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.

Famous dual purpose chicken breed

Since a long time ago, people have taken care of chicken for meat or egg. They get delicious chicken meat and eggs. Some farmer can invent the best chicken breed which can produce more meat and more eggs.

In the last 18th century or the beginning of 19th, some researcher have been success to develop the chicken ability. They have selected the heavy cock and productive layer hen only. The researcher also has tried to make an efficient breed that can convert the feed to meat or egg efficiently.

1. Rhode Island Red

This breed is very heavy which weighs 9.5 pound and the female weighs 6.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs per year. It is brown and red in color. It is originated in Rhode Island, United States. The ancestor of Rhode Island Red is Red Jungle Fowl. Now, we can see it in South East Asia jungle.

2. New Hampshire Red

New Hampshire is almost similar with Rhode Island Red in performance. People are difficult to difference this bird with the Rhode Island. The breeder developed this chicken from Rhode Island Red. It is red and brown color. The cock has big single comb. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs in a year. New Hampshire pullet start to lay the eggs at six month old. This breed has been recognized as a chicken breed in 1930s by American Poultry Association.

3. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is a dual purpose chicken too. The chicken looks fat. The cock weighs 9.5 pound while; the hen weighs 6.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year. The famous Plymouth Rock color is black barred. The Plymouth has other color variation such as pencil, silver, white, black and more. The cock has moderately size single comb.

4. Wyandotte

Wyandotte is a dual purpose chicken breed from United States. The hen can lay up to 240 brown eggs. The cock weighs 8.5 pound; while, the hen weighs 6 pounds. They have many color variations such as black, white, blue, red laced, white laced, silver and more.

5. Orpington

The weight of the chicken is 7-10 pounds. It is a fat chicken but it has not deep breast like Rhode Island Red. This chicken is a hybrid of three chicken breed such as Langshan, Minorca and Plymouth Rock. The hen can lays up to 200 eggs in a year. The egg is brown in color. The color of Orpington is black, red, buff, white and more.

Buckeye: The only American Chicken breed that is created by woman

Buckeye is an American chicken breed that has heavy body. The Rooster weighs approximately 9 pounds (4.1 kg); while, the female approximately weighs 6.5 lbs (3 kg). The chicken shape is round, like other American heavy class chicken breed. The breast is wide and it looks handsome like Cornish Chicken. The Feet looks strong and is white or yellow in color.
The feather chicken is mahogany in color; while, the tail is black in color. It has thick feathering. The chick color is buff. The sickle tail is short like other heavy chicken class. The body of the chicken is round.
The performance is almost similar to Rhode Island Red. However, this chicken is different if you can see the difference carefully. The buckeye color is darker than the red. As I mentioned above, this chicken appears very close to Cornish. Of course, the Cornish has wider breast.
The head is proportional with its body. It has small pea comb upside the head and it is the only American chicken breed that has small pea. We know most of American class breed has single comb such as Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Jersey Giant, and else.
The chicken has been breed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf. She is the only woman that produce American Chicken breed. She crossed some chicken breed such as Barred Plymouth Rock, Buff Cochins, and black breasted Games. For first trial, he crossed Buff Cochin male to Barred Plymouth Rock Female. The descendant did not satisfy him. Next years, she crossed the descendant to Black breasted Red game that produced the red offspring. She developed the red become the buckeye.
She has bred the chicken in order to make the best dual purpose chicken. It has good meat and laying ability. Unfortunately, I do not know see any reference about the egg production. The hen lays brown medium size eggs. This chicken has been popular before Rhode Island Red founded.
The chicken is rare species. Only few farmers care this chicken.
This chicken is good forager so it is good to control your weed or grass population. This chicken is suitable for your backyard due it is tame and easy to hand. This chicken also tolerate with hot summer and cold winter or extreme weather.
I am afraid this chicken is aggressive like the ancestor black breasted game. There is no reference that the chicken is aggressive. Perhaps Mrs. Metcalf has selected the aggressive chicken from the breed.

What is auto sexing bird

Can you sexing little chicken or chick? I am sure you can do that. Even an animal husbandry student will be difficult to sexing the chick. Only the expert can do that. They hold the chicken and open the cloaca. They know whether the chicken male or female by seeing the cloaca. It is not an easy jobs. Some breeder dare to pay high for the experts.
Sometimes sexing the chicken waste the company times. That is why they produce auto sexing breed. The breeder company cross the chicken with other chicken that bear different color chicken. We can recognize the male chicken or female chicken with the color.
The first autosexing is Rhodes Island Red with Light Sussex that bear light male chick and Red female chick.
We know the cream legged is auto sexing breed too. The breeder cross 
The United States also develop auto sexing pigeon. They cross some Pigeon breed that is called Auto Sexing King. The pigeon is raise for utility.
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Java Super Chicken

As underdeveloped country, Indonesia is left behind United States or United Kingdom that have breed so many chicken breed. Indonesia has so many chicken landrace that is not efficient for poultry farm. The hen just produce 90-150 eggs in a year. It is far from commercial chicken layer such as White Leghorn or Rhode Island Red.
To overcome the problem, some breeder cross RIR, White leghorn, and Java Chicken. The Java chicken is different with Java America that has black color. The Java Chicken is higher than the RIR and white leghorn.

First, the breeder cross the Java Rooster with white leghorn hen to produce female parents. to produce the male parents, the breeders cross Rhode Island roosters with Java female. Then the breeder cross the female parent with male parent that produce Java Super. The performance of Java Super is not different with Java Chicken but the Super has fat body.
This is chicken is better than the Indonesia landrace but I doubt the chicken can reach the white leghorn or Rhode Island egg production.
Read Also
New Hampshire Chicken
Orpington Chicken

New Hampshire Red: The brother of Rhode Island Red

New Hampshire red is a famous dual purpose chicken. It is almost similar with Rhode Island Red.  The cock is 9.5 pound in weight. The female is smaller which is 6.5 pound in weight. The cockerel weighs 7.5 pound and the pullet weighs 5.5 pound. The color of the fowl is brown to red. It often fades in the sunshine. It has blood red single comb, which the cock is bigger than the hen. There are some point at the edge of comb. The beak and the shanks are yellow in color. The skin of the chicken is red.


This chicken is developed from Rhode Island Red. Before 1935, American breeder Association did not recognize this chicken strain. People are difficult to distinguish New Hampshire to The Rhode Island. The aim of the bird development is to provide the fast meat. 

The chicken is the prolific layer. The hen can lay at six month age. The productive layer up to two years. The layer can lay up to 220  eggs in a year. Like the Rhode, They lay brown eggs, or even darker brown  ones. The female of New Hampshire is also good mother, meaning the hen can hatch its eggs. The owners do not have to provide incubator to hatch its egg. 

The male chicken has many meats. It can provide the meat fast. Some breeder company use this chicken as broiler parent. They cross New Hampshire with other best chicken.

It is characterized by the brood body then the ancestor red jungle fowl or Gallus bankiva. The tail is short relative to its body. It is black beetle in color. Once light shine the tail, the color looks green and purple. 

This chicken is aggressive so you should be careful with this chicken and the roster is also territorial. You should not raise two or more rosters in a flock.

 image by : Sr.M.Jutta by Pixabay

Rhode Island White

Rhode Island White is not famous as their brother Rhode Island Red, but it has been recognized by American Poultry Association (APA) in 1922. Like the Red, this chicken is dual purpose. The chicken bring White rose comb Leghorn, White Wyandottes, and Partridge Cochin. Therefore this chicken has two type comb : single and rose comb. 

The cock weighs 8.5 lbs (3.6 kilos); while, the hen weighs 6.5 lbs (3 kilos). Now, the chicken is very rare because the breeder does not want to care this breed. Perhaps they prefer the Red.

The body is fat like most American Class chicken. They have brick-rice appearance  like the Red. The cock tail is curve short like Cochin. The breast deep, full, and round.

Some breeder also cross the white with the red that result Red Sex Links Hybrid Chicken.

It has good reputation in laying, The hen could lays up to 306 eggs in year or similar with Rhode Island Red. It can lay in winter too. This chicken is easy to going and pleasant so it is good for backyard farm. 
Photo by : Steven L. Johnson

Rhode Island Red profile

Rhode Island Red is the famous dual purpose chicken. The hen can lay up to 300 eggs a year. The egg color is brown. The cock weight is 4.5 kilogram. Meanwhile the hen is 3. 6 kilogram. It was originated at Massachusetts, Rhode Island, United States. The chicken is developed in 19th century. The parents of the chicken are Malay, Shanghai, Java, and Brown leghorn.

Both cook and hen look fat. The thick plumage covers the yellow skin. The legs and shanks are yellow.It has blood red single comb. Some Rhode Island Red has also the color is buff to red. The cock color is more colorific than the hen. It because the fickle feather shining when sun shine.

It is a descendant of gallus bankiva or red jungle fowl. The Rhode Island Red also has similar characteristics of gallus bankiva like single comb, and saddle feather color.

This is the most successful dual chicken breed. It is hardy chicken and can lay many eggs. The breeder always developed the chicken to get best chicken which has produce more meat and eggs.

The domesticated process increase the ancestor quality

For more than ten thousand year, people have risen the chicken. Today, we can find hundreds strain of chicken which have different characteristics. Some chicken has different character to their ancestors, Gallus gallus bankiva or red jungle fowl but some domesticated still has the ancestors character like its feather, performance, or size.

In my country, people care Sumatra native chicken. American breed association named it Sumatra Chicken. The performance is similar with red jungle fowl but the Sumatra is heavier than the ancestors. It cannot fly high as the ancestors. The native Sumatra can lay up to 16 eggs; on the other hand, the red jungle fowl lay only seven eggs.

Some domesticated is heavier than the ancestors. For example Rhode Island red that is 4.5 kg weight or  four to five times the ancestors weight. It is because they do not have to fly again. People also feed the chicken with high quality food.

The feather of domesticated bird is also more beautiful than the ancestor. There are various kind of feather shape i.e. frizzle, silky, featherless. and others. The color of feather is not only red partridge. The domesticated have many color variations such as, black, white, calico, green partridge, buff, black green, and others.

In people's hand, the chicken is more productive than the ancestors. A red jungle fowl can lay up to 50 eggs in a year in forest but a domesticated can lay up to 300 eggs in a year.

The increasing quality caused by selecting process for more than thousands year. People tend to care the best breed whose has beautiful feather, nice song, prolific, short body, weight, and other.

read also : Indonesia native chicken