{"id":92569,"date":"2021-12-01T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T12:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=92569"},"modified":"2022-04-21T10:33:42","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T14:33:42","slug":"rare-ayam-cemani-chicken-breed-black-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/rare-ayam-cemani-chicken-breed-black-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rare Ayam Cemani Chicken Breed Is A Black Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hailing from Java, Indonesia, it\u2019s believed that the Ayam Cemani is a cousin of the Kadaknath chicken. In its home country, the all-black Ayam Cemani is thought to bring healing and magic properties.<\/p>\n

The breed is rare in that it is one of a few breeds that have dermal hyperpigmentation, also referred to as fibromelanosis. Owning my own flock of this magical breed, I have found that they retain many undomesticated features while also allowing people to take part in their lives.<\/p>\n

Genetic Mutants<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Ayam Cemani results from a genetic mutation that comes from an Ayam Kedu, a black chicken with red comb and wattles. The Kedu was established in 1924 in Indonesia, and the Cemani is a subspecies.<\/p>\n

In Indonesian, Ayam means \u201cchicken\u201d and Cemani means \u201cblack.\u201d Only recently have they been considered a separate breed. (The distinction was introduced by more modern civilizations.)<\/p>\n

Without proper and strict culling practices, the Ayam Cemani can very easily genetically revert back to the Kedu coloring and type. No matter what line you purchase, this breed will always need work and heavy culling and are difficult to keep pure black.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To keep them this way, they have to always have two of the fibro genes present from the parents to remain all black.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To replicate this, breeders always use the blackest birds. Many grandparent genes do make an appearance in chicks, every now and again.<\/p>\n

Many breeders see any white upon hatch as a bad sign. These chicks aren\u2019t kept for future breeding. White is referred to in the breeder world as \u201cleakage.\u201d Some breeders cull upon hatch, while some retain them for meat sales later on in life.<\/p>\n

Other breeders keep the chicks with leakage to introduce the fibromelanistic gene into another breed.<\/p>\n

\"Ayam
Showtime.photo\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mind the Tongue<\/h5>\n

In order to preserve this rare occurrence and not lose the genetic print to extinction, breeders must remain resilient. This fibromelanistic gene also has flaws.<\/p>\n

Not all pure Ayam Cemanis have black tongues. The exceptionally rare of this rare breed carries these genetics. Most Ayam Cemanis have white to gray tongues with some black on them. Others possess a smoke-gray tongue.<\/p>\n

Any type of red or pink present usually means that the birds have been bred to something beside an Ayam Cemani somewhere in the bloodline. Or it can mean that the breeder hasn\u2019t practiced strict culling techniques and the bird is reverting back to an ancestor.<\/p>\n

Ayam Cemanis also grow into their fibromelanosis. This means that when they hatch, the darker they are, the darker their \u201cpeak\u201d will be. This peak essentially means that it\u2019s the darkest that the bird will get also. It can happen with any color and any breed of chicken and happens with waterfowl. <\/span><\/p>\n

It’s a normal process of aging but more noticeable on the Cemani because of how dark they are. A discolored toe or feather easily stands out. This can happen anywhere from 1 to 3 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

With my rooster, I got four good years out of him but only three seasons. He peaked last year. After this last molt, his fibro is dwindling and will get worse as he ages further.<\/p>\n

I like to use the example of when human hair starts turning gray. That is exactly what happens to older birds that carry this gene.<\/p>\n

\n

Read more: Here are 4 ornamental chicken breeds that look great in the backyard.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

All About These All-Blacks<\/b><\/h2>\n

Ayam Cemanis are poor layers and don\u2019t grow into very large birds. Contrary to popular belief, this breed doesn\u2019t lay black eggs. Instead, it lays a white to cream colored egg. And the medium-sized fowl lays medium-size eggs.<\/p>\n

The hens seem to lay well for about a month, then go on a break for about a month. Hens go broody about once to twice a year and make excellent mothers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For hens, I keep a mix of Greenfire Farms (the original importer farm) and Raven (a straight Indonesian import) bloodlines. Last year, I let two hens sit, and they each hatched chicks. The rooster also seemed a little more involved than with some of the other breeds that I have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each hen that hatched chicks was a great mother\u2014very attentive to the chicks while also wary of their surroundings. They did become distant and shy while they had their chicks but took excellent care of them. <\/span><\/p>\n

I did separate one hen because she hatched Sebright chicks, a conservative bantam breed. The other Ayam Cemanis in the pen tried to kill the Sebrights. Any chick that was black, they raised.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My top hen was one who had chicks, and every other hen seemed to take a role in caring for the chicks. They herded them around as a group when they were free-ranging. The rooster was very wary of predators. He paid more attention than if it were just the hens out free-ranging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cemani Behaviors<\/h5>\n

The Ayam Cemanis in my flock have kept much of their ancestors\u2019 wild habits and can be really flighty when it comes to trusting humans and predators. Ayam Cemani chicks certainly need more handling than more domesticated breeds in order to trust people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ayam Cemani also tend to get bored easily if they remain penned up for an extended period of time. Their first pen was about 3 foot tall, and this wasn\u2019t sufficient for them. They love to fly and perch.<\/p>\n

To combat this, their new pen is 6 foot tall. Lots of perches also helps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Making \u201cboredom busters\u201d activities helps with bullying. In their new pen, I plan on installing a chicken swing and a mirror to help combat boredom on the days that they can\u2019t free-range. <\/span><\/p>\n

In our area, we have hawks and aerial predators. With the Ayam Cemanis, the hawks fly over them and don\u2019t attempt to make an attack. It could be their dark coloring. With our other breeds, we have to let our livestock guardian dog out with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ayam
Daniel Beckemeier\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Personal Experience<\/b><\/h2>\n

On our farm, we sell grow-out birds and full-grown birds. This helps us guarantee our fibromelanosis. Our chicks get separated and banded at hatch with different colored leg bands that identify each. We use these to identify their parents and bloodlines. <\/span><\/p>\n

Every chick hatched receives a number. If they have any amount of white at hatch, they\u2019re put into a cull group, which is grown out for meat use.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many breeders breed for certain characteristics that they like. Because there is no SOP<\/i> at the time of this article, breeders typically breed for as black as possible. Some breeders also breed for a wild-type feather, which is drastically different from a smooth-feather look.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Read more: Learn more about the all-black Ayam Cemani breed of chicken!<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
Keep ‘Em Separated<\/h5>\n

We separate our birds into groups for sales, breeding purposes and for chicks we\u2019ll keep for future breeding. We use the following groups for our chicks.<\/span><\/p>\n