- University of Minnesota Extension, Preventing heat stress in poultry.
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