Pros and Cons of Brahmas?

[RAREROO]

That's basicly my question.

What are the pros and cons of Brahmas as far as temperament, laying, broodiness, size, etc.... ?

 

[MonkeyZero]

I had brahmas for a short period of time
Both banty and standard
Very laid back breed. And very docile. Kinda quiet. Get along with other breeds. But, the standards will be very heavy.
Egg laying- ok, about 3-5 days of 7 I got eggs. Great for cold climates.
Just my 2 cents
Id get them

 

[al6517]

I have had many different breeds over the years My Brahmas are the only ones I have always kept. For me there are no con's.

AL

 

[ajablu]

I really love my Brahma's. I have the LF . They are great chickens with nice personalities.
Pretty good layers too. I have never had one go broody though. Mine are hatchery birds so may not even be purebreds though they look it. Good size, but not as big as what breeder quaity birds are.

 

[ella]

My 2 hatchery Brahmas, not a big percentage of my chickenage I admit, are decent layers though not as good as most dual purpose (Rocks, etc...). They are really sweet cuddly girls, I think smarter then the average hen, if I had a flock of just pet hens they would be top of my list. Haven't gone broody. Size? Dunno? I don't butcher so don't know about meat or anything.

They are a nice size for a mixed flock, they don't get picked on but they're not bullies or anything. They get along with all the other hens and roosters, from the tiny Phoenix to the big Buff Orp. All around very nice.

 

[Mahonri]

When I was a kid we had a Light Brahma hen who was the best mamma hen I've ever seen and she hatched out 100s of chicks over the years.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Do the feathered legs become a mess on pasture? I'm tempted to get some, but our birds are out on grass all summer and I'd hate for them to become a mess in rainy weather.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Mine free range and their foot feathers look fine. When they've been playing in the rain, they get nappy looking but dry quickly and look just fine again.
My girls (13 of them) just went back to laying after their molt. Here's my daily egg totals since the first of the month:
1 - 5
2 - 8
3 - 7
4 - 4
5 - 4
6 - 8
7 - 7
8 - 6
9 - 6
10 - 8
11 - 7
12 - 8

What's amazing me is that at around 12 - 14 months old, I thought my brahmas were pretty much grown. Not so! They are now 19 months old and they seem to done a growth spurt lately. They're huge.
*Mine are all hatchery birds.

 

[Sjisty]

I have had Brahmas now for just over one year. I love the big lumbering roos. They seem to be very laid back and are not at all aggressive. Mine are all very tame, although Rocky, the largest roo (light Brahma) is a little shy. Their feet do get a little sloppy looking when it rains, but they dry right up afterward. I free range and so quite often the morning dew gives them wet feet. I haven't had any health problems associated with it, though. I get plenty of eggs, approximately 5 out of 7 days.

Another pro - the hawks pretty much leave my guys alone since they are so big!

The only cons don't matter to me. They are slow-growing so not a good meat bird, but I could never eat them, anyway! They are also very slow to mature. My hens don't start laying until nearly 7 months of age, but once they do they are pretty dependable. They say they continue to grow until about 2 years old, so my oldest, Rocky, is about halfway there. This is him in the picture - I love to show him off!

 

[RAREROO]

OK Thanks everyone !!!!!!!!!!! That's what I was hoping to hear.