Malay Chicken

     The Malay is an old breed of Chickens, with Asian background from the remote East. It has been bred long ago, in parts of Northern India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Malay is known to be the tallest chicken in the world, as it may stand over 90 cm high.

     Malsy chickens first came to England around 1830 from Asia, originally for cockfighting purposes due to their gamey nature. As cockfighting has been outlawed in Europe and the USA, the bird is mainly used in poultry shows instead in the mean time.

     Malays are very large birds with upright stance, long legs and neck that make them look even larger. They are energetic birds with a meaty body, though their meat is too tough and firm. Malays are available in a lot of color-varieties but the most common are; black, wheaten, spangled and white.

     Malay hens often become broody but aren’t suited to sitting because of their long legs. They don’t lay many eggs (approximately 50 tinted brown eggs per year), and some modified strains might lay up to 120 eggs in their first laying year. The Malay has a pea comb, red earlobes, tiny wattles and bright-yellow legs. A bantam version is also available for this breed.