Java (chicken)
Illustration of the ideal Black Java female in the 1905 Standard of Perfection
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| Conservation status | critical |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Standard | APA |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
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| Egg color | brown |
| Comb type | single |
| Classification | |
| APA | American |
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The Java is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. Despite the breed's name, a reference to the island of Java, it was developed in the U.S. from chickens of unknown Asian extraction. It is one of the oldest American chickens, forming the basis for many other breeds, but is critically endangered today. Javas are large birds with a sturdy appearance. They are hardy, and are well-suited for both meat and egg production, especially by small-scale farms, homesteads, and backyard keepers.
After the Dominique, the Java is the oldest breed of chicken created in the U.S. Though its name would suggest a Javan derivation, it is not known exactly where in Asia its ancestors came from. It was first mentioned in print in 1835, but it is thought to have been present well before this time. Javas were especially notable as meat production birds throughout the 19th century, with their popularity peaking in the latter half of that century.
The Java is a key foundation breed for the American class of chickens, having contributed significantly to major modern fowl such as the Jersey Giant, Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock. They are also likely to be the source of the yellow skin in contemporary Dominiques, which once had white skin.
The Java was first recognized officially by acceptance in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1883. The White, Black, and Mottled varieties were all originally described in the Standard, but the White was removed in 1910 because it was thought to be too similar to the White Plymouth Rock. It eventually disappeared in the 1950s. There was also an Auburn type which was the basis for the Rhode Island Red, but it died out by 1870.
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 fancy. Beginning in the 1990s, breeders and conservation organizations began to make a more concerted effort to save the Java. In particular, the Garfield Farm Museum in Illinois has played a pivotal role in the preservation of Javas in the 21st century. Beginning with Mottled and Black Javas, sports from the Garfield flock have revived the White variety. The Garfield Farm was also supported by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, which hatched Java chicks as part of their exhibit on genetics.
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Wikipedia