Javas are
dual-purpose chickens. They excel in meat production and Java hens lays two,
medium brown eggs a week. By commercial standards they mature slowly; however,
their maturation rates prove sufficient for the small scale farmer. Given their
large size, the backyard farmer can butcher a young cockerel and still have a
respectable-size, table bird for a family. Their black pin feathers serve as
quality control indicators over the plucking process by showing missed
feathers.
They do best
in warm weather. In colder climates they need a well-insulated coop. Javas meet
fifty percent of their nutrition needs by foraging which makes them an
economical fowl to rise.
They are a large
fowl breed plus docile and easily handled. Javas like to forage but bear up
well in confinement. As foragers they remain active throughout the day but do
so in a calm, peaceful manner. They have a tendency toward broodiness. They
have been described as the “workhorse of the poultry world.” Common, sturdy, and
productive the Java just quietly does its job. Many heritage breeders want to
see the docile Java once again grace the serene farmyards of America.
Javas roosters
weigh an average of ten pounds with the hens coming in at a close eight. Javas
have a rectangular shape with a full breast, tight feathers, and a single
medium comb with matching medium wattles. They sport small red earlobes. The
Black Java has black feathers that shimmer with a beetle-green glint in the
sunlight. Mottled Javas have the same basic black color but with white markings
on the tips of the feathers that give the plumage an appearance of spots. The
American Poultry Association removed the White Java from the Standards of
Perfection in 1910 because it resembled too closely the White Plymouth Rock.
Work with the
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) who started a project in 2009 to
recover the Java. Plan for your Java by providing spacious, food-filled runs,
and well insulated coops. Javas need to forage and will reward the Java owner
by securing much of their own food. Provide good layer food to support their
egg production. Break the Java broodiness by keeping on top of egg collection,
by using a wire bottom in the nesting boxes, and by keeping the hen out of
sight of an old nest.
About Java Chickens
