Brahma Chickens: The Majestic Kings of All Chicken Breeds
The Brahma chicken is a breed that’s considered the king of all chicken breeds. This, however, doesn’t mean that they’re a gamefowl breed since their king status only reflects on their size. Brahmas are dual-purpose breeds specializing in producing eggs and being broilers.
This chicken breed remains as a popular breed among backyard farmers and other farmers due to how great the breed is. The hens are great egg-layers and the roosters are meatier than the average supermarket bird, making them great for people living off-the-grid since this breed can help with their self-sufficiency.
Brief History on Brahma Chickens
The Brahma breed’s ancestry originated from India and China but its development into a meat breed started out in the US. The original birds were first selectively bred in China using Malay and Cochin chickens to inherit the excessive plumage and the capability to lay large tinted eggs even through the winter. The resulting cross was then dubbed as the Shanghai and was further crossed with Gray Chittagongs from India and the resulting breed was then dubbed as the Brahma once they arrive in the UK.
The first birds started getting shipped out to the US in the 1850s and the breed was further developed, resulting in offshoots. Throughout the years in the US, the Brahma chickens were further developed into the meat birds they’re known for today.
Key Features of Brahma Chickens
Brahmas can be distinguished through the following:
Different Brahma offshoots exist, but their similarities are fairly easy to identify because of their large and feathered bodies.
What Brahmas are Known for
Brahmas are well-known for being a dual-purpose bird that’s perfect for laying eggs and producing meaty chickens. This became a popular meat bird from 1850 to 1930. The Brahma breed became less popular in the meat industry since it took them too long to reach maturity, making it unfavorable for industrial farming.
Today, the Brahma breed is still popular in backyards and smaller scale farms as they have more meat than the average chickens in supermarkets. Not everyone can breed them though since they take a long time to mature and the roosters don’t typically protect their flock due to how friendly they are. Additionally, their feathers make them perfect for colder areas and terrible in hotter areas like different Southeast Asian countries.
Why Breeders Shouldn’t Use Brahma Roosters in Cockfighting
Bettors won’t normally see Brahmas when playing online sabong because they aren’t suited for it. Brahma chickens are very friendly birds and will not be effective in fighting other gamefowls. It’s better to develop this breed or develop another non-cockfighting breed to produce more eggs or improve their meatiness.
Additionally, Brahma chickens are excellent pets and can be raised in backyards. Kids will love this friendly chicken breed. Besides, these chickens are so pretty that it’d be a waste to send them to get bloodied in cockpits.
Conclusion
The Brahma chicken breed is the king of all poultry because of how they look, not because of their combat proficiency. And while this breed still has its shortcomings for the meat and egg industry, it’s still a far superior bird compared to other breeds in terms of size and meatiness and this remains as a good alternative compared to the more popular Cornish chicken.
The Brahma is a rubbish gamefowl breed so breeders and bettors alike should avoid them. If a Brahma does appear in the cockpit, betting on its opponent is the correct move as it will only be a waste of money betting on them.
If you’re looking into breeding the Brahma breed, make sure you’re in some of the colder areas of the US. If you’re in the Philippines, look for alternative meat and egg-laying birds.
