Brahma chicken Farming in India – Price, Size and more

Brahma chicken, Though the name sounds Indian is an American breed of chicken which may have resulted from cross-breeding grey Chittagong, to the cochin variety. The name is derived from the origin of the parent bird, which may have been from the Brahmaputra region. They are also referred to as the shanghai bird or Burnham. The Brahma chicken was bred widely for its meat from the 1850s to 1930s but was abandoned due to its slow growth when compared to other breeds. The birds were large during the 1800s some were recorded as weighing up to 8 Kilos (rooster) and 6 Kilos (hens) Today the birds weigh an average of 5 kilos (rooster) and Still more than the weight of normal roosters. The eggs are approximately 55 Grams to 60 grams. Though the Brahma chicken is not bred for its eggs, you can expect a good 200 eggs a year. Unfortunately, The birds reach sexual maturity only from the 7th month and reach full growth in 2 years.

The Brahma chicken comes in 3 colour varieties. The Ligh, Dark and Buff coloured chickens. They have their characteristics but the most significant characteristics of the Brahma chicken(apart from its size) are the beautiful plumage on its feet. The birds are considered The Brahma chicken is known to have gone near extinction and is currently under Livestock conservancy. This makes the Bird a bit more expensive than normal poultry birds. The Brahma chicken could cost around 7$ in the USA but a lot more at 3300 Rs in India. The eggs cost $3 in the USA and India, and its known to sell for 250 rs per egg.

Characteristics of the Brahma chicken

The Brahma chicken is distinct in its size. The other characteristics which are clear are its colour, The downed feet and its V-shaped body in roosters. The Light coloured Brahma chicken is very distinct from hens and roosters. The birds have a dark-coloured hackle (neck feather). the Tails are black and the shoulders white. the Brahma chickens are frost tolerant but can’t tolerate heat.
brahma rooster: The Brahma roosters are heavier than the hens and weigh a kilo or 2 more than the hen. The birds take up to 2 years for full growth but become sexually active in 7-8 months. The roosters are calm and have a polite nature too. They are not intimidated by other birds due to their size and feed a lot more than normal breeds. they are good scavengers but require additional feed to meet their daily requirements.

brahma hen: The Brahma hen weighs 4 KG at its full size and has the same characteristics as a rooster. they come in 3 colours too, Light, Dark and buff. the light-colored Brahma hens are significantly different from the roosters in the plumage colours. the hens lay 4 eggs a week and are capable of laying 200 eggs a year. they are broody and go into broodiness frequently. they can hatch their eggs and care for the chicks, unlike other commercial birds.

brahma chicken size: A fully mature fowl can grow up to 4.5 Kilos and a hen can grow up to 3.5 kilos. The size is almost 1/3rd more than most other birds and may seem intimidating at first. Some roosters are known to grow up to 5 kilos in weight. The Brahma chicken is so huge that it is often enough to feed a medium size family of 5.

brahma chicken price: There is a lot of speculation on the price. Dedicated breeders with purebred Brahma chicken can charge you anywhere between 3000 and 3500 rs per hen and 4000 rs per rooster when it’s full-sized and capable of laying eggs for the hatchery. Others will sell you a 3-month or 6-month-old bird for anywhere between 800 and 1000 rs. The birds are expensive as they are rare. The heavy set size also counts for the price. older birds are usually more expensive than young birds.
brahma chicken egg size: While the birds are heavy and huge, the eggs are just the size of normal eggs from a broiler or leghorn chicken. they weigh 55 grams to 60 grams and have a light brown colour.

Possibility of Profiting from Brahma Chicken in india

To begin with, the Brahma chicken is not a new variety. ITs more than a 100 years old. ITs a hybrid but still not the kind which was developed in a lab. ITs resilient than most commercial chickens and can survive on itself. its a foraging bird , its huge, its docile and friendly, disease resistant and easy to manage. But even with all these good qualities, is it a feasible business to start a Brahma chicken farm in India?

To understand the profitability its important to understand the market in india. the Rural indian family consume meat rarely. its considered a delicacy in most households even today. The urban population though find chicken more regulary on their menu. While some families cook at home, many otjers prefer to consume meat from restaurants. Considering families in India, most families are 4-7 people per household unless they are in a joint family, which is rare these days. A normal chicken can feed the entire household and a normal chicken weighs 2 Kilos tops. Most families prefer a chicken between 1 kg and 1.5 kg in the market today. Anything bigger will result in left overs and anything smaller is not sufficient.
With the brahma chicken, the rooster weighs anywhere between 4.5 Kilos and 5 Kilos. A hen weighs 3.5 Kgs. Purchasing a whole brahma chicken for a family is not preferable unless you are willing to split it into two meal. This involves storage and cleaning and most homemakers would prefer not to deal with that mess when they have an option available top purchase the right size.

But does this mean that there is no market for the brahma birds at all? On the contrary. When a product hits the market and is relatively new, there are a lot of buyers. Most of them are enthusiasts who want to try something new. Others are collectors who want to add to their collection of poultry bird varieties. With a new product in the market, the prices are usually high as the demand is high and there is not enough supply. New players in the market will profit a lot in the short term at least. A bit of good marketing will increase your revenue for at least 3-4 years until the product saturates the market. Fortunately, for india, the market for brahma chicken is still new and the chances are there are going to be a lot of demand shortly.

Profiting from Brahma Kozhi in South India.

In south India, meat is more common than in many other parts of the north. Meat is rarely consumed in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan. in states like Maharashtra, the demand for meat is high in the cities but is considerably lesser in rural parts. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, The Brahma Kozhi could work. With the chicken being relatively easier to breed and grow, the chances are that they will be easily accepted in the market. Also, since the Brahma Kozhi is considered a nattu Kozhi, Referred to as desi chicken, chances are consumers will have lesser qualms consuming its meat.
How much profit can you expect with Brahma chicken in India .
it’s impossible to say how much profit you make from a business of Brahma chicken. An estimate could drive you into massive profits but also very less profit. Nevertheless, profit is sure to come. With a farm of 50 Backyard chickens, all of the Brahma variety, Chances are you will sell almost all of them for 3000 Rs in a year. a clean profit of 75,000 rs after all expenses is possible with just 50 birds in a year. The sale of eggs is just added profit which has not been accounted for

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