The Brahma is a breed of chicken from America. It is thought to have been bred in the United States with birds imported from the port in Shanghai, China, and was the main meat breed in America from the 1850's till around 1930.
History
The origin of the Brahma has been controversial and confusing. It seems to have evolved in the United States from large, feather-footed birds imported in the 1840s through the Chinese port of Shanghai, and so were referred to as 'Shanghai' birds. The unusual head and shape and the pea comb of the Brahma likely resulted from cross-breeding with grey Chittagong birds of Malay type, imported from the eastern Bengal (now Bangladesh) port of Chittagong; these features distinguish it from the Cochin—also derived from 'Shanghai' birds.
At the outset there were numerous strains and at least a dozen different names for the breed. At an 1852 poultry judges' meeting in Boston, it was agreed upon to name the breed 'Brahmapootra' from Brahmaputra River; eventually it shortened to 'Brahma'.
Brahmas were first sent to England in December 1852; "Gray Shanghaes" were sent as a gift to Queen Victoria from George Burnham. The Dark Brahma variety was bred by English breeders and re-exported to the United States. Brahmas in general, both light and dark (pencilled), were included in the first published Standard of Excellence by original Poultry Club of Great Britain in 1865. Brahmas were in the first Standard of Perfection published by the American Poultry Association in 1874; the buff variety was added in either 1924 or 1929.
The Brahma was the main meat breed in the United States from the 1850s until about 1930. Some of the birds were huge. Recorded weights for cocks and hens were about 8 kg and 6 kg .
Characteristics
Three color categories are recognized in the American Standard of Perfection: light, dark, and buff. The light Brahma has a foundation base color of white, with black hackles with white edging and a black tail; the saddle-feathers of the cock are striped with black. The dark Brahma has the most obvious difference between cock and hen: the hen is dark gray and black penciled with the same hackle as the light Brahma, while the cock has black and white hackles and saddle feathers, with a black base and tail; the wings are white-shouldered with a white edge to the primary feathers. The Buff Brahma has the same black pattern as the light, but a buff gold base color instead of white.
The Australian Poultry Association has recognized black, blue, partridge, crele and barred varieties of Brahma in addition to the standard light, dark, and buff.
Weights are about 5.5 kg for cocks and about 4.5 kg for hens. Brahma chickens can grow to a considerable height; the world's tallest chicken was a Light Brahma rooster named "Little John" in 2013 at an estimated height of 26 inches (660mm).