Dark Brahma Chickens

Day Old Dark Brahma Baby Chicks

• Dual Purpose
• 180-240 Eggs Annualy
• Calm, Friendly "gentle giants"
• 10 lbs, Pullet 8 lbs  (sometimes larger) 
• APA Class Asiatic
• Conservation Status Recovering

Brahmas are big chickens - one of the biggest. Brahmas are also extremely winter hardy and strong, vigorous fowl. They have ample fluffy feathering with lots of down, displaying how closely related they are to the Cochins. Dark Brahma Chickens are colored in the classic Silver Penciled feather patterning. Male Dark Brahmas have a silvery-white head, neck, breast, and back, while their tail feathers, tail sickles, and covert feathers are black with some white edging. Wings have black penciling. The hens have solid white heads, and penciling begins on the neck and spills over the rest of the body. The penciling coloring is black over a silvery-white. Both sexes have ample down which is dark slate in color.   

Brahmas have a large skull that acts as a brow over the eyes; this is called a "beetle brow." It gives these birds a kingly presence; they tend to look quite serious. Comb, face, and wattles are bright red, and beaks and legs are a dusky yellow color. Eyes are reddish bay. Legs are well-feathered and are stout and strong.  They do not fly and special care has to be taken due to leg feathering which in muddy or wet conditions can cause harm to them. 

Brahmas are an ancient breed originating in Asia, most likely India. There is a lot of controversy about the exact origins, much of which is due to the number of different names. The name Brahma was officially finalized in 1853 by the publisher of The Northern Farmer, T.B. Miner, who condensed all the names into simply, Brahma, for the practical reason of saving space on the printed page. Brahmas played a big part in the "Hen Fever" that struck America and Great Britain in the 1850s. Despite the Asian origins, the Brahma breed was developed in America. After Queen Victoria was gifted with nine of the world's finest Brahmas, the cost per pair in 1953 skyrocketed from $100 to $150. Both the Light and the Dark Brahma were accepted to the American Standard of Perfection in its first printing in 1874. Brahmas slowly began to fall out of favor as the fast-growing high production meat breeds became more available. However, Brahmas remain a favorite American heritage and dual-purpose bird today, especially as homesteading becomes more and more popular.