Commercial Brahma chicken farming is popular among the poultry keepers. It is available in many countries around the world. It is a dual purpose chicken breed which is raised and valued for both meat and eggs production.
The Brahma chicken is among the large chicken breeds, and it is actually an Asiatic chicken breed. It was developed in the United States from very large breeds imported from the Chinese port of Shanghai.
The Brahma chicken was the principal meat chicken breed in the United States from the 1850’s until about 1930. But today, the Brahma chicken is kept for both meat and eggs production. And the breed is also raised for ornamental purpose.
Actually there has been considerable controversy over the origin of the Brahma chicken. They were the result of limited cross breeding with Chittagong chickens which gave these birds the distinctive characteristics of head shape and the pea comb, another breed that derives from the Shanghai breeds.
Some people also consider that the Brahma chicken breed was originated from India. And the name ‘Brahma’ came from the river Brahmaputra in India.
However, as it is a large sized breed and good for both meat and eggs production so starting commercial Brahma chicken farming will be a profitable business if you can manage everything perfectly.
How to Start Brahma Chicken Farming Business
The Brahma chickens are very large and hardy birds. So starting commercial Brahma chicken farming business will be relatively easy.
Here we are trying to describe more information about starting and operating a successful Brahma chicken farming business from purchasing birds to caring and marketing.
Purchase Chickens
First of all, you have to purchase very good quality, disease free and healthy birds for starting commercial Brahma chicken farming business. Brahma chickens are very common and popular throughout the world. So, you will probably be able to easily source the birds.
Contact your nearest poultry chick suppliers (from where your local farmers used to purchase chicks), and ask them whether they can arrange this breed for you. You can purchase either day old chicks or mature birds depending on the price and availability in your area. The mature birds are generally sold at a very high price, but the day old chicks are generally much cheaper.
You can ask for help from an expert if you are a beginner. You can also search your local online classified websites for purchasing Brahma chickens.
Housing
Making a good, comfortable and secure housing system is important for Brahma chicken farming business. Because a good house not only helps the birds to stay healthy but also helps them to stay free from all types of predators and adverse weather conditions. So, try to make a good house/shelter for your birds.
You can either build the house with easily available and cheap materials such as bamboo and woods, or the house can be of full concrete setup depending on your budget.
Install good ventilation system and ensure flow of enough fresh air and light inside the house. And make the house in such a way so that you can easily clean the house.
The Brahma chickens are among the very large chicken breeds. So, a mature bird will require around or up to 6 square feet housing space.
Feeding
Feeding the birds with very good quality and nutritious food is the most important part of Brahma chicken farming business. Because good food not only helps the birds to grow well but also helps them to stay healthy. So always try to feed your chickens with enough good and nutritious food.
You can feed your chickens either with ready-made/commercial poultry feeds or prepare the feeds of your own. Just ensure that the food is of good quality and nutritious for the birds. Ask for help from an expert if you are a beginner.
The Brahma chickens are good for raising in both confinement and free range system. But raising them in free range system will ensure production of good quality products and it will also reduce the feeding costs.
Along with providing good quality and nutritious foods, provide your birds with enough clean and fresh drinking water as per their demand.
Breeding
Like many other domestic chicken breeds, the Brahma chickens are also naturally very good breeders. They will produce fertile eggs for hatching if you keep good ratio of hens and roosters in your flock. Generally one mature rooster is enough for breeding around or up to 10 hens.
Caring
The Brahma chickens are very large in size. But they are very strong and hardy birds. And they generally require relatively less caring and other management. Although taking additional caring will help the birds to grow better.
Monitor your bird’s health on a regular basis for any signs of diseases or illness and take necessary steps if you notice anything uncommon. Never feed them contaminated feeds and polluted water. Vaccinate them timely and keep good contact with a vet in your area.
Marketing
Chicken products have very good demand and generally sold at a very high price throughout the world. So you will probably be able to easily sell your products in the local market or any nearest town. Although it is always better to set your marketing strategies before starting this business.
These are the common steps and ways for starting and operating a successful Brahma chicken farming business. Hope this guide has helped you! Good luck & may God bless you!
The birds are quite good. I do think they would be hardy and fully tropicalized. I would like to know more about them