Sumatra Chicken

Sumatra Chicken is a breed developed in Europe and North America from birds imported in the nineteenth century from the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, brought to the United States as early as 1847 originally for use as fighting cocks. It is distinguished by abundant, flowing tail feathers and, unusually among modern chicken breeds, retains strong flying ability. Sumatra Chicken is kept today as an ornamental and exhibition bird; hens are reasonably productive layers at around 130 eggs a year and are valued as good broody mothers, sometimes used to hatch and rear the eggs of other domestic fowl including waterfowl.