# Typical northern Sumatran village chicken hen



## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

I saw the hen in the first photo just now and she really reminds me of what I would consider to be a typical village chicken in the southeast Aceh region of Sumatra where I used to live, about 50km from here as the crow flies but about 16 hours by road. Black chickens are considered to have medicinal qualities and command a higher price, so people tend to select their blackest hens for breeding.

I'm still trying to take some photos of village chicken hens here as they are a bit different to the black hen in the first photo. The hens here look quite similar to red junglefowl hens. The hen in the second photo is our brown hen. She's currently brooding a clutch of eggs fathered by a cockerel who also closely resembles a red junglefowl, so I'm really excited about this current clutch.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Seeing that first one makes me wonder if the Ayam Cemani has her genetics in their makeup. 

Someone will have to point me to other breeds here that have that feather pattern. I'm in love with it. It will be nice to see her peeps after they hatch.

And I was thinking when looking at the pics that PJ is going to be in heaven seeing those old breeds.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Seeing that first one makes me wonder if the Ayam Cemani has her genetics in their makeup.


It seems breeders in Cemani also had a strong preference for black chickens but have managed to take it to new extremes. My wife won't let me get any Cemani chickens (not that I want to) as she says they look like ghosts.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I was shocked when I first saw them. Now I'm put off by their appearance. 

We've got someone who raises them down here in S. AL. I see their listings off and on for hatching eggs. Evidently they're not letting any of the hatched birds go.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Biring said:


> View attachment 35696
> View attachment 35700
> 
> I saw the hen in the first photo just now and she really reminds me of what I would consider to be a typical village chicken in the southeast Aceh region of Sumatra where I used to live, about 50km from here as the crow flies but about 16 hours by road. Black chickens are considered to have medicinal qualities and command a higher price, so people tend to select their blackest hens for breeding.
> ...


Thanks for the pics! That first hen is a very good example of what the English, Irish, Spanish and U.S. Gamefowl breeders were looking for a hundred years ago. They developed the word "station" to describe as best they could the size and stance of these birds. So, that hen might be medium station, (size), with a good (upright, straight legs), conformation. Definitely a no nonsense bird, very much form follows function with no superfluous decoration.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I was shocked when I first saw them. Now I'm put off by their appearance.
> 
> We've got someone who raises them down here in S. AL. I see their listings off and on for hatching eggs. Evidently they're not letting any of the hatched birds go.


They seem to be really catching on with the hobbyists, I have no idea how pure the ones here are or how long it will last as a fad. A lot of people won't eat a bird with black skin, black bones, and uniformly dark meat. The hatcheries will probably try to sell a bunch of them next year. I would like to hatch just a few next Spring.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You're right, I'm seeing the same thing about the hobbyist. It probably won't be long before they start asking to be admitted to the APA.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

But the fads drive the hobby.


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