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| photo courtesy Christine Cole |
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| photo courtesy Christine Cole |
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| courtesy of Tacey |
The Java chicken is one of the oldest American chickens, forming the
basis for many other breeds. Despite the breed's name, which comes from
the island of Java in Indonesia, it was developed in the U.S. and it
is not known exactly where in Asia its ancestors came from. After the
Dominique, the Java is the second oldest breed developed in the U.S.
even though its name would suggest a Javan background. It was first
mentioned in print in 1835, but it is thought to have been present well
before this time.
The Mottled Javas dashing plumage consists of a black base with white
markings on the tips of feathers, which imparts a spotted appearance.
Now couple this with a strong body structure featuring a very long,
broad back and a deep breast and they are quite a sight. They are able
to adapt to difficult living situations such as inclement weather.
Though they are slow-growing compared to the broilers used by the
commercial chicken industry today, they are great meat birds. The hens
lay a quantity of large, brown eggs and will hatch their young. Javas
are particularly known as good foragers, needing less supplementary
grain than many breeds when allowed to free range. Like many large
breeds, they are known to be docile in temperament. In general, Javas
are particularly suitable for keepers of smaller flocks who require a
good dual-purpose chicken. The males can reach 9.5 pounds and females
7.5 pounds. Javas had nearly vanished by the end of the 20th century,
having been pushed to fringes of the poultry world by the intense focus
on one or two breeds by commercial growers, and the introduction of
innumerable new and exotic breeds to poultry fanciers. Javas were
especially notable as meat production birds throughout the 19th
century, with their popularity peaking in the latter half of that
century.
basis for many other breeds. Despite the breed's name, which comes from
the island of Java in Indonesia, it was developed in the U.S. and it
is not known exactly where in Asia its ancestors came from. After the
Dominique, the Java is the second oldest breed developed in the U.S.
even though its name would suggest a Javan background. It was first
mentioned in print in 1835, but it is thought to have been present well
before this time.
The Mottled Javas dashing plumage consists of a black base with white
markings on the tips of feathers, which imparts a spotted appearance.
Now couple this with a strong body structure featuring a very long,
broad back and a deep breast and they are quite a sight. They are able
to adapt to difficult living situations such as inclement weather.
Though they are slow-growing compared to the broilers used by the
commercial chicken industry today, they are great meat birds. The hens
lay a quantity of large, brown eggs and will hatch their young. Javas
are particularly known as good foragers, needing less supplementary
grain than many breeds when allowed to free range. Like many large
breeds, they are known to be docile in temperament. In general, Javas
are particularly suitable for keepers of smaller flocks who require a
good dual-purpose chicken. The males can reach 9.5 pounds and females
7.5 pounds. Javas had nearly vanished by the end of the 20th century,
having been pushed to fringes of the poultry world by the intense focus
on one or two breeds by commercial growers, and the introduction of
innumerable new and exotic breeds to poultry fanciers. Javas were
especially notable as meat production birds throughout the 19th
century, with their popularity peaking in the latter half of that
century.
Javas belong to the "American Class" of poultry. If you are concerned about their existence and would like to preserve this wonderful breed join the Java Breeders club. Below is info taken from the APA Standard of Perfection on what Mottled Javas are to look like if you show them
Notice: "I am currently waiting for Walt of the APA to allow me to post info online from the Standard of perfection."
AUBURN JAVAS
There is a very good article about Auburn Javas and their origination at Behls Farm.
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| photo courtesy of Lyle Behl |
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| photo courtesy of Lyle Behl |
