An exotic breed of chicken has caught the fancy of poultry farmers in U.S which is completely black in colour, inside out.
Identified as from the breed of Ayam Cemani, the chicken has jet black eyes, a bluish black skin and internal organs as black as night. Certainly the next fashion icon for the goth culture? Possibly.
This chicken was initially bred and discovered in Indonesia, however, since the United States has directly banned imports from the country, these chicken have become all the more rare and expensive.
Reports suggest that a new-born chick (unknown gender) of this breed costs an approximate $199 including shipping and handling.
There are other websites advertising sale of a similar breed, but given their rare nature there is a high probability that those aren’t authentic Cemanis.
The bird has elite status in its home country of Java Island, Indonesia. It is supposed to be found in royal courts and most definitely not eaten for its meat. It also served religious purposes where people used to believe it to be an emissary between the human and the supernatural world. The chicken has also been reported to have been found in China, Sweden and Vietnam.
The black pigmentation is formed by the genetic fluke of duplication of two DNAs (one of them upside-down) which causes them to have black meat, black bones and a black tongue as well.
What is interesting is, in spite of being reared in different countries, the chickens show the exact mutation in each of them. Sure looks like something worth buying, just for the beautiful story behind it.