# Brahmas?



## suzaboo (May 16, 2017)

Purchased these 6 chicks and suppose to be Brahmas but not sure, can anyone tell?  I am fairly new to chickens, have some back yard mutts (ee), olive eggers and white laying hens from tsc (sorry don't know breed).  Wanted to expand to a dual purpose bird so purchased these beginning of may. Posted some older and newer pictures.  The one with the puff on its head and the black one are ones I am questioning.  They all still cute no matter what breed.


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## Frazzemrat1 (May 16, 2017)

as an example, here's my flock...  They're about 3-4 weeks, and they're all brahmas except for the black one, which is a Black Jersey Giant...     one of the pics is the group, the other is a close up of one of my white brahma and a buff brahma...  Based on my baby Giant's colors, I'd say that black one you have may be one of those too.


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## suzaboo (May 16, 2017)

thx  the seller did also sell jersey giants so it is possible she grabbed the wrong one.  Any ideas of the one I have with the poofy head?


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## Frazzemrat1 (May 16, 2017)

I have nothing on the poof head.  lol...  the mystery chicken!


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## DwayneNLiz (May 16, 2017)

poof head has feathered legs??


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## DwayneNLiz (May 16, 2017)

my guess is legbar/brahma 
i dont know if they are pure


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## suzaboo (May 23, 2017)

sorry , didn't see replies till now.  Yes poofhead has feathered legs. The poofiness seems to be going down a bit with his new feathering coming in so maybe he just has some bad hair days lol  At least I think its a he..has a flatter and wider comb than the rest and starting to get red waddles where as the rest all have straight combs.


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## farmerjan (May 23, 2017)

True Brahmas come in 3 recognized colors.  Light , dark and buff.  The Light and Buff varieties are the columbian color pattern;  have a basically solid color feathered body, with black tails, and black feathers laced with the appropriate color (either white for the lights or buff for the buffs) in the saddles and hackles of the males,  and on the feathers down the toes.  The Darks are the silver pencilled color pattern, the  males resemble the silver duckwing in the old english somewhat, the females have feathers that are pencilled with alternating black and silvery white.   Hard to describe the color pattern if you have never seen it.  All Brahmas have a pea comb, like a rose comb but it doesn't stand up off the head in the back with a spike, and is smaller.  
Any thing that you got, that has a single comb is not a true brahma.  They should also have feathers on both the outside and middle toe. They do not have crests so if there is any poofyness when it gets in the adult feathers, it also is not a true brahma.


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## suzaboo (May 23, 2017)

thx  I will post a newer picture and maybe you/anyone can advise if they are true Brahmas or if they are backyard mutt Brahma mix (guess that's what you would call  it lol)


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## suzaboo (May 23, 2017)




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## farmerjan (May 23, 2017)

Sorry, but I think they will turn out to be mixed.  Still any females will make decent layers and have some size and the males can be dinner....


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## suzaboo (May 24, 2017)

Thx for your input.  Its a little disappointing that people sell chickens claiming they are a breed when they are not but not much to do now.


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## farmerjan (May 24, 2017)

The problem with so many of the backyard poultry raisers are that they get some birds, and are told they are such and such, then they raise some chicks and then they become experts.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BACKYARD MIXED FLOCKS.   I am not saying that.  But in your case, you thought you were buying a certain breed.  And if they have a single comb they are not brahmas. If it has a crest it is not a brahma.  Yes I have purebreds, and have shown many birds over the years.  I also have had commercial  layers, I ran 150 pastured layers for years and sold eggs from free range hens.  The were sexlinks and there is no better layer for quantity for a commercial flock. And I have had some backyard "breeds" that are barely what they say they are.  So I understand your frustration but the best way to get a purebred breed is to go to the poultry shows, see the birds, find the breeders that are showing them and then see about making a purchase.  The "purebred" chickens you get from a big hatchery will be basically true to the breed but will not be of show quality.  They do not adhere to the strict definition of what is called for .  And in the interim, people get birds that are not exactly what they should be, they raise chicks and sell them for what they believe they are and the whole breed actually gets to be less than what it really is supposed to be.  Not saying you have to buy show quality birds.  Every breeder has chicks and young stock that does not make the "grade" for show birds and they are still purebreds.  That is why breeds get diluted and some with obvious defects get sold as purebreds.  We raise chicks and as they grow, sell the ones that are not show or breeder quality  to help offset the cost of feed but then others get them and breed them and the quality of the breed gets diluted and sometimes  birds with obvious defects for that breed are used.  
Let the birds grow out, see what you get.  Keep the hens for eggs, or if you don't like them, sell them for eating and start over. 
If you are interested in purebreds find a poultry show near you and look at all the different breeds and colors there are.  Get POULTRY PRESS, a monthly publication that is for fanciers that show and raise birds for show and find a breeder or a show near you.


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## suzaboo (May 24, 2017)

thank you for your input.  I do not have an issue that they are not purebreds or show quality they are just for eggs and meat, It would just be nice if when people sell the chicks or eggs they advise/knew if they were actually pure bred or not.  I am pretty knew at this and its pretty easy to get confused lol


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