My favorite chicken breed is the Light Brahma.  They are an Asiatic breed originating in Brahmaputra, India. They were first brought to the US in the late 1800s. Charlotte, one of my all-time favorite pets, greeted me by jumping up on my shoulders. If I was leaning over, she would jump on my head or back. A chicken can theoretically live 20+ years; Charlotte made it to 5, which is quite good for a chicken.

Our friend Tim Moses brought his daughter to meet our Brahmas at the old house.

Brahmas are extremely gentle. Ours seem only mildly annoyed when our 5-year-old chases them around the yard. When she does manage to grab an unsuspecting hen, the bird will sit quietly until the petting session is over.

The American Poultry Association publishes the American Standard of Perfection. The AMA recognizes three varieties of brahma:  light, buff and dark. We have light and dark. Our hens will weight 8 – 10 pounds when full-grown. When they are a about 5 months old they will lay large brown eggs. We can expect about 140 eggs per bird, per year.  You can tell a Brahma by its yellow skin and pea comb. They have small wattles and feathered feet and toes. Their size and feathers make them hardy in cold weather — winter can be chilly in Nashville and as long as they have water they will do just fine.

Jessica, pictured below behind the white crested black polish, is my new favorite. She’s in her “awkward teenage” stage of development. You can see her plumage starting to fill out, but she’ll be even prettier in a few months.

Jessica, standing behind Crowded Place

My first chickens were the product of my husband’s boredom. Jobless at the time, he spent the mornings scouring the Internet gainful employment; in the afternoon he would hang out with our retired neighbor, Johnny. Johnny somehow convinced Scott that I would like a pair of roosters (One of my favorite people of all time, Johnny must have experienced a deliciously wicked amusement. We were city folk, after all).

Little did Scott or Johnny realize, they created a monster (in me). I fell in love with my new boys,  Coco and Rico, and chickens are like crack, I needed more. At its zenith, my hobby coop had 35+ residents, but it all started with two roosters in an exposed dog pen, sleeping on a tree branch at night. Looking back, I have no idea how two stark white, tasty pieces chicken escaped a predator’s notice. But, within a month Scott built a proper coop that we nicknamed “Gibraltar” for its predator proof-ed-ness.

Well, I missed the window for buying chicks in 2008. I could get 25 males, but I am certain the neighborhood would rise up against us. I remember having five roosters and just wishing a predator would dispatch them. We ended up spray painting a piece of scrap lumber, with “FREE ROOSTERS,” propping it up on our mailbox. Not my finest hour, I parted with four little guys to five drunk guys who said “we’ll fight them, or just use them for eggs.” Right. Well, I was six months pregnant and couldn’t bear the thought of wringing their necks myself.

So, this blog will document the construction and planning for Chickens 2009. Photos to come.