7 Things You’ll Need To Know Before Buying Ayam Cemani Chickens

Ready to purchasing Ayam Cemani? but wait, here’s the completely guide before you go to the Ayam Cemani for sale party.

Now that you know the basics about the Ayam Cemani chicken breed you may have a better idea whether or not it is the right breed for you.

Still, you should take the time to learn some of the more practical aspects of keeping these chickens.

In this chapter you will learn about the licensing requirements for the Ayam Cemani chicken as well as tips for how many to buy and whether they get along with other animals.

You will also receive information about the cost to keep these birds and the pros and cons of the species.

Do You Need a Licence?

Before you go out and buy a flock of Ayam Cemani chickens, you should learn whether or not it is even legal for you to keep them in your area.

Certain regions require individuals to obtain a licence to keep poultry and other animals, while others do not.

In this section you will receive some basic information about licensing and permit requirements for chickens in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

Licensing in the U.S.

There are no national restrictions against keeping Ayam Cemani chickens, or other poultry, so you will have to learn about individual state, county, and city laws affecting the area in which you live.

There are likely to be fewer restrictions on the type and number of poultry you can keep in rural areas than in urban areas, but it is still important that you check with your local council to determine if there are any size or number restrictions.

You may also be required to take certain precautions against the spread of disease by registering your flock.

In addition to thinking about restrictions and regulations regarding the keeping of poultry like Ayam Cemani chickens, you should also consider whether there are any legal protections for these animals.

According to the ASPCA there are no national laws protecting farm animals while they are on the farm but there are two laws regarding transport and humane slaughter — unfortunately, both of these laws exclude poultry.

Still, you should consult ASPCA literature regarding the humane keeping and slaughtering of poultry like Ayam Cemani chickens.

Licensing in the U.K.

In the United Kingdom there are no national laws that will keep you from legally keeping Ayam Cemani chickens.

There are, however, certain regulations you will need to comply with.

For example, The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) requires individuals to register their birds if they keep more than 50 on the premises — this includes all types of poultry, both adults and babies.

You are not legally required to register your flock if you keep fewer than 50 birds, but you are encouraged to do so.

Even if there are no national rules restricting the keeping of Ayam Cemani chickens, there may be certain by laws or covenants in place designed to keep people from keeping livestock like chickens.

This is generally a local decision so you’ll need to check with your local council to see if any of these restrictions affect you.

Even if it is legal, however, you could still receive complaints from local residents about mess or noise levels so make sure you are respectful of other residents if you choose to keep these birds.

How Many Should You Buy Ayam Cemani?

When considering how many Ayam Cemani chickens to buy, you need to think about several factors.

First, what is your motivation for keeping chickens — are you breeding them for eggs? For meat? Or simply keeping them as pets?

Ayam Cemani chickens do not produce as many eggs as other domesticated breeds and they do not tend to sit well – you’ll have to incu- bate the eggs yourself so think about this when considering how many chickens to get.

Second, how much space do you have to devote to your chickens?

Ayam Cemani chickens generally do well as free-range birds, though they can tolerate a large outdoor enclosure if necessary.

The space you have to devote to your chickens may be limited depending whether you live in a rural or urban area.

If you are raising chickens for the eggs, you should plan to keep 5 to 10 hens in order to feed your whole family.

When it comes to space, each hen will require a minimum of 4 square feet of indoor space, though they will fare better as free-range birds.

In addition to thinking about how many Ayam Cemani chickens you want to keep, you also need to think about whether you want to keep just hens or roosters as well.

Your Ayam Cemani hens will continue to lay eggs whether or not a rooster is present, but they will not be fertile.

If you plan to actually breed and raise your chickens you will need to have at least one rooster and several hens.

Keep in mind that chickens are most productive during the first two years, so you’ll need to acquire more stock every one or two years if you want to maintain production.

Can Ayam Cemani Chickens Be Kept with Other Pets?

When you keep a group of chickens together they will naturally establish a “pecking order” — a type of social hierarchy.

This pecking order determines which chickens get to eat first and which ones have access to the best nest and mates.

Because this order is so important in keeping chickens, it can be risky to introduce another species which has its own societal rules for behavior.

Avoid keeping Ayam Cemani chickens with very violent types of poultry to prevent problems.

It is also important to consider the transmission of diseases when thinking about whether to keep your chickens with other birds.

Chickens are frequent carriers of many different diseases that can be passed on to turkeys, pheasants, and other types of poultry.

You would experience a lower risk for disease transmission in keeping your Ayam Cemani chickens with ducks, though there are still some risks.

Ducks usually eat different food than chickens so you don’t have to worry about competition and they prefer roosts that are lower to the ground.

Chickens also use waterers that are too small for ducks to foul by swimming in them.

On the other hand, drakes (male ducks) have been known to kill hens and roosters have been known to injure male ducks on occasion.

If you absolutely must keep your Ayam Cemani chickens with another type of bird, consider guinea fowl.

Guinea fowl are the most compatible species to keep with chickens, though you do need to be careful about keeping adult chickens with baby guinea fowl.

As long as you provide both species with the right food, water, and sleeping quarters you should be fine.

Ease and Cost of Care

In addition to considering the legal issues associated with keeping Ayam Cemani chickens as well as the number of chickens to keep, you also have to think about the costs of keeping these birds.

Not only will you need to cover the initial costs of setting up your chicken habitat and buying your chicks, but you will also then need to cover recurring costs for food, bedding, veterinary care, and more.

In this section you will receive an overview of both the initial costs and monthly costs for keeping Ayam Cemani chickens.

A. Initial Costs

The initial costs associated with keeping Ayam Cemani chickens are those costs that you must cover to get started.

These include things like the cost of chicks, your chicken coop, feeding and watering stations, and a brooder.

You will find an overview of each cost below as well as an estimate cost.

Purchase Price

Because Ayam Cemani chickens are still fairly rare, you may have a difficult time finding them.

An adult Ayam Cemani can un up to $2,500 (€2,250) so it would probably be more cost-effective to buy your chickens as chicks and raise them yourself.

The average cost for an Ayam Cemani chick is around $200 (€180).

You should plan to keep a minimum of three hens, so plan on a cost around $600 (€540) for your Ayam Cemani chicks.

Chicken Coop

The cost of your chicken coop could vary significantly depending on its size and the materials you choose to use.

Even if you plan to let your Ayam Cemani chickens range freely, you should still provide them with a coop so they have some form of shelter overnight and in inclement weather.

The cost to build your own chicken coop could be as low as $300 (€270) while the cost to buy a large, prefabricated coop could be over $1 ,OOO (€900).

Feeding/ Watering Stations

Just like the chicken coop, your feeding and watering stations vary greatly in cost depending on the size and the materials from which they are made.

It also depends how many of them you need according to the number of chickens you plan to keep.

You should expect to spend about $50 (€4,5) for feeding/watering stations for up to three chickens and up to $ 100 (€90) for a group of 5 or more chickens.

Brooder

If you purchase your Ayam Cemani as chicks you will need to raise them in a brooder.

You can buy a prefabricated brooder or make one yourself from a large plastic tube and a heat lamp.

The average cost for a brooder is between $75 and $100 (€68 to €90).

To help you get an idea how much the initial costs for Ayam Cemani chickens are, consult the chart below.

You will notice that there are cost estimates for a single chicken and for a group of 3 and a group of 5.

Initial Costs for Ayam Cemani Chickens

*U.K. costs are estimated based on an exchange rate of $1/£0.90. Rates are subject to change.

B. Monthly Costs

Once you have purchased your Ayam Cemani chicks and set up your enclosure, you then have to cover recurring costs.

Monthly costs for Ayam Cemani chickens include food, bedding, veterinary care and repairs/replacements.

You will find an overview of each cost below as well as an estimate cost.

Food

When you are raising your Ayam Cemani chicks, you will not need a lot of food — a 50-pound (22.7 kg) bag of starter feed will cost about $ 15 (El 3.50) last you about 6 months for three chicks.

If you are raising five or six chicks, it may only last you 3 months.

Once your chickens have grown up, the amount you spend on food will be determined by whether or not you allow your chickens to range freely.

If you raise your chickens as free-range birds you will need to provide some supplementary feed, but your food costs will be much lower.

Generally, you should budget about $10 (€9) per month for feed for a group of up to 5 Ayam Cemani chickens.

Bedding

You do not necessarily need to use bedding, especially if you allow your chickens to range freely, but it will make clean-up in your coop much easier.

When you are raising your chicks in a brooder you will need to use wood shavings or recycled paper.

A large bag of wood shavings costs about $15 (€13.50) and will last you several months in a brooder.

In a large chicken coop, a bag this size might last you about one month.

You should budget about $15 (€13.50) for bedding costs per month.

If you choose to use newspaper you may not have to pay for your bedding at all.

Veterinary Care

Ayam Cemani chickens are not like cats and dogs — they do not need to visit the vet regularly and they will not require any vaccination, though vaccinations are available for certain diseases.

If you do need to take a chicken to the vet, however, it will probably cost you about $50 (€45).

If you have to take one chicken to the vet during the year the cost will average to about $4 (€3.60) per month over the course of the year.

For the sake of budgeting, set aside about $5 (€4.50) per month per chicken for emergency veterinary costs.

Repairs/Replacements

Over time you will need to make repairs to your chicken coop or to the fence, if you choose to use one to confine your Ayam Cemani chickens.

You may also need to pay for replacements of feeders, waterers, brooding lamps, and other equipment.

You will not have to cover these costs each and every month but, just to be prepared, budget a cost of $10 (€9) per month for unexpected repairs and replacements.

To help you get an idea how much the monthly costs for Ayam Cemani chickens are, consult the chart below.

You will notice that there are cost estimates for a single chicken and for a group of 3 and a group of 5.

Monthly Costs for Ayam Cemani Chickens

*U.K. costs are estimated based on an exchange rate of $1/£0.90. Rates are subject to change.

Pros and Cons of Ayam Cemani

Chickens As is true of all animals, the Ayam Cemani chicken breed has both its associated advantages and disadvantages.

Before you decide whether this is the right breed for you, you should consider the pros and cons.

Below you will find a list of pros and cons associated with keeping Ayam Cemani chickens:

Ayam Cemani Pros

• Very attractive breed — unique in appearance.
• Average-sized, does not require an excessive amount of space.
• Very friendly and gentle temperament.
• Fairly easy to care for — not high maintenance.
• Inquisitive breed, can be very interesting to keep.

Ayam Cemani Cons

• Very expensive to obtain — could cost hundreds of dollars for a chick, thousands for an adult.
• Still a rare breed, might be difficult to obtain.
• Fairly strong-winged, could fly out of an open-top enclosure.

Purchasing Ayam Cemani

Once you have made the decision that the Ayam Cemani chicken is the right breed for you, your next step is to figure out where to buy them.

Because these chickens are still fairly rare in the United States and Europe, you may not be able to just go to your local poultry farmer and ask for Ayam Cemani chicks — you will have to find a specialized breeder.

In this section you will get tips for finding an Ayam Cemani breeder and for selecting chicks that are in good health.

Where to Purchase Ayam Cemani Chickens?

If you are looking for adult chickens or chicks to raise yourself, you may be able to find a local poultry farmer to supply you with the eggs or chicks.

If you have your heart set on the Ayam Cemani breed, however, the task may not be that simple.

These chickens are still fairly rare outside of their native country so you will probably have to find a specialized Ayam Cemani breeder.

In this section you will receive tips for finding an Ayam Cemani breeder as well as some tips for ensuring that the breeder you buy from is reputable and reliable.

A. Purchasing in the U.S.

In the United States, the American Poultry Association (APA) is the main organization that puts on poultry shows, organizes breeders, and provides references for poultry farmers.

The Ayam Cemani is not a recognized breed with the APA, but you may be able to find an Ayam Cemani breeder through this organization.

The APA also provides general information about selecting a poultry breeder and raising chicks to maturity.

If you cannot find an Ayam Cemani breeder through the APA, your next best bet is to perform an online search.

When searching for poultry breeders online you need to be able to discern which breeders are reputable and experienced from those that are not.

When performing your search, compile a list of breeders then go through each breeder’s website to determine whether they are reputable or not.

Contact the breeders individually to find out how long they have been breeding Ayam Cemani chickens, how much they know about the breed, and what their breeding practices are like.

Any breeder that seems hesitant to answer your questions should be flagged and you should move on to the next breeder on your list.

To get you started in your search for Ayam Cemani chickens, consider some of the USA breeders below:

• http://cemanifarms.com/ayam-cemani/

• https://featherloverfarms.com/products/greenfire-farms-ayam-cemani-chicks

• https://www.northwoodspoultry.com/ayam-cemani.htm

• https://www.ayamcemanichicks.com/

• https://gypsyshoalsfarm.com/products/ayam-cemani-sexually-mature-roosters

B. Purchasing in the U.K.

Buying Ayam Cemani chickens or chicks in the U.K. is very similar to buying them in the United States.

You are unlikely to find these chickens at a regular poultry farm — you will probably have to search specifically for a specialized Ayam Cemani breeder for chicks or adult chickens.

You might be able to find a breeder through the British Poultry Council or
the Poultry Club of Great Britain, though the Ayam Cemani is not a recognized breed by either one of these organizations.

To get you started in your search for Ayam Cemani chickens consider some of the U.K. breeders below:

• https://classycluckers.co.uk/
• https://www.preloved.co.uk/classifieds/horses-livestock/poultry-game/for-sale/uk/ayam+cemani

How to Choose a Healthy Ayam Cemani Chicken

If you have decided that the Ayam Cemani breed is right for you, you must then go through the process of finding and selecting a reputable breeder.

Depending where the breeder is located, you might also want to pay them a visit to determine whether or not the breeder is experienced and whether the stock is healthy.

The best way to ensure that your Ayam Cemani chicks grow up big and strong is to start with chicks that are healthy in the first place.

In this section you will receive some tips for picking out a healthy Ayam Cemani chick.

When visiting an Ayam Cemani breeder, always check the following before buying:

• Visit the breeder’s facilities and make sure that they are clean and properly maintained — a dirty enclosure increases the chances that the poultry are sick or in poor condition.
• Check the behavior and overall appearance of the breeding stock— the adult birds should appear healthy and active, not lethargic, dirty, or in poor condition.
• Look around the holding facilities to make sure there are no signs of diarrhea — diarrhea is a common symptom of disease in chickens.
• Evaluate the chickens themselves — look for accumulated feces on the vent, signs of missing feathers or mites, discharge or pus on the eyes and/or nose, etc.
• Observe the birds to evaluate their breathing — it should not be labored and there should be no wheezing or sneezing.
• Make sure the eyes of the birds are bright and clear — Ayam Cemani chickens have dark eyes, but they should still be clear and free from discharge.
• Examine the feather coverage of the chickens — if you are buying chicks they will probably still have lots of down, but adult birds should have full coverage.
• Look over the legs and feet for signs of scaly leg (raised or encrusted scales) as well as signs of mites or injury.
• Look for the breast bone — if it is protruding very prominently it is a sign that the bird is underweight which could be an indication of poor health.

After you’ve examined the facilities and the chickens themselves, ask the breeder what kind of veterinary treatment the chickens have received.

Ideally, they should be treated with some kind of de-wormer like Flubenvet.

If you decide to purchase chickens from the breeder, make sure you quarantine them for three weeks before introducing them to other poultry to make sure they aren’t carrying any communicable diseases.