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More on melanistic poultry

To: Tim Murphy <>
Subject: More on melanistic poultry
From: brian fleming <>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:38:05 +1100
Having nothing much to do today, I did a bit of googling on the subject of black-skinned fowls. Most references to the Silkie Bantam will tell you that this is the only chicken breed with black skin. Chinese sources are very keen on its medical value, and the Victorian poultry firm of Luv-a-Duck is reported to be breeding larger Silkie hybrids for the Asian niche market in Australia. But there are also black-skinned , white-plumaged poultry (Ac) in Vietnam, (also valued for medical reasons) and in Indonesia (Ayam Cemani), prized for all black plumage as well as black comb, legs etc. This may be the same as the Sumatra breed which is mentioned as a rarity on a few American web-sites - also black-skinned. I have seen claims that the South American Araucanian breed (famous for blue-green eggs) also has black skin. Chickens are sometimes claimed as a very early pre-Columbus import to South America. Indonesian fishermen are, or used to be, in the habit of carrying caged roosters of a particularly talented long-crowing fowl, to detect land out of sight when at sea. If the birds hear cock-crows from land they answer - and vice versa. Presumably other Pacific voyaging island peoples would use the same dodge. All this may have very little to do with wild birds but I think it's interesting.
Anthea Fleming
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