Economic Qualities of Brahmas. 
2Jl 
Light Brahma chickens often show a considerable amount of black where not wanted, especially 
in the shape of spots on the backs of the pullets or fluff of the cockerels. As much of this will 
often moult out at from six to seven months old, they should not be discarded for this fault unless 
very prominent. Dark pullets with rather pale breasts will also frequently develop beautiful 
pencilling as the feathers change, though we certainly prefer to see them with perfect pencilling 
from the very first. Cockerels of the Dark breed, again, need not be rejected merely for brown 
on the wing, which often moults out by” the age of six months (though here again it is better if the 
bird be clear in colour from his first feathers) ; but very streaky Dark pullets, or such as show great 
splashes of white or brown, may be safely condemned, as may cockerels with nearly white breasts, 
a few of which may occur in any strain. Birds whose combs appear large and misshapen at an 
early age, are also rarely worth keeping. 
The economic merits of the true Brahma are very great. The size we have already spoken 
of ; and we will maintain our assertion that the quality of the meat is also good. We often see or 
hear it called coarse ; and there are strains, carelessly bred, which deserve the title, while the best 
are not so good as the very best table breeds. But this is not fair comparison ; to be a first-rate 
table breed, the breed must be bred for the table, as other breeds for years have, and as the Brahma 
never has been. But a young Brahma of a well-bred strain is at least better eating than nine- 
tenths of the chickens that can be bought at any but the very first London poulterers'. We 
venture to assert that a well-fed cockerel, of eight or ten pounds weight at six months old, 
dressed and served precisely as a turkey, will be found little inferior, either in appearance or 
eating, to the nobler bird. The legs are particularly juicy and tender, which is a great gain in 
such substantial parts. As an old fowl, undoubtedly, it cannot be compared with the Dorking, 
and should be either boiled, curried, or stewed. 
The constitution of the chicks, when bred from mature birds, is excellent, and the fecundity 
of the hens is very great. It is true the production of eggs is considerably interfered with by the 
propensity to sit ; but, in spite of this, there are many which will produce over 1 50 eggs per 
annum, which is a very high average. The tendency to incubate differs greatly in individuals. 
We have had hens which wished to sit when they had laid about twenty eggs, while others will 
lay from fifty to a hundred ; and we have known cases where a hen has laid through the whole 
year with hardly a stoppage. There is no doubt whatever, as we have hinted already in Chap. 
IX., that egg-production has been actually lessened in the Dark Brahma, by the keen competition 
of fanciers in breeding for “ feather ; ” besides which, exhibitors have actually sought to postpone 
the laying of their pullets as far as possible, in order to keep them in show condition. This, 
repeated for generations, has no doubt had a serious effect on egg-production ; but what the breed 
is capable of is well shown by the following communication from Mr. John Evans, of Keynsham, 
near Bristol, for the truth of which we can personally vouch : — 
“ My experience of Dark Brahmas commenced in the spring of 1870 ; and being desirous to 
ascertain the productiveness of this class of fowl, I kept an accurate account for twelve months, 
day by day, of the number of eggs laid by three pullets — not themselves exhibition birds, though 
descended from prize ancestors of Miss Watts’s strain. During the period named, the total egg- 
production of these three birds amounted in the aggregate to 629 : and although I regret that I 
did not keep a separate account for each one, I am morally certain, from attentive observations 
that were made, that two of these birds produced each a much larger number of eggs than the 
third, and I am sure I am substantially correct in assigning to the two so referred to a proportion 
of 500 eggs out of the total number laid ; thus showing a contribution to the egg-basket of 250 eggs 
each during the twelve months, as well as hatching and rearing a brood of chickens each within the 
