Ayam Merawang: The Rhode Island descent from Bangka Island

The Merawang Chicken or Ayam Merawang is one of landrace chicken from Indonesia. Merawang is a district on Bangka-Belitung Province, Indonesia. It comes from Merawang district, Bangka Island. The scientist pretty sure the chicken is the Rhode Island Red descendent.  The history of the chicken began three hundred years ago. The Chinese tin miner brought the chicken to the Bangka Island.

The chicken farm like raise the chicken because it produces large meat and so much egg.  The hen can lays up to 165 eggs a year. The egg size is medium, weighs 38-45 gram. The pullet start laying at 5,5 month age. It is faster than famous chicken layer such as leghorn.  The color of the shell is brown. It is not good as the Rhode Island but it is better than other Indonesian chicken. The rooster is not heavy as the Rhode Island. Roster weigh 1,9 – 3,1 kilograms while hen weighs 1,35-2,35 kilogram.  The Merawang meat contains lower fat than other chicken. 

The Merawang quality is not good as the Rhode Island Red. I suppose that the decrease the quality of the genetics because of the inbreeding. The farmer raises the chicken at the free range so the chicken can mate with the family. The breeding between the families make the chicken become smaller.

I am sure the chicken will grow like the Rhode Island if the farmer raises it better. They breed the best Merawang with the best Merawang too. They should avoid inbreeding. The farmer also cross the bird with other chicken landrace that

The color is red like the Rhode Island Red and the edge of tail is black in color. The head is big, relative to its large body. The comb is single with 5-9 points like the single comb red Island. The skin is yellow and the shank is also yellow to. Merawang has not shank feather.