Brahma chickens are slower to mature and lay eggs later than most backyard breeds. Generally speaking, Brahma chickens start laying their first egg at around 7 months of age.
They’ll start by laying smaller ‘pullet’ eggs. Don’t panic though, it’s not long before these huge chickens start laying large brown eggs a few times a week.
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How Many Eggs Do Brahma Chickens Lay?
Brahmas lay around 150 eggs per year on average. This means you’re usually going to find 3-4 eggs in their nesting boxes each week.
They’re not the most prolific of layers, but the interesting thing about Brahams is that they typically lay all year round.
As anyone who has raised backyard chickens will know, most breeds stop laying or at least slow down dramatically in the winter months when sunlight hours are reducing.
This is because most hens need a good 14-16 hours of sunlight to lay at their best, this isn’t the case for Brahmas. They’re also much more cold weather tolerant, which is a bonus if you live in colder climates.
What Color Eggs Do Brahma Lay?
Brahmas lay brown eggs, the ‘classic’ shade of brown you typically see on your supermarket shelves.
Although, it’s highly unlikely the eggs you’re buying at the store were laid by a Brahma. They don’t lay enough eggs to be kept as commercial egg-laying chickens.
Their eggs weigh around 55-60 grams, putting them in the ‘Large’ classification by the United States Department of Agriculture.
How Many Years Do Brahma Chickens Lay Eggs?
Brahmas have a life expectancy of 7-9 years. Compared to some of the other popular breeds of backyard chickens this is a little longer than the average chicken.
As with other breeds of chicken, Brahmas lay at their peak for the first couple of years. Then you can expect their numbers to drop off at least 10% per year.
So, as a rough ballpark figure, I’d say you can expect 4-5 good years of egg-laying and you will get about 500 or so eggs over the course of their lifetime.
Some History and Facts About Brahma Chickens
There’s no question that Brahma’s are one of - if not the most - impressive and largest breeds of backyard chickens.
They have a distinctive look and personality and are of course huge. These are the features that warm most owners to them.
There is also some uncertainty surrounding their origin, which adds to the mystery behind how this huge chicken was bred.
One thing we do know is that they were popular up until the 1930s or so as dual-purpose chickens. This was until the need for faster growing and more prolific laying chickens was needed to satisfy demand, however.
Some quick facts:
- They’re a ‘feather legged’ breed, meaning they have feathers on their feet and legs.
- The American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection states Brahma roosters are 2.5 feet tall.
- Colors of Brahma recognized by The American Standard of Perfection are light, dark, and buff.
- There are bantams available if regular Brahmas are too big.
- Hens weigh around 8 lbs (3.6kg).
- Roosters weigh around 10 lbs (4.5kg).
If you want to learn more about Brahmas you’ll find some interesting facts about this breed here.
Where To Buy Brahma Chickens, Chicks, and Hatching Eggs
I know what you’re wondering; how much do Brahma chickens cost?
I buy all my chickens, hatching eggs, etc from Cackle Hatchery. I took a look at what they had available at the time of publishing and could see they had all colors of Brahma chickens for as low as $3.40/ea.
They also had Light Brahma Pullets, hatching eggs, and some other variations. If you’re looking for Brahmas, then look no further than Cackle Hatchery.
They have one of the largest online selections of poultry, and will almost certainly have what you’re looking for.
Related - Interested in Delaware chickens? Here are some facts and where to buy them.
Are Brahma Chickens a Good Choice for a Backyard Breed?
Brahmas are excellent backyard chickens. Not just because their size will impress your friends and family - but because they’re hardy, friendly, decent egg layers, and a lot of fun to be around.
The only real stipulation is making sure you have enough room for these extra-large-sized chickens. You need to allocate a little more space than you would for a regular chicken.
They love foraging, so if you can provide plenty of space for them to roam free-range they’ll be much happier.
The main benefit is that they tend to lay well throughout the winter. Going without eggs for a few months always causes chicken owners anxiety, so it’s nice not to have to go through that.
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Image credits - Photo by Leonardo Iheme on Unsplash
