Light Brahma

Light Brahma aka. Brahma Pootra aka. Burnham aka. Gray Chittagong aka. Shanghai
Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga, California, USA
January 2016
Member of the Junglefowl Family
§A Brood of Chickens§

~true bird fact~ The Brahma, along with another feather-footed chicken called the Cochin brought about a chicken craze in the 1850's in the US and UK that was called HEN FEVER. During this time, he was nicknamed The King of All Poulty (!!!). Perhaps this came from his regal bearing, or, more likely, because he gets to be up to 18 pounds, making him the second largest chicken breed. Many hipsters have hen fever these days as well, so I hope they're still using this terrific nickname.

Gentle-hearted, but project toughness
Gives generously of his considerable wealth
Secretly just wants to be taken care of, pampered
Loves rich foods



Once again we bring you selected Excerpts from customer reviews of the Brahma on BackyardChickens.com. Your favorite feature and mine...

Bird Reviews
Rated #16 in chickens (of approx. 170 breeds), with a 94% positive rating. There are 113+ reviews of this chicken.

"If I were starting my flock over, I'd consider having all Brahmas"

"I love that they are big girls, and their feathered feet"

"Gentle, lovey, wants you to hold her"

"Sometimes her fluffy feet get dirty. A small price to pay to look fancy everyday!"

"I brought her in the house yesterday and fed her peanuts on the couch!!!"

"She thinks she's a dog, and I just love her."

"He loves to snuggle. When I go outside and sit down he immediately will jump on my lap along with the lady brahmas. One day I was standing in the coop and someone was pecking my shoe and then they started tugging on my pant leg! I looked down and Aggie, the rooster, was pulling on me. We made eye contact, he stopped and stood completely still until I picked him up and snuggled with him. I cannot stress enough what a good bird he is. It honestly amazes me. The other day I gave him a bath and be stood still nearly the entire time."

Roosters of Key West

Key West has a lot of Chickens. Estimates are that over 2000 birds live on the 2x4 mile island. Locals are divided on the chicken issue- they add a lot of charm and character, but they are undeniably annoying at times. Regardless of what they think, there's not a lot that people can do about the chickens- they're currently a protected species. It is illegal to 'harm or harass' a chicken in Key West. Why are there so many roosters, and what type are they? Well, it seems likely that most of the roosters are the result of people releasing their chickens once cockfighting was outlawed. The sport used to be a big deal, especially in Cuba, and before the cold war, there was a major chicken trade. This means these chickens are probably mostly 'American Game' or 'Cubalaya' birds, but intermixed with other breeds that people had originally brought to the islands for food and eggs. They've interbred and have been feralized, to the point where it would be fair to just call them the Key West breed. Some have suggested the name Key West Gypsy Chicken, which is what I think I'll go with. Let's take a look at some specimens.

Feels unconnected to his past and his people's suffering. Not sure what to do with conflicted feelings about his privilege.

Gets asked for advice by younger chickens in the community. Often recommends folk remedies.

Pursuing a modeling/acting career. Big fish in a small pond.

Tough as nails. Doesn't mess around when it comes to her kids. The kids are cute, but a little rambunctious. You admire her pugnaciousness, but are not sure what message it's sending to the chicks about how to solve their own problems later in life.

Key West Gypsy Chicken
Key West, Florida, USA
April 2015
Member of the Junglefowl Family
§A Peep of Chicks§

~true bird fact~ They say Key West has fewer cockroaches than many other tropical destinations because these chickens keep the numbers down. I did not see any while I was there, so I have to assume it was due to the chickens.

Black Leghorn Chicken

Black Leghorn aka. Livorno Chicken aka. Italian Chicken (possibly a Valdarno Chicken, but seems less likely. Either way, it is a chicken from Italy)
Mission de San Juan Bautista, California, USA
February 2015
Member of the Junglefowl Family
§A Flock of Chickens§

~true bird fact~ Actually, rather than try to summarize what I've learned about this chicken, you should probably just click on this link to theleghornclub.com. It is truly an experience.

~true Mission de San Juan Bautista fact~ Famous for being the Mission in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, it is now overwhelmed with chickens. The town once celebrated their iconic free roaming chickens, including emblazoning them on souvenirs and holding an annual festival and chicken parade. As they are wont to do, people took the whole chicken thing too far, and it became common for unwanted chickens to just be dropped off in the town. It is now a constant battle to keep chicken numbers down.

Formerly imprisoned in a chicken farm, escaped to freedom.... flew the coop, if you will
Fearless
Inspires others with his example, advocates for chicken's rights
Embraces expressions of culture through traditional art forms (singing, painting, short plays)

Black Star Chicken

Black Star Chicken aka. Black Sex-Link Chicken aka. The Last Thing You Thought Would Come Up When You Searched for "Sex Link" on Wikipedia
Berkeley, California, USA
Member of the Junglefowl Family
*true chicken fact* Kept as pets and as sources of food, Chickens are ★the most numerous bird on the planet★, with a population of over 24 billion. They were first domesticated on the Indian Subcontinent around 8000 years ago for the purpose of cockfighting. Sadly we have not treated The Chicken any better since then. Most Chickens in the world are probably suffering horrifically.



*true Black Star fact* Not recognized as a 'true breed' by either the birding or poultry industries, Black Stars are cross-breeds, bred in such a way that a chick's gender is apparent from birth. This is why she is called Sex-Link. Having differently colored chicks makes the sorting process easier.

§A Brood of Chickens§

Has a funny accent that is vaguely familiar, but unplaceable
Fusses over you like a close friend's mom
Actually has been forced to flee her home country because of a horrible civil war or something, don't you feel bad for making fun of her accent now?
Has some kind of messed-up views of the world, but only because she has been through so much

Big ups to www.mypetchicken.com (a literal, real website) for help on the birds facts today.