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Chicken breed APA Recognized Heavy

Brahma

Massive feather-legged breed popular for its size, docile nature, and strong cold-weather performance.

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Variety gallery

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Primary use

Dual purpose

Eggs

140-200 eggs/year

Egg color

Brown

Broodiness

Moderate-high

Notable traits

Very large broad body
Feathered shanks and outer toes
Pea comb
And an imposing gentle cold-hardy presence.

Use in a cross

Use this breed as a sire or dam in the public cross predictor.

Open Predictor

Varieties

Brahma varieties

Variety-specific images keep the library accurate when one breed name covers several different appearances.

Variety image pending

Light

Color: Silver-white body with black striped hackles and black tail

Most familiar Brahma variety with a silver-white body, black neck striping, and dark tail on a massive feather-legged frame.

Traits: Very large body, feathered shanks and toes, pea comb, silver-white body, black hackles, and black tail.

Variety image pending

Dark

Color: Silver-black rooster; finely penciled gray-black hen

Dimorphic Brahma variety where the rooster is silver-black while the hen carries intricate gray-black penciling.

Traits: Massive feather-legged build, pea comb, silver-black rooster plumage, and detailed penciled hen patterning.

Variety image pending

Buff

Color: Warm buff body with darker tail and hackle striping

Buff Brahma variety with warm buff body color and darker neck and tail markings on the classic heavy frame.

Traits: Heavy feather-legged body, pea comb, warm buff ground color, and darker tail and hackle accents.

Variety image pending

Black

Color: Solid black with green sheen

Black Brahma variety with glossy black plumage carried on the breed’s towering feather-legged frame.

Traits: Massive body, feathered shanks and toes, pea comb, and solid black plumage with green sheen.

Variety image pending

Blue

Color: Even blue-gray

Blue Brahma variety with blue-gray plumage over the breed’s huge soft-feathered body.

Traits: Massive feather-legged body, pea comb, and even blue-gray plumage.

Variety image pending

Partridge

Color: Colorful red-black rooster; brown partridge hen

Partridge Brahma variety with a richly colored rooster and a brown partridge-patterned hen.

Traits: Heavy feather-legged frame, pea comb, richly colored rooster, and partridge hen penciling.

Variety image pending

Gold Partridge

Color: Golden partridge pattern

Gold Partridge Brahma variety with warmer golden tones in the partridge pattern.

Traits: Heavy feather-legged frame, pea comb, and golden-toned partridge patterning.

Variety image pending

Blue Partridge

Color: Blue-toned partridge pattern

Blue Partridge Brahma variety showing the partridge pattern softened by blue genetics.

Traits: Heavy feather-legged frame, pea comb, and blue-modified partridge patterning.

Quick stat summary

Weights: Hen 9.00 lb | Rooster 12.00 lb

APA status: APA recognized breed

Sexing traits: None noted

Comb type: Pea

Egg size: Medium-large

Origin: United States

Planning notes

Genetics and sexing notes

Auto-sexing: None recorded for purebred chicks.

Sex-linked: None recorded.

Temperament: Docile and gentle. Friendliness is generally listed as High. Activity level is generally Low.

Rooster handling: Roosters are often manageable when well handled, but individual selection still matters. Do not keep aggressive males just because they match the breed type.

Reference profile

Breed depth notes

Extra breed details used for identification, breed-library accuracy, cross prediction, and better image prompts.

History and standard notes

History: Developed as a very large Asiatic-influenced American breed and historically valued for meat, winter laying, and imposing size. In the RanchOps library, Brahma is tracked as a dual purpose breed with roots tied to United States. Its brown egg profile, body type, and temperament notes help separate it from similar-looking breeds in flock records and cross predictions. For visual identification, focus on Very large, broad, deep, soft-feathered body with feathered shanks and outer toes. Its carriage is best described as massive, calm, fairly upright but rounded and heavy.

APA: Recognized breed with classic Light, Dark, and Buff varieties among the best-known standard colors.

Type and structure

Large fowl: Recognized large fowl; among the heaviest common chicken breeds.
Bantam: Bantam Brahmas are recognized and popular in several varieties.
Earlobes: Red
Body type: Very large, broad, deep, soft-feathered body with feathered shanks and outer toes
Carriage: Massive, calm, fairly upright but rounded and heavy

Visual identification

Rooster

Roosters should look massive with feathered legs, a pea comb, broad shoulders, full hackles, and variety-correct hackle/tail contrast.

Hen

Hens are broad, heavy, fluffy, feather-legged, pea-combed, and should show variety-correct penciling, buff, light, or other color patterning.

Chicks

Chick down varies by variety, but feathered legs are an important early clue.

Common confusions

Can be confused with Cochin, but Brahmas should have pea combs and a less ball-shaped body than Cochin.

Image guidance

Never omit feathered shanks/toes or pea comb. Keep the bird massive, broad, and heavy, not a medium clean-legged dual-purpose bird.

Cross predictor notes

Feathered feet and pea comb influence may show in crosses. Brahma contributes size, winter hardiness, calm temperament, and slower growth.

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