SULTAN CHICKEN PHENOMENON: FIVE FINGERS  WHITE CHICKEN 

Amizatul Najeha Lukmanulhakim, Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan, Bidang Pertanian, Pusat Asasi  Sains Pertanian, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Emel: amizatulnajeha@upm.edu.my

Nowadays, the world of agriculture is getting hyped with the phenomenon of Sultan  chickens that are being bred more and more to be used as pets in the homes of  Malaysians. What is Sultan chicken? Why is it so popular? Let’s get to it.

Picture 1.0: Sultan chicken breeds.

Sultan is a type of chicken breed that originates from Turkey. Belongs to the group of  chickens that have large, crested bones. The name of this chicken comes from the Turkish  language Serai-Tavuk, Serai-Täook which means "chicken belonging to the Sultan's  palace". Sultan chickens are usually bred for the purpose of decoration. Serai-Täook is  raised in the castle gardens since the time of the Ottoman period in the 13th century.

Picture 3.0: Male Sultan Chicken (left) and female (right).

Even so, the Sultan chicken breed is almost extinct due to crossbreeding with other  breeds such as the Silkie, Ancona and Orpington breeds, resulting in the loss of the main  physical characteristic of the Sultan chicken, which is the white entirely. It is bred with  various other breeds until it produces black Sultan chickens, blue Sultan chickens and  many more. This has become a gigantic threat to the original white breed.

Gambar 2.0: Serai-Tavuk, Serai-Täook.

Serai-Täook can be identified by the presence of its external appearance or physical  characteristics that are white in its entirety from the bones, legs to the tail. This includes  a large and bulging crest, large nostrils and has a V-shaped bone covered with thick mane  fur on the head. It also has five toes, different from common chicken breeds that usually  only have three toes.

During the Ottoman period, Serai-Täook was considered a symbol of wealth and was only  owned by the wealthy. This is due to most people at that time only rearing chickens for  eating rather than for decoration. However, nowadays Serai-Täook or called Sultan chicken is also raised by ordinary people whether in the rural or urban areas.

Its beautiful color and attractive appearance always make it attention among other  chicken breeds. However, its bright color can cause it to be the main attraction for  predators because it is easy to see from further away.

Picture 4.0: The result of the Sultan Chicken breed that is cross bred with other breeds.

However, today's society is increasingly aware of the importance of proper breeding and is back to breeding animals according to specifications that does not lead to the risk of extinction for some breeds.

In conclusion, the Sultan chicken is a majestic breed of chicken to look at and is it good to  be kept as a home pet if you can give it the best care it needs.

Date: 12^th September 2023

Rujukan:

1. Ozdemir, K. E. D. (2019, December). History and Specific Characteristics of Sultan Fowl. In CONGRESS BOOK (p. 29). Cumhuriyet University.
2. Özdemir, D. (2019, December). Hobby and Ornamental Chicken Breeding in Turkey. In. In 1st International Congress of Alternative Poultry and Ornamental Birds (p. 15).
3. Muhammet, K. A. Y. A., & YILDIZ, M. A. (2014). Chicken domestication and indigenous chicken breeds of Turkey. Journal of Poultry Research, 11(2), 21-28.

Date of Input: 14/09/2023 | Updated: 14/09/2023 | hasniah