The Malay chicken is a slim, tall, and independent chicken that originated thousands of years ago. These are aggressive birds that don’t particularly like interacting with humans, so they are best grown on farms (both small and large) rather than in backyards. Want to learn more about this interesting chicken breed? You’ve come to the right place! We laid out everything that you need to know about the Malay chicken here.
These are ancient chickens, so it is tough to tell exactly where they came from. They are thought to have originated in Asia thousands of years ago. However, they did not become well known until the 1830s, when they were brought to England. During that time, this breed also traveled to Holland, Germany, and eventually, the United States. Today, they can be found living in many parts of the world.
The Malay chicken is independent, explorative, and often aggressive to others that impede on their territory. They are not particularly interested in interacting with humans, and this may be because they’re an old breed and learned how to get along without humans long before humans came along.
Uses
Malay chickens are typically raised for meat because they are poor egg layers. They naturally don’t have many feathers on their backends to keep babies warm and safe during the night. While their egg-laying and baby-rearing abilities are fine for the continuation of their species, their practices are far from ideal when it comes to running a farm.
Appearance & Varieties
The Malay chicken is tall and slender and has extremely long legs for a chicken of any breed. They look like small dinosaurs, but that shouldn’t be a surprise, seeing as how chickens are thought to be closely related to dinosaurs. They have feathers that can range in color from white to black. This is considered one of the tallest and largest chicken breeds in existence today.
Population/Distribution/Habitat
It is not known how many Malay chickens there are throughout the world. There are likely several thousand, if not more. They don’t do well in extremely cold climates, but they can handle moderate and hot climates well.
Are Malay Chickens Good for Small-Scale Farming?
This chicken breed is extremely easy to care for in a small-scale farming situation. They simply need an enclosed place to forage, a coop, and a safe place to sleep at night. They are not too interested in human interaction, so they are best being raised for meat and to help keep unwanted pests out of the garden.
In Conclusion
The Malay chicken is vibrant, hardy, and independent, which makes them perfect for both backyard and large-scale farming. They are awesome meat producers, but they aren’t the best egg producers. All in all, this is viable chicken for all types of farmers.
Rachael has been a freelance writer since 2000, in which time she has had an opportunity to research and write about many different topics while working to master the art of fusing high-quality content with effective content marketing strategies. She is an artist at heart and loves to read, paint, and make jewelry in her spare time. As a vegan, Rachael is obsessed with helping animals in need both in her community and anywhere in the world where she feels she can make a difference. Animals also happen to be her favorite topic to write about! She lives off the grid in Hawaii with her husband, her garden, and her rescue animals including 5 dogs, a cat, a goat, and dozens of chickens....Read more
