Chickens of the Brahma breed - basic characteristics, cultivation and care

In a rural backyard, a Brama chicken is distinguished from other types of layers by a strong constitution, large mass and a variety of shades of feather color. The color range of pigmentation ranges from light and pale to gray and black tones. Different types of coloration are combined within one subspecies, causing a variety of shades and additional color inclusions on individual parts of the bird's body.

Below you will find more detailed information about the characteristics of the breed (including egg production) and the characteristics of keeping.

General information, characteristics and description of the Brama chicken breed

The breed of chickens of the meat direction called Brama is characterized by a number of distinctive features, among which experienced breeders distinguish a low percentage of chickens mortality, unpretentiousness to housing conditions and diet. This breed is distinguished by low egg production, with an average weight of each piece in the range of 55-60 g, females bring from 100 to 120 eggs throughout the year. Most often, Bram is bred for decorative purposes, because, in addition to the described characteristics, this species of birds is distinguished by a massive addition and a variety of shades of feather color. One of the distinctive features of this species is the presence of a colored collar opposite to the color of the main plumage of the bird.

Origin

Chickens of the decorative Brama breed are a relatively young variety of layers, bred in USA and entered the territory of the post-Soviet space a little over 100 years ago. During its selection, meat poultry was used (Cochin and Malay layers), the purpose of crossing was to obtain a variety with a large mass. The initial stages of breeding took place in Asia and took a fairly long period, which historians estimate as several generations of ministers of Asian temples. The formation of the Brama breed as a separate species was completed by American farmers crossing those brought from Asia kokhinhinov, with characteristic plumage on their paws, with birds with fighting skills of Malay origin, and chittatongs.

However, after the first results were obtained, further efforts of breeders were focused not on the productive characteristics of the hatched species, but on the discovery and fixation of new color combinations in the color of bird feathers. The resulting species was called gray chittatong, its spread across Europe began during the reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. A bird of this breed was presented to her as a gift from a farmer in Boston as a Brahmaputra laying hen, which was later shortened to the more convenient name Brahma.

Appearance

Representatives of the Brahma chicken breed differ among themselves in light and dark shades of plumage, and the feather is quite thick and dense and covers the entire surface of the body of chickens and roosters.

Note! In addition to solid colors interspersed with the opposite color, there are fawn and chunky shades of feather color, which are highly popular with breeders.

Moreover, if a light color predominates in the color, then on the upper part in the area of ​​the mane and tail there are dark feathers and, conversely, with the dominant dark shade of the bird's color.

By the way! Breeders note a wide range of plumage color palette, which can be white with a silvery sheen, black, brown, gray, or a combination of striped colors of light blue shades with white blotches, yellows, reds and fawn tones.

The structure of the feather is characterized by softness, lack of friability and tight fit to the surface of the skin.

Roosters of the Brama breed necessarily have a characteristic collar in the neck area. The downy covering of the skin, which has yellow shades, is characterized by abundance and has an ashy color.

Brahmins have powerful, high-set paws, which, like an impressive beak, have a yellow color. The scallop has a fleshy structure and small size.

Note! Chickens of the Brahma breed are distinguished by large wings, but even a large span does not allow layers to overcome the gravity associated with a large mass.

Birds of the Brama breed are characterized by a dense constitution, have a body with a high type of landing, wide belly, back, chest and sirloin. Brahmas have a neck of medium length, in the upper part of which there is a fluffy mane.

By the way! With the small size of the head, these lumps have a wide forehead, their crest does not have pronounced teeth, it stands out in a pod-like shape.

Brahm's characteristic features are bright orange eyes with deep apple-setting. The earlobes and earrings are short and red in color.

Both laying hens and representatives of males have characteristic “trousers” on their paws, birds of both sexes have a magnificent, beautiful tail shaped like a fan.

Note! An important feature that allows you to distinguish a rooster from a Brahm chicken is the shorter paws and their more rounded shape.

Purpose of the breed

Initially, the breed belonged to the meat direction, but recently among experts it is customary to consider this variety decorative meat purpose... Despite the fact that Brahmas are not of interest for breeding on an industrial scale, modern farmers often start them to decorate the backyard. So, according to the reviews of the owners of Brama chickens, in addition to an aesthetically pleasing appearance, layers have an average productivity by the standards of meat breeds and are a source of dietary meat of a delicate consistency. The live weight of chickens ranges from 3.5-4 kg, for males it can reach 5 kg.

By the way! According to qualified specialists, the meat of the Brahma chicken breed is especially valued among crosses and other meat breeds due to its high quality and delicate consistency. However, these characteristics can be leveled out with the wrong selection of dietary components, as a result of which there is a coarsening of meat fibers and a deterioration in taste.

Character and temperament

Among the characteristic features of Brama chickens, breeders note a calm, balanced and even phlegmatic disposition. Farmers, practicing keeping Bram, note good liveability, unpretentiousness and endurance of representatives of this species. They claim that a small area of ​​the chicken coop and a short walking time are sufficient for their maintenance. Among the virtues of the Brahmins, farmers cite the lack of fussiness inherent in many other species, which they define, with some degree of complimentarity, as "royal behavior."

Productivity (egg production)

Chickens of Brahma have an average egg production, layers of this breed provide a clutch of 100-120 eggs during the year with an average weight of 55-60 g. However, since Brahmas are characterized by a long ripening time, the first clutch from them can be expected no earlier than 9-10 months. Despite this, there are positive aspects in their breeding, which are that chickens of this breed there is no decrease in productivity in winter time. The eggs produced are characterized by strong shells, the colors of which can range from cream to brown to brown.

Thus, chickens of the Brahma breed begin to lay not earlier than after 9 months, and, as a rule, the beginning of laying falls on the 10th month. Laying frequency - 1 egg every 3 days, weight - 55-60 g.

Video: description and detailed characteristics of the Brama chicken breed

Varieties of the Brama chicken breed and their descriptions

After a long work of breeders, by the last quarter of the 19th century, it was possible to obtain several subspecies with stable characteristics of the breed. The new species of birds immediately won a strong position in the structure of the livestock of the Russian Empire and was one of the five most common breeds in the farmsteads.

Partridge

This variety of layers is distinguished by different shades from light fawn to brown with a characteristic shimmer of golden tone. Partridge roosters of the Brahma breed have a belly, legs and chest of a dark color with greenish shades, while their backs and heads are painted in red-red shades.

Representatives of both sexes of the partridge breed Brahma have bushy black tails with tints of greenish metallic sheen.The shells of the eggs brought by the hens have a brown tone with characteristic specks on the surface.

Important! The presence of other shades in the plumage of this species of partridge Brahma refers to marriage.

Video: Brama partridge

Fawn

This variety of quails and roosters has the same fawn color, while males can be distinguished from layers by the darker color of the mane. Their collar and tail should be several shades darker than the main color palette. The plumage of fawn Bram is characterized by splendor and looseness, therefore, with an insufficiently tight fit to the surface of the skin, the effect of disheveledness is created.

Note! Marriage of fawn Bram is considered to be the presence of a large percentage of red or yellow shades in the plumage, light tones of the tail in roosters and the absence of a pattern on them.

Video: fawn brama

Light

Chickens of this variety are distinguished by the predominance of light silver tones in the plumage, another name for the light breed is the Colombian Brama. Adults of the light Brahma can be distinguished by the black coloration of the collar, upper part of the tail and feathering of the flight wings, while the collar has a greenish tint. The earlobes, crest and face of these birds are deep red in color. The waist part of the body in roosters is indicated by black feathers, chickens have a white belt.

Important! A marriage for this species of birds is the presence of a bloom of yellowish shades on the white-gray plumage of layers.

Video: Brama light

Dark

Quocs of this type are distinguished by a pronounced pattern on the feathers of a dark color, which is a few stripes of dark tones, duplicating the outlines of the feather and in the final form having the shape of a crescent.

The dominant color of the dark Brahma plumage is gray, with the exception of the bird's head, where light silver tones predominate, and the neck, on which white feathers are edged in black. Birds of this variety have yellow legs and a short curved beak of the same color with stripes of black tones.

Video: Brama dark

Features of caring for adult chickens and chickens of the Brama breed: conditions of detention, diet and breeding

Despite the unpretentiousness of chickens of this species, experienced farmers give a number of recommendations regarding the content of the queens:

• According to them, chickens at the age of 1 day are no different from other breeds, however, in the process of development, they stretch their paws, which at a fairly young age become overgrown with fluff.
• The positive experience of keeping Bram in the same poultry house with broilers revealed their significant lag in weight gain. With the weight of the latter at the age of about 1 kg, the weight of the Brama breed birds was only 0.7 kg.
• Given the long time it takes to gain weight, experienced farmers recommend purchasing chicks in early April.
• In practice, farmers allow Bram to be kept together with birds of other breeds, but this should not be done before they reach the age of 6 months.

Important! With such a maintenance, before transferring the chickens to the common hen house, it is necessary to equip them with special poles at a distance of 0.4 m from the floor level and equip them with steps to be able to climb them.

• According to the observations of breeders, Brahmas of incubator origin cannot hatch eggs, but after crossing them with layers of ordinary breeds or rhodonites, they acquire this ability.

Note! Their size in this case (incubator origin) is atypical for the species, however, due to this, the percentage of eggs crushed under the weight of the hen is reduced.

Conditions of detention

To ensure a well-groomed appearance and cleanliness of plumage of Brahm birds, their health and preservation of productivity indicators, it is recommended to provide the following conditions in the chicken coop room:

• Water for drinking Brahma chickens must be fresh and clean; it is recommended to periodically clean the drinking bowls and disinfect them.

Important! Swarms of this variety are able to maintain productivity in the winter with fresh warm water and a balanced diet.

• House temperatures in the first few weeks of chick life should be in the 25-28 ° C range, with the possibility of dropping to 20-25 ° C over several weeks.
• To maintain the purity of the breed, it is recommended to equip a separate chicken coop for keeping Bram, the size of which will depend on the planned number of livestock.
• The erected chicken coop should be equipped with nests, inclined egg collection trays, drinkers and feeders with the possibility of free access to all members of the herd.
• Daylight hours when keeping Bram should be within 13-14 hours, while it is recommended to use a combined system of natural and artificial lighting.
• As a measure to prevent diseases of the musculoskeletal and immune systems of the queens, it is recommended to provide air exchange in the room.

Note! For the organization of air exchange, ventilation of the supply and exhaust type is used, equipped with dampers that allow regulating the flow of incoming fresh air.

Video: keeping chickens and chickens Brama in summer

Diet and nutrition

Considering the fact that chickens of the Brahma breed are prone to the deposition of excessive amounts of fat, it is recommended to carefully approach the formation of the diet for them and correct it if deviations in the development of chickens are detected. Experienced farmers list a number of principles, the observance of which will ensure the healthy and harmonious development of layers of this breed:

• It is advisable to organize feeding three times a day, giving out food at a specific time. In this case, the feed must be necessarily fresh and balanced in the content of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
• For the first feeding it is recommended to use a mixture of grain or feed prepared by mixing grain with waste from boiled vegetables.

Important! At the same time, in the first week of life, it is necessary to provide exclusively nutrition for the bird with dry food; after this period, meat and fish waste, boiled vegetables, mash and green food can be introduced into the diet.

• Second meal should consist of wet mash, in the preparation of which you can use vegetables, green fodder, dairy waste.

Note! Some breeders claim that for balanced development in the first weeks of life, chopped boiled eggs mixed with finely ground wheat or corn grits should be added to the food of the layers.

• Third feeding provides for filling the feeders with grain, while experts note that 1/10 of the daily ration of grain for poultry in order to increase the motor activity of chickens can be poured onto the bedding.
• For the development of the poultry's musculoskeletal system, it is necessary to ensure that the hens receive a sufficient amount of calcium. To do this, you can use a balanced mixture of minerals, crushed eggshells, wood ash, chalk or shell rock.

Important! At the age of 10 days, chopped dandelion, nettle or knotweed mixed with low-fat cottage cheese can be added to the diet of chickens.

To maintain the normal functioning of the digestive tract, it is recommended to place gravel or sand with a large size of sand fractions in a separate container in a chicken coop.

Breeding

Breeding chickens of the Brahma breed can be performed in two ways, each of which has its own characteristics, ignoring which can lead to a negative result:

• The first way involves purchase of eggs from the incubator for subsequent hatching and raising of chickens. Brahmas are characterized by a good offspring instinct, so hatching problems occur in a very low percentage of cases.Despite this, there is a high risk of damage to the eggs given the large size of the females.

Note! The signs of the breed are able to manifest themselves in queens and roosters after a year of life, in connection with which breeders recommend taking eggs for incubation from parents at the age of 110-120 weeks.

• Another breeding method for Brahm involves acquisition of adult layers or young stock, under which a prerequisite is the sending of purchased individuals to quarantine in order to avoid introducing dangerous infectious diseases into the chicken coop. The specificity of this breeding method is the need for keeping chicks separate from adults and other chickens, starting from the age of 4 months.

Important! The risk of rearing young stock is that individuals born after June, due to slow growth, may not survive the winter.

Diseases of chickens of the Brahma breed and their prevention

In order to prevent disease, experienced breeders recommend providing a number of measures, including:

1. Given the higher risk of parasites in the down-feather layer poultry, periodic treatment with insecticides is necessary.
2. To prevent the appearance of parasites in the abundant plumage of Bram, it is recommended to add ash and ash to the bedding of the chicken coop.
3. For warning colds, chickens at the age of several days are vaccinated against bird flu, ensure that there are no drafts in the place of keeping and walking.
4. At the age of several weeks, some farmers practice sulfadimethoxine as a preventive measure against infections transmitted by wild birds.
5. At least once every three months, it is necessary to carry out antiparasitic baths for the paws of the Brahm livestock using sunflower oil or birch tar.
6. As a measure to prevent the appearance rickets, it is recommended to add fish oil to the food of chickens at least 1 time in 7 days, fish production waste.

The room for keeping and walking chickens of the Brahma breed must be dry, periodic veterinary and sanitary and preventive measures, anthelmintic and antifungal treatment are mandatory.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Brama chicken breed

According to reviews of the Brama chicken breed, we can conclude about the positive and negative qualities of the breed.

Breeding merits include:

• High productivity for meat and its high nutritional and culinary value.
• Average egg production with a sufficiently high mass of each clutch.
• Unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention.
• The ability to survive in cold climates.
• Decorativeness that allows the Brahms to decorate any courtyard.

Among the shortcomings of the breed are:

• Long period before entering the egg-laying age.
• The high cost of feed used in the diet of layers.
• Low mobility of the quads.

In general, each breeder himself can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of keeping the Bram chicken breed, however, according to the reviews of those who have ever dealt with them, we can conclude that the efforts spent are always justified.

Video: detailed and interesting about the Brama chicken breed