Husbandry

The Black Sumatra always attracts a lot of attention. It is a fowl of great beauty and interesting history.  I raised Sumatra’s for many years and they never failed to intrigue me.

Sumatras are super alert, always having an eye out for danger and are the first to duck for cover in the event of it.  I free-ranged some of my Sumatras and never lost one to owls or coyotes or any predator.  I wish I could say the same for my laying flock.  In the spring and summer, they roosted in the trees with the guinea fowl but I cooped them up in the winter for fear of frostbite.  I have read a few accounts of people letting them stay out all winter long with no adverse effects but I wonder if these accounts were from the southern states.  I cannot imagine anything staying out all winter in New England or the Midwest states and fairing well.  Even so, the Sumatra is said to be quite hardy and easy to keep in a free-range situation.  Considering they are from the tropics originally, it goes to show this breed’s adaptability.

The disposition of this breed is game type in nature, especially when confined.  They can be nervous and flighty if not handled at an early age.  The roosters are not overly aggressive to other breeds but can be quite murderous to other Sumatra roosters.  Its highly recommended that only one cock is kept per pen.  I once had a pen of pullets kept separate from the cocks.  I was growing them out, keeping an eye on show quality and who would make the grade for breeding purposes. One of the girls decided she was the ‘rooster’ and ran a tight ship.  As it turned out she grew into a promising bird and when introduced into a breeding pen, there were many squabbles with her mate.  Eventually she calmed down and decided to be a hen again.

Housing requirements for the Sumatra include a covered run.  A soft netting like Top Flight is recommended, as they are strong flyers and could easily injure themselves if startled.  The run should have a sunny exposure as sunlight darkens the mulberry coloration of their faces to near black. This is a desired trait in exhibition birds.  Placing the run on a hill gives the birds increased exercise that leads to strong muscle development.  The unique horizontal carriage of this breed is enhanced through this technique.  I kept my waterers at the bottom of the hill to ensure many trips a day were made up and down the steep slope.  I was advised to keep the waterers off the ground and elevated to the point that the birds would have to stretch a bit to reach them.  This is another great way to enhance the carriage.  I incorporated a small covered shelter in the run so the birds could take cover if a hawk flew over and they used it to keep cool on hot summer days.  In the coop itself, the only differences from my other breeds were larger pens and higher perches. I was told that smaller pens lead to increased nervousness and lowered fertility.  I believe this to be true as I had a good hatch ratio, especially if the mother or broody hen hatched the eggs.  The higher perches were again for good wing exercise and were always favored over the lower ones.

Nutrition

The Sumatra requires a higher level of nutrition than most breeds.  It is considered a long tailed breed and in being such, its tail feathers keep growing.  To ensure proper tail development high protein foods must be fed.  I know of one breeder who feeds catfish to his birds with very good results.  It is filled with all sorts of vitamins and minerals and has a 32% protein ratio.  Though it may sound strange, he swears that it is imperative for proper coat development especially during first feathering and moulting.  A high protein diet also boosts the hen’s egg production.  The catfish tip is this breeder’s trade secret so take note.  It puts your bird’s feathers in perfect show condition, greatly increasing the tail growth rate and the overall iridescent qualities of the plumage. If catfish is not available then adding fish oil, bone meal, vitamins and fresh greens to their diet will surly benefit them.  Like all chickens, Sumatras enjoy foraging for insects and are very good at it.  Mine were voracious slug eaters.  They would patrol the perimeter of the vegetable garden waiting for the never-ending army of slugs that were hoping for a feast.  I also witnessed them eating slug eggs and any other bug that moved.  Of course, grit is essential for digestion.

When selecting breeding stock for exhibition several factors need to be considered.  One trait that is very important is the width of the tail and sickle feathers.  Both males and females should be chosen for an abundance of very wide sickle and saddle feathers.  These feathers must be twice as wide as other breeds of chickens.  Some Sumatras have tail feathers that are nearly three inches in width.

Do not be too quick to cull birds whose tails are held above horizontal. As the tails grow and are pulled down by the weight, the birds try to compensate by holding their tails up.  Eventually they get used to it and the tails usually take on proper alignment.  Birds with rye tail can be culled at any time.

The green sheen of this breed should be vibrant and without any purple mixed in.  Any purple birds must be avoided and defiantly not added to your breeding program.  The black pigmentation of the skin is a highly important trait and only the darkest skinned birds should be selected. There are a lot of red-faced Sumatras for sale and breeding the red pigment out of them is not a winning proposition.  It is usually the case that the females have the darkest faces; so if you find a female with any red pigment, avoid mating her.  The roosters should ideally have a dark mulberry or deep plum color to almost black pigmentation.  Darker is always better.

Sumatras are susceptible to Chronic Respiratory Disease.  It is said to be genetic so any birds that show symptoms should be culled and replaced with heartier stock.

Showing Sumatras is very rewarding.  Their long tails and sleek lines always generate a lot of attention.  In some ways, they seem less like a chicken and more like a pheasant.  All of my show birds were handled extensively especially before exhibiting.  This extra socialization helped to calm them in the cramped confinement of the show pens and usually resulted in less tail damage.  Extra long transporting coops also curtailed breakage.  On occasion, if I had a rooster with an extra long tail, I would hold him all the way to the fair.  A good washing in the bathtub with just a dash of glycerin always brought them up to tiptop shine and amused the family to no end.

I hope this article will peak your curiosity and encourage your involvement in this fascinating breed.

 Many thanks to Dick Broadway and Hazel Mathews for all of their input.

 Sources: F.P. Jeffrey BANTAM CHICKENS, published by the American Bantam Association.; Leonora Hering, BA U of Calif., THE SILKIE reprinted by ABA.