Part of the Breed Profile series, the Shamo Chicken is also known as a “game bird”.
Date
The origins of the Shamu chicken are a bit unclear, but the breed may have originated in Thailand (formerly known as Siam), and was imported to Japan as early as during the Edo period (1603-1867). Originally bred as a fighting bird, the Shamu was prized for its endurance and accurate “strike”, as well as its bare-heeled boxing. These birds have been so selectively bred that they are now quite distinct from their ancestors in Thailand, but now they are mostly bred as ornamental birds.
There are seven distinct breeds recognized in Japan, based on weight classes. The O-Shamo and Chu-Shamo are full-sized birds, while the Nankin-Shamo is a variety of bantam. Ehigo-Nankin-Shamo, Kinpa, Takido, and Yamato-Shamo are the other strains, known as the “natural landmarks of Japan.”
Outside of Japan, the Shamu was first documented by Bruno Tehlen, a German poultry breeder and writer. A breeding pair was imported to Germany in March 1884 by the Countess of Ulm-Ehrbach. But the birds were not very popular, and it wasn’t until the 1950s that they really appeared in Europe again, imported from the Tokyo Zoo.
Shamu birds had become so rare by the 1940s that the Japanese government instituted laws to protect the breed. Somewhat illegally, the birds and eggs were brought back to the United States by American soldiers after World War II to mate with the fighting roosters of the South. Most of the Chamois in the United States can still be found in the South today, and were recognized by the American Poultry Association as a standard breed in 1981.
features
Primary use: Ornamental birds and delicacies
print: Quarrelsome, combative, brave (they are very friendly with humans, but aggressive with each other).
Size: Shamu was bred in large, medium and bantam sizes
Egg production per year: 90 or less
egg color: light brown
weight rate:
Large birds: males – 12.4 lbs., females – 7.4 lbs
Medium Birds: Males – 8 lbs., Females – 6 lbs
Bantams: males – 4 pounds, females – 3 pounds
physical properties
Shamu chickens come in a wide variety of colors: white, white with brown speckled plumage, black, black-breasted red (also known as “wheat”), and reddish-brown.
Generally the chickens are tall, standing upright, almost vertical. They have well-muscled thighs and broad, muscular bodies. The feathers grow close together and compact, but do not completely cover their body, leaving the legs, neck, and breast patch bare. Their tails are generally small, and curve down towards the hocks. Suns have a red pea-shaped comb. bright red small earlobes; And light eyes the color of pearl. The beak and legs are both yellow.
bosom
Although Shamu hens don’t lay many eggs, they are good, loyal mothers who take care of their chicks.
More resources
Shamu Chicken, Livestock Keeping