Sumatra

The Sumatra chicken hails from the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It's a light-framed, agile bird known for lustrous black feathering that throws a green sheen under decent light. Kiwi keepers who take on Sumatras do it for looks rather than for the pot or the egg basket, and the breed stays rare outside dedicated poultry circles here.

A grown Sumatra tips the scales at roughly 1.8 to 2.7 kg, putting it in the medium bracket for chickens. The bird carries itself low and horizontal, with a long, sweeping tail that can trail well past the body on a cock bird. Hens run smaller with shorter tails but keep the same dark, glossy colouring.

Sumatras forage hard and fly well, more so than most breeds kept on New Zealand sections and lifestyle blocks. They're alert and standoffish around people, and tend to keep their distance unless handled regularly from a young age. The breed suits keepers after natural behaviour and ornamental appeal over a cuddly pet.

Who the Sumatra suits

The Sumatra fits keepers with a decent-sized section or lifestyle block who want a striking, self-sufficient bird and can build a proper covered run. Its strong flight and wary streak make it a poor match for a small suburban yard or anyone after a hand-tame pet. Handle chicks often from the start and you'll end up with calmer, steadier adults.

The breed takes its name straight from Sumatra, the Indonesian island where these birds were kept by local communities long before Western fanciers took any notice. Early records describe glossy black, long-tailed fowl living semi-wild across stretches of the Indonesian archipelago.

Sumatras reached the United States and Europe in the mid-1800s. Shipments during the 1840s and 1850s brought the dark, shining birds to fanciers who rated their unusual sheen and flowing tails highly. Back then the birds carried something of a fighting-stock reputation, though it was their looks that stuck.

Over the following decades, breeders selected hard for the green-black plumage, low carriage, and long tail that mark out the modern bird. The American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection admitted the Sumatra in 1883 in black, with a blue variety recognised down the track.

The Sumatra has never been a production breed of any scale, in New Zealand or anywhere else. It stays a specialty of ornamental keepers and exhibition breeders, and numbers here remain modest set against mainstream egg and meat breeds. Because New Zealand's biosecurity rules effectively rule out importing live poultry, local Sumatra bloodlines trace back to birds already established in the country rather than fresh stock from overseas.

The Sumatra carries a long, low body held close to horizontal. The standout feature is the tail, full and flowing on cocks with long, well-arched sickle feathers. Plumage is black with a strong green sheen across the body, often called beetle-green. The breed has a small pea comb and a dark face, and plenty of birds carry more than one spur per leg.

Coat and colours

The black variety is the original and by far the most common. Its feathers throw a green metallic sheen that shows up best in direct light. A blue variety carries a slate-blue body colour and is far less often kept. Face, comb, and wattles run dark, and the legs are black, often with a greenish cast. Judges and keepers alike rate the plumage on shine, so feather quality and colour depth carry real weight at a show.

The Sumatra holds onto much of the alert, self-reliant streak of a semi-wild fowl. Birds forage widely and roost as high as they're allowed. They fly strongly and will clear fencing that keeps heavier breeds contained, so a secure or covered run isn't optional.

Around people the breed stays reserved and keeps its distance. Sumatras rarely turn into lap birds, though calm, regular handling from chick stage settles adults down noticeably. They're watchful and quick to react to anything out of the ordinary.

With other birds the breed generally gets on fine in a settled flock, though cocks can turn territorial toward rival males. Hens stay quieter and less pushy. The breed isn't a noisy one, but its watchful nature means it'll often sound off at unfamiliar movement nearby.

Day-to-day care comes down to space, security, and clean conditions. The breed is hardy and active but flighty, so containment and predator-proofing are the main practical jobs on any lifestyle block or section.

Grooming

• Check the long tail feathers regularly for breakage, soiling, and mud
• Keep bedding dry so the plumage stays clean and glossy
• Provide a dust-bathing spot to help keep external parasites down
• Check the vent and feather bases for lice and mites
• Trim and clean feet, and keep an eye on the multiple spurs cocks carry

Exercise

• Give daily access to a large run or supervised free range for foraging
• Provide elevated perches, since the breed likes to roost high
• Use a covered run or high fencing to contain their strong flight
• Offer scratch areas and ground cover for natural foraging

Environment

Sumatras handle a range of conditions but do best with shelter from wind and driving rain, which suits New Zealand's changeable, temperate climate reasonably well. The small pea comb is less prone to frostbite than a big single comb, handy through a southerly cold snap. Provide draft-free housing, good ventilation, and shade over the warmer months. Cocks' long tails need enough roost height and width so they hang clear rather than drag.

The Sumatra forages hard, so a fair share of its intake can come from ranging where there's room for it. A complete commercial poultry feed should form the base of the diet, matched to the bird's life stage. Keep clean water on hand at all times, plus insoluble grit to help digestion in birds that forage.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to a small share of the daily intake so the balanced ration stays the main game. Suitable extras include leafy greens, vegetables, and small amounts of grain or mealworms. Laying hens need a separate calcium source such as crushed oyster shell, offered free choice. All foraging birds do better with access to insoluble grit.

The Sumatra is a hardy breed without many breed-specific health problems. With good housing, clean conditions, and routine parasite control, birds commonly reach 6 to 9 years. The small pea comb gives some advantage through cold snaps by cutting frostbite risk. Most health issues that crop up are the usual poultry concerns: parasites, respiratory infection, and reproductive trouble in older hens.

Preventive care

• Keep housing clean, dry, and well ventilated
• Provide a dust-bathing spot to help control mites and lice
• Run regular parasite checks and faecal monitoring
• Quarantine new birds before adding them to the flock
• Follow MPI biosecurity guidance and any local vaccination advice
• Supply clean water and a balanced ration year round

Housing for Sumatras has to account for their strong flight and active foraging. A secure coop with high, sturdy perches suits their habit of roosting well off the ground. The attached run needs a roof, since the breed clears ordinary fencing without much bother. Allow more space per bird than you would for calmer breeds, to cut down on stress and squabbling.

Setup checklist

• Predator-proof coop with secure latches and a solid floor or buried mesh apron
• Covered run to stop escapes and keep out aerial predators like hawks
• High perches with enough width and clearance for long tail feathers
• Dry, deep bedding kept clean to protect the plumage
• Shaded area and shelter from wind and rain
• Dust-bath spot and clean water within the run

Sumatra eggs follow the standard chicken incubation pattern and hatch in about 21 days. The breed keeps fairly strong broody and mothering instincts, so hens will often sit and raise chicks well when given the chance. For bigger numbers or tighter control, an incubator gives steady results provided settings stay within the normal range for chickens.

Hatching steps

1. Pick clean, well-shaped eggs and store them pointed end down for no more than 7 days before setting
2. Let the eggs warm to room temperature, then set them in the incubator at the target temperature
3. Hold temperature and humidity steady, and turn the eggs through day 17
4. Stop turning on day 18, raise the humidity, and move into lockdown
5. Let chicks hatch undisturbed, then move dried chicks to a warm brooder with starter feed and water