![]() Cemani hen | |
Country of origin | Indonesia |
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Traits | |
Weight |
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Skin color | Black with a turquoise glow on the rooster neck side and tail. |
Egg color | Tinted/cream/light blue |
Comb type | Single |
Classification | |
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The Ayam Cemani is a rare breed of chicken from Indonesia. They have a dominant gene that causes hyperpigmentation (fibromelanosis), making the chicken mostly black, including feathers, beak, and internal organs. The Cemani is a very popular gamecock for cockfighting in Bali because their thighs have much more muscle compared to other chickens, which leads to them being much faster. [1]
Ayam means "chicken" in Indonesian, while cemani (originally a Sanskrit word) means "thoroughly black" (down to the bones). [2]
As a pure Indonesian breed, the breed originated from the island of Java, Indonesia, and has probably been used since the 12th century for religious and mystical purposes. [3]
The breed was described by Dutch colonial settlers [4] and first imported to Europe in 1998 by Dutch breeder Jan Steverink.[ citation needed ] Currently, this breed of chicken is kept in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Italy and the Czech Republic. Ayam Cemani may have also been brought to Europe by Dutch seamen.
The optimal standard is that their beaks, tongues, combs and wattles appear black, and even their meat, and organs are black or gray. However contrary to popular belief, their bones are not actually black. Their blood is normally colored. They are a medium sized chicken that are known for their beautiful and unique look. They are usually a somewhat friendly bird but they are still relatively skittish. The birds' black color occurs as a result of excess pigmentation of the tissues, caused by a genetic condition known as fibromelanosis. [5] Fibromelanosis is also found in some other black or blue-skinned chicken breeds, such as the Silkie. [6] [7] The roosters weigh 2–2.5 kg (4.4–5.5 lb) and the hens 1.5–2 kg (3.3–4.4 lb). The hens lay tinted or cream-colored eggs, although they are poor setters and rarely hatch their own brood. Eggs weigh an average of 45 g (1.6 oz).
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, eggs or feathers. The practice of raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes. The term also includes waterfowls of the family Anatidae but does not include wild birds hunted for food known as game or quarry.
The chicken is a large and round short-winged bird, domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting.
The domestic turkey is a large fowl, one of the two species in the genus Meleagris and the same species as the wild turkey. Although turkey domestication was thought to have occurred in central Mesoamerica at least 2,000 years ago, recent research suggests a possible second domestication event in the area that is now the southwestern United States between 200 BC and 500 AD. However, all of the main domestic turkey varieties today descend from the turkey raised in central Mexico that was subsequently imported into Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century.
The Silkie is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk and satin. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens have only four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and also appear in various colors. In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm and friendly temperament. It is among the most docile of poultry. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and care for young well. Although they are fair layers themselves, laying only about three eggs a week, they are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species due to their broody nature. Silkie chickens have been bred to have a wide variety of colors which include but are not limited to: Black, Blue, Buff, Partridge, Splash, White, Lavender, Paint and Porcelain.
Melanism is the congenital excess of melanin in an organism resulting in dark pigment.
Breed broiler is any chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter weight between four and six weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaughter weight at approximately 14 weeks of age. Typical broilers have white feathers and yellowish skin. Broiler or sometimes broiler-fryer is also used sometimes to refer specifically to younger chickens under 2.0 kilograms, as compared with the larger roasters.
The Brahma is an American breed of chicken. It was bred in the United States from birds imported from the Chinese port of Shanghai, and was the principal American meat breed from the 1850s until about 1930.
The New Hampshire Red or New Hampshire is an American breed of chicken. It was developed in the early twentieth century in the state of New Hampshire by selective breeding of Rhode Island Red stock; no other breed was involved. It is fast-growing, early-maturing, quick-feathering, and yields a meaty carcass. Mature birds are a light or medium red in color; they may fade in sunlight.
Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chickens are killed for consumption annually. Chickens raised for eggs are known as layers, while chickens raised for meat are called broilers.
The Sebright is a British breed of bantam chicken. It is a true bantam – a miniature bird with no corresponding large version – and is one of the oldest recorded British bantam breeds. It is named after Sir John Saunders Sebright, who created it as an ornamental breed by selective breeding in the early nineteenth century.
The Faverolles is a French breed of chicken. The breed was developed in the 1860s in north-central France, in the vicinity of the villages of Houdan and Faverolles. The breed was given the name of the latter village and the singular is thus also Faverolles, not Faverolle. The final "s" is silent in French.
The Java is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. Despite the breed's name, a reference to the island of Java, it was developed in the U.S. from chickens of unknown Asian extraction. It is one of the oldest American chickens, forming the basis for many other breeds, but is critically endangered today. Javas are large birds with a sturdy appearance. They are hardy, and are well-suited for both meat and egg production, especially by small-scale farms, homesteads, and backyard keepers.
The Derbyshire Redcap is a breed of chicken originating in the English county of Derbyshire. The name "Redcap" derives from the breed's unusually large Rose-type comb. British breed standards dictate a length of more than 7 centimetres (3 inches) of length for a Redcap comb. It is covered in small, fleshy points, and has a distinct spike pointing backwards called a "leader". Combs, wattles and earlobes are all ideally bright red.
The Scots Grey is a dual-purpose breed of domestic chicken originating in Scotland, where it has been bred for more than two hundred years. It was formerly known as the Scotch Grey and until about 1930 was popular in Scotland. It is on the "Native Poultry Breeds at Risk" list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Kadaknath, also called Kali Masi, is an Indian breed of chicken. They originated from Dhar and Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. These birds are mostly bred by the rural and tribals. There are three varieties: jet black, golden and pencilled. The meat from this breed has a geographical indication tag that was approved by the Indian government on 30 July 2018.
Ayam Kedu is a breed of chicken, originating in Indonesia. It is one of the ancestors of Ayam Cemani
Ayam Pelung or Pelung Chicken is a poultry breed from Cianjur, Indonesia. The males (roosters) are considered to be "singing chickens", with contests being frequent in the Pelung area for the most melodious crowing. A full grown male may weigh 3-6 kg and stand up to 50 cm tall. A full grown female may weigh 2-4 kg
The Polverara, also known as Schiatta (Italian) or S'ciata (Venetian), is an ancient breed of crested chicken from the area of Polverara in the province of Padua, in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy.
Svarthöna, Bohuslän-Dals svarthöna, or Swedish Black Rooster, Hen or Chicken is a Swedish landrace of domestic chicken that is considered to have originated from Ayam Cemani / Kadaknath breeds of chickens transported from Mozambique to Norway by sailors sometime in the 17th century. The Svarthöna has since adapted to a northerly climate, but has retained the rare quality of black skin and connective tissue.
The Ayam Kampong or Ayam Kampung is the chicken breed reported from Indonesia and Malaysia. The name means simply "free-range chicken" or literally "village chicken". In Indonesia, the term ayam kampung refer to indigenous chickens that are raised using traditional free range production techniques by almost every household in the village. It is a diverse population which resulted from the uncontrolled cross-breeding of red jungle-fowl, indigenous Southeast Asian chickens and exotic chickens of various types imported in the late 1800s by European, mainly Dutch and British, settlers.