Light, Buff, Dark, Gold, Black, White, Blue, and Blue Columbian.
Breed Size
Large Fowl
APA/ABA Class
Asiatic
There has been considerable controversy over the true origins of the Brahma breed, but appears to have developed in the US originally, from birds imported from China. They were send off from the port of Shanghai and were thus known as "Shanghai birds". Brahmas as we know them were first exported to England in December 1852, when George Burnham sent nine "Gray Shanghaes" to Queen Victoria as a gift. The Dark Brahma variety was developed by English breeders from this stock and later exported to the United States, where the Brahma was the principal meat bird from the 1850's to around 1930. Some of these birds were very big, with males weighing in at up to 18 lb and females at 13 lb.
The Light and Dark Brahma were developed and included in the first edition of the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1874 and the Buff variety was added in 1924. The Australian Poultry Association has accepted black, blue, partridge, crele and barred varieties of Brahma in addition to the standard light, dark, and buff.
Brahma eggs
Brahma chick
Brahma juveniles
Brahma hen
Brahma rooster
For more about Brahmas and their owners' and breeders' experiences with this breed, see our breed discussion here:
Pros: So fluffy!
Cuddly
I love the feather pattern!
Cons: not heat hardy
My brahma is so cuddly and fluffy. I love her so much even though i'm pretty sure she hates me. I'm in New England, and we have cold winters (why I got a brahma) and very hot summers (which i forgot to consider). Also very unpredictable weather. My Light brahma is very big and covered with dense fluff, not great when we got a heat wave this year. However I'm definitely getting more brahmas, I love their massiveness, maybe a buff.
^Actually you'll notice the feathered feet, making it a Light Sussex. Don't judge a chicken breed by its color, judge it by the shape it has and other characteristics such as comb type and eye color.
I don't believe I would go on a public forum and cast aspersions on an entire breed of chicken based solely on experiences with one single bird. There are exceptions to every rule, but generally Brahma are considered to be among the calmest, gentle breeds out there.
Also when you clip a birds wing, just do one wing, it produces uneven lift, making it much harder for them to sustain a controlled flight.
My Buff Brahma is a sweetie who is bullied by other hens sometimes, so the temperament can vary for the breed I guess. I must admit, my Brahma does like to eat, but she is not messier than any of my other hens.
I had a Light Brahma who died of heat stroke last summer. She was one of my favorites: Calm, easy to pick up, got along with everyone in the coop. She laid about 3 eggs/wk and was just beautiful. Really was sad to lose her.
I have never met a mean or hyper Brahma and have owned a bunch. Even the Roo's are mellow. By Gold Standard I think you mean Buff. My very first chicken was a buff hen and she was amazing, getting me hooked on the breed. Sorry if you got the one bad one that exists in the world.
We had two buff brahmas last year, one roo and one hen. I sooooo wanted to keep the roo, he was GORGEOUS and so friendly, but we already had a good roo, and he was too old for the pot. I wasn't able to find anyone who wanted him by butchering day, so he's in the freezer, but when I need a new roo, I'm defiantly going to get another brahma. We just purchased a bunch of dark Cornish and light brahmas to add to our flock, and of the two breeds, I again love the brahmas. The dark Cornish roos are bullies, but the brahmas are so gentle. Whenever my kids go in the run, they come right up to them looking for treats, and will even eat out of their hands! So fun! Defiantly going to keep this breed going! I'm hoping they're good layers too, but they're only 12 weeks old, so we'll see.
Do you know anything about her history? She may have come from an environment that did not encourage friendliness. You may have to work a little harder to gain her trust.. Hope you can turn her around....
I don't have Brahmas but to me, a chicken that won't 'dig' is worthless because that would be a sign that it is not willing or able to help feed itself. I'd put that in the + column. lol
