Ayam Cemani: Things To Know Before Buying
The Ayam Cemani is one of the world’s most mysterious chickens due to its black appearance, high price, and rareness. If you consider keeping an Ayam Cemani, you’ll add a superstar to your flock. However, there are some things to remember before buying an Ayam Cemani.
We’ll start by addressing the key takeaways on this special breed.
- Ayam Cemani hens lay 100 cream eggs yearly
- Indonesian rare chicken breed
- All black, including bones & organs
- Hardy breed easy to care for
- Extremely rare & good looking
- Beginner Friendly
- Hardy in all climates
- Expensive
- Not good egg-layers
- Small eggs
Things to know before buying an Ayam cemani
Pros:
- Extremely good looking
- Docile and friendly
- Hardy in all climates
Cons:
- Rather pricey
- Not good egg layers
- Small eggs
Other things to consider:
- Eggs are cream-colored, NOT black
- Not Broody
- Pay attention to fake Ayam Cemani
Pros Of the Ayam Cemani Breed
1. Extremely Good-Looking
Some people refer to the Ayam Cemani as the ‘Lamborgini in poultry’, and they’re not entirely wrong. A purebred Ayam Cemani is gorgeous, with its extremely dark color and proud upright stand.
| Eggs | Between 60 – 100 eggs per year |
| Egg Color | Tinted |
| Egg Size | Small |
| Weight | 3.5 – 5 lbs |
| Hardiness | Cold & heat |
| Temperament | Docile and friendly |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Color | Black |
They’re not (yet) recognized by the American Poultry Association, so no breed standards are found. But the Ayam Cemani Breeders Association filed a draft standard to the APA, but until today the breed is not recognized.
It’s believed the Ayam Cemani occurred by selective breeding wild landrace chickens with a natural mutation, the black pigmentation.
A landrace breed is a species not specially bred to look a certain way but results from natural selection and random pairing. Other landrace chicken breeds are Deathlayer, Hedemora, and Swedish Flower Hen.
The mutation known in the Ayam Cemani, and responsible for its from head to toe dark color, is called fibromelanosis (fibro). Everything in this breed is black; its organs, bones, skin, legs, beak, tongue, wattles, comb and feathering.
But the eggs are cream-colored; the statement of Ayam Cemanis laying black eggs is false and an urban legend. There are no chicken breeds in the world that lay black eggs.
Breeders strive towards creating and preserving the true Ayam Cemani, completely black-colored with no other colors present or faded plumage.
The feathers, however, can have a green sheen, but no color other than black should be found.
That’s why we added this breed to our ‘Beautiful Black Chicken Breeds‘ list.
Roosters weigh around 5 pounds (2.3 kg), and hens tip the scale at 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), making them lightweight but medium-sized chickens.
2. Docile and Friendly
Don’t let their mysterious and scary looks deceive you; Ayam Cemani chickens are family-friendly birds. They’re docile, friendly, and gentle towards children and other chicken breeds. The breed does great kept in confinement, but ensure they have enough space to roam around and scratch their feet.
These black beauties are not especially known for their free-ranging abilities, so you don’t need a large backyard to keep this breed. Check out our ‘Coop Size Calculator’ to calculate the coop and run size.
3. Hardy in all climates
Ayam Cemani chickens can be kept in any climate, as they’re both cold and heat-hardy. But they’re also a healthy breed that doesn’t require much care other than water, food, and shelter. This makes them a beginner-friendly breed, low in maintenance, and easy to care for.
Their large comb and wattles can be prone to frostbite. Always take precautions when freezing temperatures are on their way. There’s no need to provide a heated coop during winter, but applying vaseline on their wattles and comb each evening to protect it from freezing is something you can do.
As with all chickens, Ayam Cemani does better in cold weather than in hot temperatures. An ambient temperature of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24°C) or below is best for all chickens. Take extra precautions to secure your chickens when extreme weather is on the way, like storms or heat waves.
Cons of the Ayam cemani breed
1. Rather pricey
Ayam Cemani chickens are the most expensive chicken breed in the world because of their rareness and stunning looks. Depending on the strain where the chicken originates, prices vary between $70 and an incredible $2500 per unsexed chick.
However, these high prices are only paid for extremely pure birds from a famous line of ancestors.
Plenty of breeders in the US sell hatching eggs or day-old chicks. Although the breed is more expensive than a hybrid bird or Leghorn, paying $70 for a unique bird isn’t insurmountable and worth the price if you’re looking for a unique bird to add to your flock.
If you’re not up to spending $70 on an unsexed chick and are only looking for a dark chicken breed, maybe the Mystic Onyx is something to consider. The breed is entirely black from head to toe, just like the Ayam Cemani, although they can have red flares in their feathers. Hoover’s Hatchery developed Mystic Onyx chickens by crossing meat chickens with Silkies.
Their price is much lower; you can purchase a sexed chick for around $5.
Another black hatchery mix is a Fibro Easter Egger, created by Meyer Hatchery. This black chicken breed looks stunning and, on top of that, lays beautiful colored eggs. Fibro Easter Eggers are sold for around $20 per female day-old chick.
2. Not good egg layers
As the title suggests, Ayam Cemani chickens are not known to be prolific layers. They lay between 60 and 100 cream-colored eggs yearly, significantly less than most egg-laying breeds.
Their egg production consists of laying cycles, where each cycle ends after 20 to 30 eggs are laid. A new laying cycle starts after three to six months, meaning you won’t enjoy their eggs for quite some time.
We have to be honest; the Ayam Cemani is mainly an ornamental bird used to participate in poultry shows or for its beautiful looks. If you’re looking for an excellent egg layer, the Ayama Cemani is not for you.
3. Small Eggs
Not only are Ayam Cemani chickens not the best egg layers, but their eggs are also small in size. Some chicken keepers refer to Ayam Cemani eggs as Silkie-sized eggs, meaning they’re tiny for these medium-sized birds.
As mentioned, the Ayam Cemani is not your number-one choice if you’re looking for a tremendous egg-laying breed.
To consult a list of the best egg-laying breeds, check out our ‘Breed’ page. All birds included in our ‘Top egg layer’ list lay more than 200 eggs per year, and some even more than 300!
Other things to consider before purchasing an Ayam Cemani
1. Eggs are cream-colored, not black
We’ve mentioned it before, but because there is a lot of misinformation online, we want to be very clear on this. No chicken breed in the world lays black eggs. Ayam Cemani hens lay cream-colored eggs. Black chicken eggs found online are chemically or artificially colored.
We urge you to be critical of any photos or videos you see on social media. Videos of chickens laying black eggs should be reported as animal abuse, as they were colored and pushed back inside a chicken’s body afterward.
To learn more about this common misconception, read our article ‘Black Chicken Eggs Myths Busted‘.
2. Not broody
For most chicken keepers, a breed that’s rarely broody is a blessing. Broodiness can weaken a chicken, and it will also temporarily stop egg production. If you’re not planning on hatching eggs, it’s best to choose chicken breeds that rarely are broody.
We’ve created an extensive list of common chicken breeds categorized by the frequency of broodiness. Check out our complete ‘SOS Broody Hen Guide‘ to consult the list.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to breed with the Ayam Cemani, you might need an incubator to hatch the eggs or use another breed for sitting on the fertilized eggs.
3. Pay attention to fake Ayam Cemani chickens
A trusted seller of day-old chicks is My Pet Chicken, a hatchery specializing in designer chickens and rare breeds. The hatchery ships day-old sexed Ayam Cemani chicks directly to you for a competitive price.
Unfortunately, a lot of fake Ayam Cemani chickens are sold. Find yourself a trustworthy breeder with experience and reliable reviews. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Because of their high price and rareness, Ayam Cemani chickens are a wanted species on the counterfeit market. Fertilized eggs sold as Ayam Cemani turn out to be regular hybrid eggs, or other black breeds like the Mystic Onyx are sold as Ayam Cemani.
Summary
An Ayam Cemani is a stunning-looking chicken with its all-black appearance. They’re rare and, therefore, more expensive than other chicken breeds. They’re not good egg layers, laying only between 60 to 100 small-sized eggs. But the breed is very hardy, low in maintenance, and beginner friendly, making them a suitable ornamental backyard bird.
Although these chickens are entirely black, including bones, organs, and skin, the eggs are cream-colored. There are no chicken breeds that lay black eggs.
Ayam Cemani are astonishing chickens, so they made our ‘10 Fancy Chickens That Go Viral On Social Media‘ list. Also, check out another head-to-toe black chicken: the Kadaknath chicken.
Credits Featured Image: @hatchitfarms (IG)
