Chicken breed
Ayam Cemani
The Ayam Cemani is a rare Indonesian breed that is black throughout, including skin, bones and organs, because of fibromelanosis. It is kept mainly as an ornamental bird and lays relatively few cream-colored eggs. Birds are generally calm and friendly.
At a glance
80–120eggs a year
1–2eggs a week
20–30weeks to first egg
4–5 lbhen weight
5–7 lbrooster weight
Mediumegg size
Traits
- Cold hardymedium
- Heat toleranthigh
- Goes broodymedium
- Egg colour
- cream, sometimes pink-tinted
- Temperament
- calm, friendly, docile
- Origin
- Indonesia (Java)
- Comb
- single
- Bantam size
- No
- APA standard
- Not recognized
- Purpose
- ornamental
Good for
- ornamental flocks
- rare-breed keepers
Watch out for
- low egg production
- needs adequate shelter to handle snowy winters
Looks and feathers
Fibromelanosis makes feathers, skin, comb, meat, bones and organs black. Not on the APA accepted list.
Our drawing shows the most common US variety; colours vary.
Similar breeds
All breedsSources
- 1Ayam Cemani Day Old Chicks (product/breed profile)Meyer Hatchery
- 2Ayam Cemani Chicken (product/breed profile)Cackle Hatchery
- 3Ayam Cemani (breed page)My Pet Chicken
- 4Rare Breed Spotlight: The Ayam Cemani ChickenCackle Hatchery (blog)
- 5Accepted Breeds & VarietiesAmerican Poultry Association
Hatcheries often disagree on eggs a year; ranges span every source we read. How we check the facts.