Buff Brahma
This bird lives at Wilderley Farm at Shipmeadow in Suffolk.
The Brahma is a breed of chicken known for its immense size that originated in China in the mid-1800’s. The bird’s ancestor was originally named the Shanghai, based on the port city where it was originally imported from, and was later known as the Hen Fever breed. The Shanghai was the result of cross-breeding two distinct chicken breeds, the Malay and the Cochin, both of which are of Indian descent.
Brahmas were first exported to the United Kingdom by George Burnham, a chicken breeder who sent nine 'Grey Shanghai' as a gift to Queen Victoria. The queen took a liking to these birds, and as a result the popularity and the price of the Brahma increased significantly.
There are three known variants of Brahma chickens, each with their own specific feather patterns, the Light Brahma, the Dark Brahma and the Buff Brahma.
The Buff Brahma variant is one of the most popular, due to its uniquely warm coloration. Its body generally has light brown or orange coloration, with its breast a lighter shade of its main colour. Its hackle feathers tend to be black with light striping, as does its tail.
Despite there size, rooster Brahmas will weigh around 12 lb. (5.45 kg) and hens will weigh 10 lb. (4.55 kg) and they can reach 30 in. (760 mm) tall, however the average size of a Brahma is between 8 to 18 in. (205 to 460 mm), these chickens are a very gentle and docile breed.
A Buff Brahma hen’s egg production is moderate, laying 3 large, brown eggs per week, making a yearly output of around 150 eggs. They also tend to lay through the winter when other hens have stopped.
The lifespan of a Brahma is 8+ years.
Buff Brahma
This bird lives at Wilderley Farm at Shipmeadow in Suffolk.
The Brahma is a breed of chicken known for its immense size that originated in China in the mid-1800’s. The bird’s ancestor was originally named the Shanghai, based on the port city where it was originally imported from, and was later known as the Hen Fever breed. The Shanghai was the result of cross-breeding two distinct chicken breeds, the Malay and the Cochin, both of which are of Indian descent.
Brahmas were first exported to the United Kingdom by George Burnham, a chicken breeder who sent nine 'Grey Shanghai' as a gift to Queen Victoria. The queen took a liking to these birds, and as a result the popularity and the price of the Brahma increased significantly.
There are three known variants of Brahma chickens, each with their own specific feather patterns, the Light Brahma, the Dark Brahma and the Buff Brahma.
The Buff Brahma variant is one of the most popular, due to its uniquely warm coloration. Its body generally has light brown or orange coloration, with its breast a lighter shade of its main colour. Its hackle feathers tend to be black with light striping, as does its tail.
Despite there size, rooster Brahmas will weigh around 12 lb. (5.45 kg) and hens will weigh 10 lb. (4.55 kg) and they can reach 30 in. (760 mm) tall, however the average size of a Brahma is between 8 to 18 in. (205 to 460 mm), these chickens are a very gentle and docile breed.
A Buff Brahma hen’s egg production is moderate, laying 3 large, brown eggs per week, making a yearly output of around 150 eggs. They also tend to lay through the winter when other hens have stopped.
The lifespan of a Brahma is 8+ years.