Last Updated on May 17, 2021 by Pauline G. Carter
In Japan, Shamo is a wide terminology for the game fowls. There are seven different breeds of Shamo chicken. All of these breeds hold the status of natural monuments of Japan. This chicken breed is considered to have been derived from the combat chickens of Malay brought from Thailand towards the 17th century.
Shamo Chicken Breed Profile
| Country of origin: | Japan |
| Primary use: | Ornamental |
| Weight: | Roosters: 5.62 kg; Hens: 3.4 kg |
| Temperament: | Docile, Pleasant |
| Recognized Varieties: | Black, Black-Breasted Red, Dark, Wheaten |
| Egg production (annual): | Low |
| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Medium |
| Comb type: | Pea |
History Of Shamo Chicken Breed
The same Shamo was a distortion of the word “Siam”, meaning “Thailand, at the start of the Edo period. Although the breed had a Thai origin, it has been bred selectively for many centuries and very different from its original form.
For its unique upright stature and show quality, the Shamo chicken breed is produced in all parts of the world. In 1981, the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association officially accredited this chicken breed.
Characteristics Of The Shamo Chicken Breed
As we all know, chickens come in a variety of breeds. All of these breeds have some hallmark allocations that the rest of the species do not have. A thorough understanding of these characters is helpful and even recommended if you plan to buy chickens. Shamo chicken has these characters that make it unique from the rest.
Breeds
The 7 certified breeds of Shamo chicken, the natural monuments of Japan are as follows:
- Kinpa
- O-Shamo (Large Shamo)
- Ko-Shamo (Small Shamo)
- Yamato Gunkein or Yamato-Shamo
- Ehigo-Nankin Shamo
- Nankin Shamo
- Ygido or Yakido
Other variants of the Shamo Chicken breed are the Chibi Shamo and the medium Shamo.
Appearance
In appearance, the Shamo chickens are tall and large. Also, they have an upright, almost vertical body posture. They have mighty muscled thighs, muscular and wide body. They have closely held and stiff feathers that usually do not entirely cover their body.
Their shoulders are broad and heavily boned. The tail of these chickens is small-sized and follows the sloping backline down the ground more often than not. Shamo chickens have bright red colored, smaller in size pea comb. Also, their lobes are bright red in color and smile in size.
Egg-Laying
The female Shamo chickens are good at laying eggs. These hens lay more eggs than most of the other game breeds in Asia. The eggs they lay have medium size. The color of these eggs is slightly brown.
Broodiness
Shamo hens go broody. These hens make peerless mothers.
Meat
This chicken breed produces a good amount of meat. But, the heart they provide is very tough. So, people do not like eating their flesh.
Foraging
They are good at foraging, so they need a wide-open space for staying happy and active. These chickens do not live happily in the confined spaces.
Breed Purpose
The core intent of this bread is the ornament or fighting and not eating.
Weight
The weight of the Shamo chicken breed is a bit high because of their large size. On average, a Shamo hen has about 3.18 weight. However, the male Shamo chicken’s weight is almost 5 kg.
Whereas the weight of bantam female chickens is 1 kg and that of female bantams is about 1.25 kg.
Shamo Chicken Behavior / Temperament
This chicken breed mimics the Asil chicken in many ways. They are mainly easy to control, and the hens are so calm in behavior. But, the male chickens can be aggressive and territorial towards each other. There is another conflict, the aggressive comebacks that the chicks have with each other.
As the roosters show aggressive behavior towards each other, they need to be kept in separate spaces than the other roosters in the flock. It should be noted that the Shamo chicken loves humans.
Shamo Chicken Commercial Farming
The Shamo chicken breed consists of large-sized birds which are highly in demand for both exhibition and fighting. So, it will be so easy to start their commercial farming for financial benefits. Shamo chicken breed farming is beneficial and popular in Asia, especially in Japan and some close countries.
Also, in some other parts of the world, it is commonly raised. As the breed is used for exhibition purposes, starting commercial farming is profitable. Also, the show birds are more often than not scarce and high-demand than the other breeds; they make a good business choice.
Right below, we will help you gain some entailed information about starting and maintaining a highly successful commercial farming of Shamo chicken. The guide covers all the aspects of this business, from buying these birds to their marketing.
Buy the Shamo Chicken
For the commercial farming of the Shamo chicken breed, you should first buy healthy and active chickens. Also, make sure that the chicks you are purchasing are hardy and athletic.
A Proper Housing System
Then you should set up a proper housing system for them. It will help the chickens stay healthy and safe. The place must have an appropriate plan of ventilation.
Healthy Feed for the Chickens
Proper feeding is the next crucial contemplation in raising Shamo chickens. Feed them nutritious and healthy food. It will reduce the chances of them catching the diseases.
Breeding Of the Shamo Birds
Breeding multiplies the number of chickens, so you should pay heed to this step. One healthy rooster is usually enough for breeding about ten hens.
Taking Care of Your Chickens
You should ensure proper care for these birds. Ensure timely vaccination and keep good touch with a vet for their monitoring.
Do Their Wise Marketing
Lastly, put forward good marketing tactics to make the most of your business. Marketing is the key to any business; put your whole energy into it.
The poultry business is thought to be one of the most lucrative business options in the whole world. So, if you raise them well, there will be a high demand in the market. Drop your doubts related to the chicken business and start working on it.
Is Shamo Chicken The Right Choice For You?
Shamo chickens are very scarce, so people usually do not use them for eating. They grow them entirely for exhibition purposes due to their robust statue. So, if you are seeking the most enchanting and easy to grow exhibition birds, Shamo chickens are the best ones for you.
Also, the birds are usually quiet and do not crow/cluck much. So, if noise is what keeps you away from owning a show bird, go for this breed. This one snag of these birds is that they do not live happily in a confined enclosure. So, they need wide open space to stay happy.
This reason makes them the wrong choice to keep them in the confined enclosure of your home and backyard. Thanks to their obsession with foraging! So, before going for Shamo chickens, you should analyze their pros and cons thoroughly. It will help you save your time, energy, and hard-earned money.
Conclusion
Unlike many other chicken breeds, Shamo chickens grow fast and mature quickly. Hence, they make a good choice for many people. So, all these features make the Shamo chicken breed stand out from the rest of the normal domesticated chickens.
You can buy these fowls for the purposes stated above. Also, you can raise them to sell because they are highly in demand for their scarcity. So, you can get the aesthetic pleasure or the financial benefits from these birds; the choice lies in your hands!