With their imposing jet black coloration encompassing feathers, beak, skin, bones and organs, Ayam Cemani chickens stand apart from all other chicken breeds. To the unfamiliar eye, they look like a mystical skeletal ghost chicken that has manifested straight out of dark fairy tales.
These stunning charcoal-toned chickens originating from the Indonesian island of Java seem to transcend the natural realm. With good reason too – in their native land they are believed by some to have supernatural powers and be harbingers of good fortune.
This near-legendary status, along with their exceptionally rare genetics and visually striking Gothic appearance is why Ayam Cemani chickens command exorbitantly high prices in the U.S. and globally. Let‘s closely examine the facets that make this exotic all-black chicken so expensive and sought-after by breeders and collectors alike.
Origins From the Java Jungles
Ayam Cemani chickens trace their origins to the rugged tropical forests of Java, Indonesia where they have been bred for centuries. Their exact lineage is shrouded in mystery but they are surmised to have evolved as a variant population from the native Javanese jungle fowl.
The breed‘s name Cemani comes from thejavanese word meaning ‘thoroughly black’ – an accurate description!
The distinctive black skin, bones, and organs occur due to genetic variations causing most tissues in the chicken’s body to become hyperpigmented – a rare condition known scientifically as fibromelanosis.
This degree of black hyperpigmentation across bodily tissues is extremely uncommon in chickens globally.
Although called completely black, Ayam Cemani chickens do retain some normally colored features. The blood, tongue lining, and the inside of the beak are typically bright red. Some internal organs also have standard colored tissue. So the darkness is cosmetic affecting mainly the surface.
Sacred Chickens…with Real Mystical Energy?
In the rural villages of Java and Bali where the Ayam Cemani is endemic, it has special cultural status and roles in rituals. Regarded as having potent mystical energy, their pitch black color associates them with passage between the realm of the living and dead.
The elders of these villages often gift Ayam Cemanis of renowned lineages to newly wed couples. They are considered bringers of prosperity, fertility and fortune in marriages and businesses.
In fact, within their native Indonesia, Ayam Cemani chickens command astronomically high prices due to this long-held reputation as harbingers of luck.
For all their vaunted supernatural mystique, as backyard chickens, Ayam Cemanis are quite friendly, docile and low maintenance to raise. They are also decent layers producing 60-100 small white or cream eggs annually.
So in between featuring in rituals and legends, they make solid pets and productive egg-layers!
The Genetic Basis of the Striking Black
The exact genetic basis behind the tropical Gothic appearance of Ayam Cemanis remains to be conclusively pinpointed. But studies have revealed intriguing clues so far.
The pigment primarily responsible for the black surfaces is melanin. It is synthesized in specialized skin cells called melanocytes. These melanocytes migrate and proliferate to other tissues during embryonic development leading to pigmentation.
In Ayam Cemanis, through years of selective village breeding, mutations have cropped up leading to the hyperactive black pigment cells – melanocytes – going into overdrive.
The excess migration and proliferation causes almost all visible tissues – skin, feathers, beak, legs, bones and organs to become deeply black pigmented. This pigmentation cascade occurs as a runaway effect the bird cannot control!
Thus far, research has implicated potential mutations in genes such as Endothelin 3, SOX10 and FGF2 to be involved in creating the Ayam Cemani‘s Gothic phenotype and texture. But the exact series of genetic events behind their all-black appearance remains an active area of investigation.
Prized Chickens Finally Discovered by the West
Due to being actively bred mostly within remote villages of Indonesia, Ayam Cemani chickens have remained relatively rare even in their native land.
It‘s only been in the last 30 years that these exotic chickens made their way into the U.S, Europe, and the Western world through intrepid adventurers and avian traders.
As an ultra-rare and newly imported breed shrouded in mystique, Ayam Cemanis immediately captured the imagination of breeders and avian collectors in America and Europe.
Today, among Western poultry enthusiasts, they‘ve attained an almost cult-like following.
Back in sleepy Indonesian villages though, Ayam Cemani chickens nonchalantly strut about village squares and homesteads, blissfully unaware of all the international hype surrounding them!
The Jaw-Dropping Price Tags of the Black Chicken
Now that we know what makes Ayam Cemani chickens so intriguing as a breed, let‘s move on to the #1 thing most readers likely want to know – just how much do these jet black chickens cost?
Well, to say their prices are simply excessive would be an understatement. Due to multiple factors like novelty, import challenges and insufficient gene pool, Ayam Cemani chickens sell for downright shocking prices in the U.S.
In America, on average, a single adult Ayam Cemani chicken can cost anywhere from $200 to as high as $2,500!
And that is just the baseline price for ordinary specimens. For premium quality birds flocking from prestigious breeding programs with meticulously documented pedigree history, prices skyrocket up to an incredible $5,000 to $6,000 per bird!
Think that sounds extreme? We haven‘t got to the truly crazy numbers yet!
For the ultra-rare examples of Ayam Cemani roosters showing near-perfect black phenotype of even the beak, tongue, mouth and wattles, prices have been reported to soar up to a mind-boggling $9,000 to $10,000 a piece!
Yes, you read that right…five figures for a single special black chicken, putting them in a price range similar to purebred dogs! Some owners do claim record sales reaching even higher. Clearly, the black chicken evokes strong enough desire to pay used-car level money!
And the price madness doesn‘t stop with the birds alone. Mature Ayam Cemani hens capable of breeding start at $500 to as high as $1,500. From these breeding hens, chicken owners charge insane prices for the eggs too due to perceived high value – from $50 going all the way upto an incredible $300 per fertile Ayam Cemani egg!
Even day-old Ayam Cemani chicks begin retailing around the $100 mark in the U.S, likely the only country where chickens stretch into the triple digits from birth!
| Ayam Cemani Pricing Table | Average Price Range |
|---|---|
| Adult Birds | $200 – $2500 |
| Breeding Quality Adults | $5000 – $10,000 |
| Fertile Eggs | $50 – $300 per piece |
| Day-Old Chicks | ~$100 per chick |
So clearly, when it comes to the Ayam Cemani, from eggs to hens to cocks, every black bit comes for a steep premium!
What Drives Prices Through the Roof?
What could justify these astronomical amounts for a single chicken? Well for one, owners cite how personable and friendly Ayam Cemani chickens tend to be thanks to their long history around human dwellings. Their imposing black colors also lend them an undeniable wow factor making them irresistible pets.
Secondly, there‘s the bragging rights that come from keeping an exceptionally rare and pricey breed many can‘t even dream of affording.
But the far bigger driver whipping up prices is the intense enthusiasm Ayam Cemanis have garnered amongst niche circles of devoted poultry collectors and flagship breeders dedicated to furthering unique chicken breeds.
These breed specialists invest insane amounts of time, funds and resources into importing, raising and selectively breeding Ayam Cemanis to standards. They pitch the lineage exclusivity to justify crazy pricing only the well-heeled can entertain.
In reality, Ayam Cemanis themselves are quite robust birds not too demanding for experienced backyard chicken owners to maintain once the initial stock is secured. They have a decent laying rate of 3-4 eggs weekly and rarely succumb to diseases.
So while the jaw-dropping price tags may seem outlandish to novice chicken-keepers, for veteran specialists who have dedicated significant investments into this breed, the high return on investment somewhat justifies the effort.
Choose Trusted Breeders for Authentic Black Chickens
Here‘s a crucial tip for those planning to seriously invest into Ayam Cemani chickens – carefully vet your breeder!
With sky high prices and unclear regulation around rare chicken imports, questionable operators offering low grade ‘Cemani look-alikes‘ have cropped up to make quick cash off the breed‘s hype.
Inexperienced backyard hobbyists also often unwittingly introduce improper breed genetics during uncontrolled breeding efforts. Within 1-2 generations this causes the precious hyperpigmentation and other Ayam Cemani traits to deteriorate and become lost.
To avoid getting royally duped, work exclusively with reputable boutique chicken farms boasting dedicated Ayam Cemani breeding programs. Reputable breeders undergo certification standards to verify and preserve the breed‘s authentic genetics.
Many pedigreed breeders even maintain meticulous multi-generational pedigree records tracking lineage of their chickens right down to details like the specific maternal and paternal black forebears!
With rigorous protocols around selective pure breeding, the Ayam Cemani‘s treasured dark coloration diligently carries forward unchanged for generations, even centuries.
In summary, watch out when prices seem too good to be true. Prioritize seeing images of actual parent breeding stock before purchasing instead of just the chicks. Confirm certification credentials too for greatest assurance.
Paying a premium upfront from pedigree breeders ends up safer and economical long run rather than getting stuck with overpriced landrace-crosses being passed off disingenuously as pure Cemanis!
Ayam Cemani Eggs Refuse to Go Goth…
For all the shadowy blackness saturating their feathers, beaks, skin, legs, bones and viscera, the most unexpected fact about Ayam Cemani chickens presents itself through their eggs!
You would logically assume such pervasive ebony dark pigmentation translates eventually into striking jet black eggs as well forming a uniform gothic theme, right?
Wrong! In hilarious defiance of expectations, Ayam Cemanis lay perfectly clean, ordinary white shelled eggs with standard yellow egg yolk inside that look absolutely no different than regular chicken eggs!
It seems all that melodramatic melanin stops at a skin depth level in the Ayam Cemani. The hyperpigmentation has zero penetrance into the actual reproductive oocyte cells or ovarian tissue which would influence egg coloration.
So natural selection seems to have played an amusing little joke on those hoping for sinister black chicken eggs to match the outward gothic vibe of this breed!
In actuality, Ayam Cemani hens lay a decent number of cream eggs – around 60 to 100 small eggs yearly on average. This egg productivity is lower than commercial production chicken breeds optimized heavily for laying rate.
However, it‘s perfectly common for an ornamental backyard chicken. And while hyperpigmentation skips their eggs, Ayam Cemani roosters are still highly valued for breeding purposes since attributes like the extent of blackness in comb and wattles carries over more consistently affecting offspring looks.
Caring for Black Chicken Health and Diet
To keep Ayam Cemani chickens maximally healthy in order that they live long enough to produce a respectable number of hatching eggs involves meeting some key husbandry considerations.
Since they are reared mostly for ornamental reasons, the overall number of chickens per owner is usually low – making it feasible to expend greater individual care and resources per bird. This pays real dividends for successfully breeding a rare and expensive black chicken bloodline over multiple generations!
Balanced Nutrition
As with any chicken, the foundation for health is a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Ayam Cemanis need a feed regimen providing complete proteins, amino acids, vitamins, dietary calcium and vital trace minerals.
Top breeders specially formulate customized feed mixes dominated by:
- High-quality complete pellet feeds
- Soldier fly larvae
- Sprouted whole grains
- Seaweed meal
- Seasonal garden produce like oregano, basil, pumpkin grains and diced papaya
This species-appropriate diet reduces deficiencies while fulfilling nutritional needs specific to the Ayam Cemani.
Further, many breeders supplement rotating tinctures right into feed and water, such as oyster grit, electrolytes, liver health tonics and even powdered turmeric and crushed red chilies.
Surprisingly chickens cannot taste spiciness! Yet the peppers provideAyam Cemanis a real boost in digestion and gut functioning for some reason.
Preventive Care
Since the hyperpigmentation affects so extensively across bodily tissues including immune cells, Ayam Cemanis tend towards weakened immunity, especially amongst chicks.
Hence breeders have to be vigilant regarding standardized preventive measures like:
- Administering routine dewormers and vaccines
- Continuous monitoring each bird for illness
- Quarantining any new chickens introduced into the flock
- Working with an avian veterinarian specialized in Ayam Cemanis
This reduces likelihood of contagious outbreaks which early on could potentially wipe out an entire precious bloodline.
Coop Considerations
Providing every adult chicken adequate personal space through large compartmentalized coops improves health by reducing stress and aggression.
The coops have excellent ventilation, perches, dust-bathing stations and access to an outdoor free-roaming yard to express their natural behaviors.
Since sunlight can deteriorate the prized black tissues, parts of the coop may incorporate black feed dispensers and water fountains. Screens above the runs provide cooling shade.
Not All Black Chicks Make It
Here‘s a reality check for those starry-eyed about breeding perfect black chicks – the Ayam Cemani‘s iconic coloration comes at a biological cost.
Due to the poorly understood hyperpigmentation genetic defects, around a fifth of embryos in any batch of eggs fail to develop properly in shells. And those chicks who do hatch out initially suffer higher than normal mortality rates.
Monitor them around the clock during the fragile first few weeks. Giving supplements, antibiotics and specialized care helps Ayam Cemani chicks survive into adulthood when they transform into hardy black chickens.
So while difficulties exist initially, once the survivor chicks mature, Ayam Cemanis become quite resilient backyard chicken pets living from 5-8 years routinely.
The True Value of This Majestic Black Chicken
To conclude, while the Ayam Cemani may seem steeply priced judged purely by dollar amounts, as a rare and precious purebred, their uniqueness and exotic breed history make them special beyond mere price tags.
For the breed custodians – be they in Indonesian villages or American farms – preserving the purity of this rare gene pool through ethical and mindful breeding practices makes the initial investments well worth it.
Novices lured by sheer Instagram appeal often get deterred by health and breeding challenges down the line. But the most dedicated Ayam Cemani veterans treat these rare near-mystical chickens as prized black livestock first – deserving of resources and care any exclusive purebred ornamental pet commands.
At the end of the day, the Ayam Cemani is a striking living sculpture conjuring intrigue few other chicken breeds do – rewarding devoted owners with delightful quirky companionship…not to mention those social media bragging rights from owning one of the world‘s rarest, most elite chickens!