A true show quality Brahma is a large sometimes verging on cumbersome animal. Not as quick or agile, or probably active as a smaller bird.
The fluffy butt thing I have never known to be a issue in Brahmas. Show quality Cochins on the other hand are a whole different deal. You have probably heard me harp about vulture hocks in Brahmas in the U.S.. These come from one of two origins, either imported stock, or crossing to Cochins. I believe most show quality Cochins have them, they just have so dang much feather and fluff you can't really tell.
Most serious breeders probably keep their breeding pens smaller for a couple reasons. They are only breeding from their very best birds. They are trying to keep a more genetic diversity in a long term breeding program by using more males, separate pens. Could be some pens are concentrating on tweeking different features, be it size, color, width of head, wing carriage, you name it. Eventually incorporating all these improvements in their final ideal bird.
Depending on your goals, the ratio could vary significantly.
Thanks for that Big Med (sounds like a pharmacy
)
Very helpful summary for us here.
I hear a lot of people harp on about VHs, but not everyone on this forum is in the US, and in a lot of other countries there´s no problem with it, so it´s not always such a vehement 'no-no' that comes across at times.
But other information about Brahmas is, of course, useful and applicable whatever country, so thank you for that information and explaining about the fluffy butts theory !!
Now, verbal dribble....
I like my Brahmas. I try to keep them as close as I can to the desired look (feel free to snigger anyone, no prob) with height, (my cock-birds get to about 2' tall, so not VERY tall), the width of head (not gross, though, just that lovely indignant look), the width of body, feathers on the middle toe, etc... Mine´re bigger than most other birds around here, (for example, there´s the 1-metre-tall 'indian') and they are beautiful, they attract attention, but aren´t what I´d call cumbersome.
People here don´t take these things too seriously...for instance, a small fluffy dog is a poodle, a big black-and-tan short-coated is a dobermann, long-coated is a German shepherd, etc...
BUT there´s supposed to be a Dutch guy who lives in a town about 2 hours away who has big Dutch birds, 'imports' eggs, but I haven´t managed to track him down yet.
A lot of people who breed them here don´t know a brahma from a cochin, nor are they worried, so I have to be careful., though I expect mine have some cochin in them due to the 'experimental' colours (my original cock had messy buff/gold in his breast feathers). I´d love a big cock brahma, but I´ll hang onto the one I have until I can replace him, as nothing I´ve found here is a good as he is! (and I´m sure breeders over where you are would think he ain´t that good!) And I think importing birds probably just isn´t worth the bother for me. I´ll keep looking, though.
