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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