Sumatra (chicken)
Encyclopedia
The Sumatra is a breed of chicken
native of the island of Sumatra
. Chickens were originally imported from Sumatra in 1847 to the U.S. and Europe for the purpose of cockfighting, but today the breed is primarily kept for exhibition
. 1883 is the year the Black Sumatra was first inducted into the American Standard of Perfection
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The males will fight for dominance, but unlike most breeds, they usually do not fight to the death.
A unique feature of the Sumatra is that males have multiple spurs
, with Sumatra sometimes having as many as 3 spurs per leg.
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
native of the island of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. Chickens were originally imported from Sumatra in 1847 to the U.S. and Europe for the purpose of cockfighting, but today the breed is primarily kept for exhibition
Livestock show
A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llamas and alpacas. Poultry such as chickens, geese, ducks,...
. 1883 is the year the Black Sumatra was first inducted into the American Standard of Perfection
American Standard of Perfection
The American Standard of Perfection is the official breed standard for the poultry fancy in North America. First published in 1874 by the American Poultry Association, the Standard of Perfection classifies and describes the standard physical appearance, coloring and temperament for all recognized...
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Characteristics
Sumatras are primarily an ornamental breed kept for their attractive plumage. Most often they are pitch black with a green sheen throughout the body and tail. The breed additionally comes in blue and white varieties. Males usually weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, and females weigh between 3 and 4 pounds. Hens lay about 100 white eggs a year. Both males and females have no wattles, and males often have multiple spurs. The breed is considered a primitive one; the Sumatra retains a strong flying ability, unlike most modern chicken breeds.The males will fight for dominance, but unlike most breeds, they usually do not fight to the death.
A unique feature of the Sumatra is that males have multiple spurs
Spurs
Spurs are tools worn on the heel of a boot, used when riding horses.Spurs can also refer to:* The Chancellor's Spurs, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin...
, with Sumatra sometimes having as many as 3 spurs per leg.