The Ayam Cemani
Wicked cool & intelligent
History
The TRUE Ayam Cemani (pronounced I-am-chee-mon-e) originates from the Indonesian island of Java. This breed possesses a characteristic called fibromelanism, in addition to several other dermal and plumage melanizers, giving them their exotic look. Ayam Cemanis are believed to bring health, good luck, and fertility to their people in Indonesia, and are a treasured breed.
Let The Buyer Beware (Caveat Emptor)!
There are VERY FEW quality specimens of Ayam Cemani in the United States. Almost all of the Ayam Cemani in the US arrived here via Europe, where the breed purity was compromised through efforts to increase egg production. Indonesia has banned exportation of chickens from their country, and even if that ban was lifted, the USDA bans importation of chickens from Indonesia due to the risk of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) from that country.
We began our Ayam Cemani journey in 2023 with a cockerel named Chaos. Like so many Ayam Cemani, Chaos matured to be a poor representative of his breed. We took a step back, and bought Chaos' sire, only to find flaws in his genetics that weren't apparent on the surface. In 2024, we we have upped our game with two cockerels and a handful of pullets from Bissonnette Acres in Arkansas. We look forward to working with these promising young candidates. We will not be offering any Ayam Cemani eggs or chicks to the public until we have a chance to evaluate the quality of offspring from these pairings.
The Ayam Cemani Breeders Association is in the pursuit of breed acceptance by the American Poultry Association. The Ayam Cemani Standard of Perfection (SOP) is available for review at the ACBA website. We encourage anyone that is interested in this breed to familiarize themselves with the qualities called for in the standard.