Sumatra chicken
The Sumatra is a breed of chicken native of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. These chickens were originally imported from Sumatra in 1847 to the U.S. and Europe as fighting cocks for the purpose of entertainment, but today the breed is primarily kept for exhibition. 1883 is the year the Sumatra was admitted to the American Standard of Perfection.
The Blue Sumatra (here a rooster) is a rarer color than the standard Black. | |
Other names |
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Country of origin | Indonesia |
Use | ornamental |
Traits | |
Weight | |
Skin color | Black |
Egg color | white |
Comb type | pea |
Classification | |
APA | all other standard breeds[2] |
ABA | all other combs, clean legged |
PCGB | rare soft feather: light[3] |
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Characteristics
Sumatras are primarily an ornamental breed kept for their attractive plumage. Most often they are a lustrous black with a green sheen throughout the body and tail. The breed comes in blue and white varieties, as well as the unstandardised splash - a natural result of breeding blue chickens. Cocks weigh 2.25–2.70 kilograms, and hens about 1.80 kg.[1] Hens are poor layers with yearly totals of eggs amounting to about 100 white eggs a year, and are exceptionally susceptible to broodiness. Both males and females have small to nonexistent wattles, and males often have multiple spurs on each leg.[4] The breed is considered a primitive one; the Sumatra retains a strong flying ability, unlike most modern chicken breeds. The males will fight for dominance, though they usually do not fight to the death.
References
- Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424. p. 286–88.
- APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
- Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
- American Poultry Association (1998). The American Standard of Perfection. Petaluma, CA: Global Interprint.
- The American Standard of Perfection (2001), American Poultry Association
- Ekarius, Carol (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. 210 MAS MoCA Way, North Adams MA 01247: Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58017-667-5.CS1 maint: location (link)