Backyard Brahmas!!

[Wyatt0224]

Oh yes ok thank you!

 

[KnottyReward]

So today I finally figured out what breed my two sweet "moose chickens" are! I grew up with Easter Eggers, and that's what I asked for when I bought 3 chicks at a farm in April. These two girls grew, and grew, and grew some more, quickly dwarfing their dainty EE "sister". I shrugged it off until one laid me a HUGE brown egg this morning. A quick google search for "gray and white chicken with leg feathers" later, and apparently I have a pair of Brahmas!

I'm so happy that I've been accidentally introduced to the breed! They are such sweet, cuddly moose chickens, and I wouldn't change them for the world.

 

[PhipN FarmGirl]

Yay! We still have one white Brahma from our original flock, just love her!

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Anyone looking for a pair of Buff Laced Brahmas? I have a pair I'm selling. They're still young, around 6 months old. The pullet hasn't even started laying yet, nor is the cockerel crowing. I'm asking $80 for the pair. Shipping available at buyer's expense. PM me if interested. Thanks!
PS-The cockerel is still in his dorky adolescent stage. lol

 

[Monterey]

I found a link to a scanned copy of a book from the Massachusetts State College Library you can download for free.
   George Burnham raised Shanghaes as they were then called for 30 years in Massachusetts prior to writing it. He imported birds directly from Shanghae. It is he who gave Queen Victoria 9 of his finest Gray Shanghaes in December 1852.
 
George Pickering Burnham (1874). The China Fowl: Shanghae, Cochin, and "Brahma". Melrose, Mass.

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/82246#page/9/mode/1up

 

[floydp97]

Thank you!

 

[Monterey]

You're welcome. Lot's of information about both Brahmas and Cochins. It would seem that both breeds originated in Shanghae, and were developed and refined in America and England.

 

[Monterey]

Another thing I found interesting was that the early birds had single combs, and some had smooth legs and feet.
This is our first year raising Brahmas. We got them all from the same place, from a Hutterite who bought hatching eggs to test out his incubator. We bought all of them, 3 cockerals and 3 pullets.
Two of our cockerals are single combed, one of our pullets has completely smooth legs and feet, and another pullet has feathed feet, but completely smooth legs.

The 3 cockerals are the Columbians, one pullet is black with silver lacing around the neck, the second is black with gold lacing around the neck, and the third pullet is butterscotch.
I thought at first they might have been crossed up, but now I'm not so sure- maybe just lights to darks.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

They are most likely crosses with another variety. I know Brahmas were originally not standardized, but it has been a century and by now they all should be. Sort of like all dogs came from wolves, but a beagle should look like a beagle at this point without some of those "old" traits popping up. Maybe not the bed analogy but it helped me process what I meant so hopefully it helps you too lol

 

[chantels1]

Bought these hens during molt. This one is feathering in fairly nice. I haven't bought the SOP yet. But can you all help me find her flaws? I know her feet feathers look terrible right now. I will be covering tge run, and adding sand to help drainage.

I would post in the other forum, but don't feel they are up to SOP so I will try to learn what I can here first.

In my uneducated experience, I would say feet feathers are terrible, wings don't sit high enough, may be slightly long bodied, and tail isn't as wide as I would like. But please share your knowledge with me.