Brahma

Looks how to spot one

Soft, dense feathering with fully feathered shanks and toes

A tall, massive bird with a broad body, a small pea comb and a heavy 'beetle brow' above the eyes. Feathers run right down the legs to the outer toes. Hens lay brown eggs.123

Personality what they are like

Calm, friendly and unhurried. Brahmas are usually easy to handle, get along with other breeds and are on the quieter side, which makes them good backyard companions.34

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Low to moderate. They are placid and rarely fly, but still need daily time outdoors to scratch and forage.45

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Chickens keep their own plumage in order by preening and dust bathing, so the owner's job is a dry dust-bath spot, clean dry bedding, daily flock checks and regular egg collection. Keeping the run and bedding dry matters for the heavily feathered legs and feet. Hens lay around 140 or more brown eggs a year, with much of it between autumn and spring.543

Home where they are happiest

Needs a secure, dry, well-ventilated coop plus an outdoor run. The RSPCA suggests roughly 1 m² of indoor space per bird where possible; veterinary husbandry guidance gives 0.37 m² per large bird as a minimum, and Oregon State University Extension advises about 0.28 m² per bird when there is a run, or 0.75 to 0.9 m² without outdoor access. Allow at least 15 cm of perch per bird (more for big breeds), about one nest box per four hens, and a patch of dry soil for dust bathing. Being so large, Brahmas appreciate generous floor space and suit cooler climates best.567

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A complete commercial ration forms the base: chick starter first, a lower-calcium grower feed until laying begins, then layer feed. An adult eats around 120 g of layers pellets a day, a little more in winter. Provide insoluble grit, oyster shell as extra calcium for layers, and fresh clean water at all times. In the UK, kitchen scraps may not be fed to poultry.56

Company who they like around

A flock bird that forages, roosts and dust bathes with companions, so keep at least three hens that get along.5

The story where it all began

Big feather-legged fowl shipped from Shanghai to America in the 1840s were crossed with Grey Chittagongs, and in 1852 a meeting of judges in Boston named the result Brahmapootra, later shortened to Brahma. Birds sent to Queen Victoria that December helped make the breed fashionable in Britain, and it served as a leading American meat breed until around 1930.123

Recognised by the official bits

American Poultry Association (Standard of Perfection)

Light and Dark admitted in 1874; Buff added in 1924.3

The Poultry Club of Great Britain

Soft feather heavy breed; light and pencilled varieties appeared in the first British standard in 1865.2

The Livestock Conservancy

Graduated from the Conservation Priority List in 2023.3