Brahma

Origin:  Asia - Indian/China Border  

Category:  Softfeather Heavy

Egg Colour:  Tinted

Sitter:  Yes

An Asiatic breed of fowls, called Gray Shanghais, came from China in the '40s of the last century, via England, to the United States. It was long after they landed in New England that American poultry fanciers made over and refined the original parent stock into the large, stately and useful Light and Dark Brahma varieties, which were admitted to the first American Standard of Excellence in 1874. Buff Brahmas, of more recent origin, became a Standard variety in America in 1924.

The head and crown are most important breed characteristics. Texture of the feathers is also of great importance, for the plumage should be smooth fitting and not loose- feathered and soft as in the Cochin.

Economic Qualities : A general purpose fowl for heavy meat production, and production of brown eggs. Color of skin, yellow; color of egg shells, light to dark brown.

THE COCK

Head - Skull small, rather short, of medium breadth, and with slight prominence over the eyes. Beak short and strong. Eyes large and prominent. Comb triple (or "pea"), small, closely fitting and drooping behind. Face smooth, free from feathers or hairs. Earlobes long and fine, free from feathers. Wattles small, fine, and rounded, free from feathers.

Neck long, covered with hackle feathers that reach well down to the shoulders, a depression being apparent (at the back) between the head feathers and the upper hackle.

Body broad, square, and deep; full breast, with horizontal keel; short back, either flat or slightly hollow between the shoulders, the saddle rising half-way between the hackle and the tail until it reaches the tail coverts ; medium-sized wings with lower line horizontal, free from twisted or slipped feathers, well tucked under the saddle feathers, which should be of ample length; tail of medium length, rising from the line of the saddle and carried nearly upright, the quill feathers well spread, the coverts broad and abundant, well curved, and almost covering the quill feathers.

Legs moderately long, powerful, well apart, and feathered. Thighs large and covered in front by the lower breast feathers. Fluff soft and abundant, covering the hind parts and standing out behind the thighs. Hocks amply covered with soft rounded feathers, or with soft but heavier feathers provided they are accompanied with proportionately heavy shank and foot feathering. Shank feather profuse, standing well out from legs and toes, extending under the hock feathers and to the extremity of the middle and outer toes, profuse leg and foot feather without vulture hock being desirable. Toes (four) straight and spreading.

Carriage sedate, but fairly active.

Plumage profuse, but hard and close compared with the Cochin.

Weight from 10 lb. to 12 lb.

THE HEN

With the exception of the neck and legs, which are rather short, the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

Weight from 7 lb. to 9 lb.

COLOUR VARIETIES

• Beak yellow or yellow and black.

• Eyes orange red.

• Comb, Face, Earlobes and Wattles bright red.

• Legs and Feet orange-yellow or yellow.

THE DARK

Plumage of the Cock - Head silver-white. Neck and Saddle-hackles silver-white, with a sharp stripe of brilliant black in the centre of each feather tapering to a point near its extremity and free from white shaft. Breast, underpart of body, thighs and fluff, intense glossy black. Back silver white, except between the shoulders where the feathers are glossy black laced with white.

Wing-bows silver- white ; primaries black, mixed with occasional feathers having a narrow white outside edge ; secondaries, part of outer web (forming "bay") white. Remainder ("butt") black. Coverts glossy black, forming a distinct bar across the wing when folded. Tail black, or coverts laced (edged) with white. Leg-feathers black, or slightly mixed with white.

Plumage of the Hen - Head silver-white or striped with black or grey. Neck-hackle similar to that of the cock, or pencilled centres. Tail black, or edged with grey, or pencilled. Remainder of plumage any shade of clear grey finely pencilled with black or a darker shade of grey than the ground colour, following the outline of each feather, sharply defined, uniform, and numerous.

THE LIGHT

Plumage colour generally to be as for that of the Columbian Wyandotte.

Plumage of the Cock - Head and Neck-hackle as in the Dark variety. Saddle white preferably, but white slightly striped with black in birds having very dark neck-hackles. Wing primaries black or edged with white, and secondaries white outside and black on part of inside web. Tail black, or edged with white. Remainder of plumage clear white, with white, blue-white, or slate undercolour, not visible when the feathers are undisturbed. Black-and-white admissible in shank and toe feathering.

Plumage of the Hen - Neck-hackle silver-white striped with black (dense at the lower part of the hackle), the black centre of each feather entirely surrounded by a white margin. In other respects the colour of the hen is similar to that of the cock.

BUFF

Plumage in the Cock and the Hen: Pattern markings to be identical to that of the Light Brahma with the white to be replaced by a rich even shade of buff.

Underfluff: slate. Leg and foot feathering: buff with black allowable.

GOLD

Under Construction

GOLDEN CREEL

In both male and females the markings and colour to follow that for the Golden Creel variety of Wyandotte.

Foot feather in male: dark grey with white barring.

Foot feather in female: dark grey with less clear barring in a lighter grey colour.

WHITE

Plumage of both Cock and Hen white throughout.

STANDARDISED COLOURS

The Australian Poultry Standards recognise the following colours:

• White

• Light

• Dark

• Golden Creel

• Gold (Partridge)

• Buff (Columbian)

The Brahma and Cochin Club of Australia mention more colour on their website: http://www.brahmacochin.org/brahmastandardsaustralia.htm

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Comb other than "pea" type ;

• Badly twisted hackle or wing feathers;

• Total absence of leg feather;

• Great want of size in adults;

• Total want of condition;

• White legs;

• Any deformity;

• Buff on any part of the plumage of Lights;

• Much red or yellow in the plumage, or much white in the tail of Dark cocks;

• Utter want of pencilling, or patches of brown or red in the plumage of Dark hens.

• Note that vulture hocks are considered undesirable.

For general disqualifications see Disqualifications.

Sources

• The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629

• The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004

• The Brahma and Cochin Club of Australia: http://www.brahmacochin.org/brahmastandardsaustralia.htm

• The Australian poultry standards edition 2 published 2012 by the Victorian Poultry Fanciers Association Limited.