Today let us go through the Ayam Cemani Chicken Breed Profile and its Characteristics.
Breed Profile:
Name: Ayam Cemani
Varieties: Comes only in complete black color.
Chicken Weight: Male chicken weighs: 2.0–2.5 kg (4.4–5.5 lb); Female chicken weighs: 1.5–2.0 kg (3.3–4.4 lb).
Eggs: 80 eggs annually.
Cost: 100 to 120 $.
Rarity: Rare
Purpose: meat and eggs.
Egg Laying: Poor.
Egg Color: whitish pink.
Egg Size: Medium.
Comb Type: single type.
Feathered Legs: No.
Number of Toes: 4.
Cold Hardiness: Hardy in winter.
Heat Tolerance: Not especially heat hardy.
Personality: very strong and active birds.
Ayam Cemani Chicken (Pic Wikimedia Commons).
Introduction Ayam Cemani Chicken Breed:
The Ayam Cemani is a rare and famous breed which is very popular over the last few years. Ayam cemani is a completely blackbird – both meat and skin of this chicken breed will be in complete dark color. Currently, this breed of chicken is a pretty rare bird and is very hard to fine.
Why these chickens are in black color? Because they have a dominant gene that leads to hyperpigmentation (fibromelanosis), that makes the chicken completely black, including feathers, beak, and internal organs. The Ayam Cemani chicken is most likely to be used for centuries for religious and mystical purposes on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is basically described that the breed that is imported to Europe.
At present, these birds are kept in the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. And the perfect black Ayam Cemani chicken features a terribly high worth in Indonesia, as a result of it’s believed that they possess mystical powers.
Read this: Organic Poultry Farming.
Origin of Ayam Cemani Chicken:
The Ayam Cemani is related to the group of breeds known as Kedu, from the central regions of Java. It is believed to be an offshoot of this breed of chicken’s lives on a small group of islands in Indonesia.
The Ayam Cemani breed name comes the; Ayam means chicken in the Indonesian language, but the name Cemani can be a name of the village in Indonesia or Cemani means ‘solid black’ in Sanskrit.
It is not a common chicken, some folks say that it is landrace bird, but there is evidence that it was a developed breed from some Indonesian breeds. These chickens are reared by People of wealth and community standing as status symbols and take great care of them.
These chickens are good luck charms, with the blood and other parts of the bird being used in traditional medicine preparations.
It is believed that The Ayam Cemani has magical powers and can facilitate communication between the living and the spirit world. As such, it is used as a sacrificial bird to please the gods, the meat of this chicken is rarely eaten in Indonesia.
This breed of chicken is first introduced to Europe in 1998 by a Dutchman named Jan Steverink.
Physical Characteristics of Ayam Cemani Chicken:
Ayam Cemanis have a striking sight. They have black feathers and have a beetle-green iridescence in sunlight that is absolutely stunning.
Ayam Cemani chicken is not large fowls, they come more than a medium size bird. The male birds weigh around 4.5-6.5lb, and the female birds weigh about 3.5-4.5lb.
The body of the bird is of medium size, slim, firm, and muscular. They have a fairly broad breast and a medium back, which slopes from the neck.
Feathers, skin, eyes, neck, and legs are in a complete dark black color, and feathers are closely fitted to the body.
The tail is held moderately high. And the thighs of the birds are powerful and muscular. Ayyam cemani chickens have 4 toes on each foot.
These chickens have strong and muscular with close-fitting feathers, not unlike a game bird. They strike a confident pose and are always being alert.
The beaks and tongues, black combs and wattles, and even their meat, bones, and organs of the chicken appear black. The blood of the Ayam Cemani will be in normal color. The black color of the birds occurs due to the excess pigmentation of the tissues, caused by a genetic condition known as fibromelanosis. Some black fowl breeds have this gene. These hens lay cream-colored eggs, although they are poor setters and rarely hatch their own brood. Eggs weigh an average of 45 g.
Read this: Layer Poultry Farming.
Ayam Cemani Chicken Behavior:
Ayam Cemanis is a very kind, friendly, and likable bird. Ayam cemani chicken is intelligent, gentle, and docile. Even the roosters are very smooth and gentle birds. Ayam cemani birds are described as flighty. But some people who rear these birds say that they are very kind and cool birds. And these birds are very easy to handle and very easy to maintain.
These birds are winter hardy shaking off the Vermont winters easily when given the appropriate housing and shelter. As these birds are native to Indonesia, they can easily tolerate the heat.
Ayyam Cemani like all gaming birds stands upright and has a straight look.
They are good fliers, as they have strong and healthy wings.
The Ayam Cemani chicken breed is a very rare breed and relatively new breed to many countries. This chicken breed is a very active and hardy breed of chicken. They are very highly valued in Indonesia.
Currently, the breed is raised for ornamental or meat production purposes.
Ayam Cemani Chicken Egg Laying:
The Ayam Cemani is not good at laying eggs, it is very poor at laying eggs. On average, they lay around 80 eggs per year. Approximately one egg in a week.
They do seem to go ‘off lay’ for an extended period of time. Apparently, they will lay 20-30 eggs and then stop laying. This can be up to 6 months, and then they will start all over again!
In comparison to the size of the hen, the eggs are quite large, and they are cream-colored with a very slight pink tint (not black). I have seen several photos that show black eggs – rest assured these are fake eggs.
Some folks state they aren’t broody and yet others say they can be broody. This may be due to differences in the bloodlines obtained.
They tend to make good mothers and care well for their chicks.
Read this: Integrated Fish and Poultry Farming.
Advantages of Ayam Cemani Chicken:
Ayam cemani are Beautiful birds.
Very intelligent birds.
Very healthy meat and egg with rich vitamins and proteins.
These birds are docile and relatively sturdy.
Very strong and resistant to all weather conditions.
Disadvantages of Ayam Cemani Chicken:
They are very poor layers.
Very small eggs and very small chicks.
As the chicks are very small, and they can be trampled easily.
It’s very tough to maintain the many roosters or hens at a place, as they fight a lot.
Very rare birds and are very expensive.
Very nervous birds.
Hard for confinement as they are easy fliers.
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