Are Ayam Cemani chickens really that "good"?

[Sobek]

I hear things about them being this really good chicken but is that true?

 

[DobieLover]

I hear things about them being this really good chicken but is that true?

Good in what way?

They are eye candy for sure, but they are terrible layers, not good for meat and I know of at least one owner who wanted to get rid of his three ACs because they were too flighty for him.

 

[Sobek]

Good in what way?

They are eye candy for sure, but they are terrible layers, not good for meat and I know of at least one owner who wanted to get rid of his three ACs because they were too flighty for him.

For food. My brother I question his knowledge sometimes says they are tough and not good meat birds. Then other people act like they're premium quality.

 

[DobieLover]

For food. My brother I question his knowledge sometimes says they are tough and not good meat birds. Then other people act like they're premium quality.

There are some markets where the black meat is considered a delicacy. You would have to find that market and check it out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For food. My brother I question his knowledge sometimes says they are tough and not good meat birds. Then other people act like they're premium quality.

An adult male ayam cemani is probably going to be around 5 pounds. A good dual purpose adult male should be a lot larger. You typically butcher cockerels when they are even smaller, so ayam cemani are not going to produce a lot of meat compared to others if that is your criteria.

Some cultures prize the really dark meat. As mentioned it is considered a delicacy and worth a lot more per pound. In China some commercial operations produce Silkies for the table because that dark meat is prized so much. Silkies have a purplish black meat. Some people spend a fortune on a piece of clothing that has a celebrity's name on it when there is other clothing of as good a quality for a much lower price. To them it must be worth it. Eating a prized delicacy is much the same. I often get an oyster po boy instead of shrimp even though it is more expensive. To me the difference is worth it.

You can cook any chicken of any age and sex and get a gourmet meal if you know how to cook it. If you don't know how to cook it you can get shoe leather, especially with older birds. The age of the bird when it is butchered and how it is cooked are the determining factors in toughness. I've never eaten an ayam cemani but I doubt there is any real difference in toughness because of breed.

 

[Mosey2003]

I wouldn't have that breed if you paid me, simply because I'm not a fan of all-black animals like that. I also kind of feel like they're over-hyped, but that's just my opinion.

As far as them being "great meat birds," the only way I think they could be categorized as such is if you have a market that values the black/dark meat especially, as was said earlier. As far as pure meat characteristics, they're pretty lean/small.

 

[Sobek]

I wouldn't have that breed if you paid me, simply because I'm not a fan of all-black animals like that. I also kind of feel like they're over-hyped, but that's just my opinion.

As far as them being "great meat birds," the only way I think they could be categorized as such is if you have a market that values the black/dark meat especially, as was said earlier. As far as pure meat characteristics, they're pretty lean/small.

so... serve small portions of soup and claim it's gourmet? Lol

 

[Sobek]

Do all chickens taste the same? I don't actually really eat chicken too much. Our family owns a chicken shop though and we sell live or dressed poultry and other animals. We have agricultural land just outside of city limits like 5 minutes away and we were going to start raising our own chickens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do all chickens taste the same?

Some have more light meat than dark. What they eat can change the flavor, that's usually pretty subtle but if they munch on something like wild garlic it can quickly get noticeable. If you allow cockerels to go into puberty the hormones can have a pretty big influence, much more than pullets' hormones.

Some people claim they can tell a difference based on breed. I can't but I'm not really a delicate type of person. To me the biggest factors in taste is what age you butcher them, their sex if they hit puberty, and how you prepare and cook them. To me, those factors drown out any subtle differences.

 

[Cyprus]

In my opinion, they're just another over hyped breed that I highly dislike. Like the Silkie. I don't like either.