Indonesia's Jet-Black Chickens Are the Dark Side of Poultry

History of Chicken Cemani

This black white chicken is a kind of local chicken native to Indonesia. Its name is from Sanskrit, where the word 'cemani' means 'black jelly'. Likes that called chicken cemani is a chicken all over his body black.

That said, the black color is perfectly bandaged. Not just from the feathers or the comb. Up to meat, bones, and blood.

If coming from the community hereditary community, cemani chicken has become an idol since Majapahit era. It is owned by magnates to the nobility. So reasonable if then this black chicken is considered to bring hockey and wealth. An uninhabited Lha wong can not be normal.

quote Chicken Cemani, Complementary Ceremony and Lucky Bearer

Besides owned as a high value pet, cemani chicken is also used in various custom rituals as a complement. For example in the net activities of the village, sekatenan and grebeg maulud.

Some people still believe that the total black cock has a magical power that can ward off evil or evil. As well as disturbance of spirits.

Especially for those who believe the black cock as a magical animal, cemani known in three types. First is Cemani Widitra, is a type of black chicken with a sweep of lines on the neck, chest, beak and groin. Its magical function is as the intermediary of the science of romance and the refusal of bad luck.

The second is Cemani Warastratama, which is used as a complement to traditional ceremonies. While the third cemani is Cemani Kaiyaki, whose black fur combined a little blue sea. That said, this third type can fade witchcraft.

According to the study, the black color of the chicken is caused by a genetic condition called fibromelanosis. This condition causes the mutation of the endothelian-3 gene (EDN-3) that makes the chicken epidermis layer produce black pigment.

The more mature, the number of genes is up to ten times more than ordinary chickens.

So at first cemani chicken eggs are still white, with little pink spots. The new black color will appear after the chicken embryo appears, which is also a sign that the chicken is ready to hatch.