Is this a Gold Laced Buff Brahma?

[big medicine]

I just bought three chickens from a nice suburban mom who had a coop of five chickens born this July. I got a Cream Legbar, a Welsummer, and this AWESOMELY huge and beautiful bird. She's so cool! And a giant compared to the other two.
I think the owner said she was a Buff Brahma but she must be a laced variety, right? Her lacing is so distinct especially on her feathery legs. Very quiet and shy.

As stated, a proper and correct Brahma has a pea comb, while a Cochin has a single comb. That being said, with a lot of these more recent "project" color varieties, and also depending to a large degree on the skills of subsequent breeders, some traits may not be as set as others. or at least not as well cemented as the old well established varieties.

Hard to tell from one photo, but I get the impression this bird is closer to Brahma type in build and feather.

As to color pattern this bird is partially laced at best. A proper gold laced pattern should have a complete black border on each feather, with the exception of tail, wing, and male shoulder, and saddle feathers. The picture below depicts Wyandottes, but shows proper gold laced pattern.


So I guess what I am saying is what you have there is a pretty chicken. It doesn't fall fully into any category.

 

[big medicine]

These are Gold Laced Brahma... Yours is beautiful nonetheless.....

The hen pictured here is much closer to double laced than single laced. The male is a better example of single lacing.

Examples of hen feathers for
single laced, double laced, and penciled (partridge)

 

[sarahandbray]

Thanks! She's not going to be bred or anything...I bought her from a woman with three pet chickens that she didn't want to winter back in December--this Brahma/Cochin whatever, a nice Welsummer, and a very pretty Cream Legbar, who lays a really true, deep blue egg.

 

[rainbowrooster]

Gold laced buff would not be a correct term. Its either gold laced or buff laced. Buff laced would be a gold bird with white lacing at the edge of each feather while a gold laced bird has black lacing the edge of each feather.

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

The hen pictured here is much closer to double laced than single laced. The male is a better example of single lacing.

Examples of hen feathers for
single laced, double laced, and penciled (partridge)

Thanks Big Medicine...I had noticed that as well...I wonder if I could work on this trait & get a doubled Gold Laced Brahma going...hhmm....thoughts???? Anyone out there that has double laced Brahmas??

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

This hen has the single lacing.....

 

[big medicine]

Thanks Big Medicine...I had noticed that as well...I wonder if I could work on this trait & get a doubled Gold Laced Brahma going...hhmm....thoughts???? Anyone out there that has double laced Brahmas??

Over the years, while working on various projects, I have been known to keep a less than perfectly patterned, or colored, bird if it was of superior type. Doing this can set you back pattern wise, but I think that having, or working toward proper type should take precedence over getting the pattern down quicker on a poorly typed bird that may be built closer in type to a Rock, or Wyandotte, than a Brahma. Taking this approach will eventually get you a line that will recognizable as Brahmas by people who know what a Brahma should be built like, but a side benefit, if you want to call it that, is it may throw something that also may give you an opportunity to take off and run with a additional side project.

These guys are likely the result of a couple overly marked hens that I left in the blue laced red Brahma project pen because they were just so big and well built. Now the male in the picture I am not proud of his orange saddles, but he has better size, and width, than a darker red male I have. They, and the others not pictured, will go into a double laced breeding pen this year. They all need work cleaning up and defining a proper double laced pattern, and deepening the red/mahogany.

 

[big medicine]

This hen has the single lacing.....

Right, much better example of a single laced gold lace.