Shamo chicken is a species of domesticated chicken originating in Japan. This species is known for its high-quality meat, which has an especially large amount of fat. They are also more expensive than other types of chickens because they are rarer on the market and take longer to raise. For food production, Shamo chickens are usually fed a diet of soybeans and corn.
The meat-to-bone ratio is about 40:60. There is over 23% of fat in This chicken meat, which makes the meat quite tasty. The fat content is between 7% and 15%, depending on the diet of the chicken. Also, this species contains a lot of calcium in its bones, which makes up 1/6th of the total body weight. They also have a unique appearance.
They are medium-sized chickens, with males weighing about 5-7 kg and females weighing about 4.5-6kg. It is also known for having a large heart, large organs, yellow skin, and white meat. The Shamo chicken can lay up to 300 eggs per year. They lay eggs every 25 days, with an average weight of 50g.
The Shamo chicken reaches maturity after 16 weeks and can live to be about 5 years old. Both male and female chickens have elongated black wattles which hang at the sides of the head, but in males, this becomes larger than in females. The Shamo chicken was first bred by Japanese Indians and was then brought over to Japan.
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How to identify Shamo chicken?
The Shamo chicken is relatively small, with males weighing up to 7kg and females weighing 4.5-6kg. They have a slate-grey plumage with yellow skin, white breasts and flesh, and a black tail. Both male and female Shamo chickens differ in their plumage – males have slate-grey plumage with yellow skin, while females have pale grey plumage with white skin.
The Shamo chicken has a deep chest, broad hinds, and long wings that are slightly curved. The black-skinned Shamo chicken also has a white comb and wattles that hang at its sides. The Shamo chicken is known to be a very fast runner when escaping predators, but will soon surrender if caught by one.
White shamo Rooster
A white Shamo rooster is a type of chicken that has been bred with the domestic white leghorn. The result is a larger and more colorful bird that can lay 20-50 eggs per year compared to the standard 7-14 for hens, along with an egg that tastes better than chicken eggs, as well as no feathers. They are heavier but taller and have less aggressive temperaments than hens, although they can still be quite spirited.
Compared to other chickens, the white Shamo’s egg would be very sharp in flavor. The taste is similar to that of a chicken egg but is sweeter and creamier. Although some may find the taste repulsive and prefer the taste of commercially raised birds, in many areas it has become increasingly more common for people to raise their chickens to eat them themselves rather than sell them.
Shamo chicken eggs
The Shamo chicken is also known for its egg production; however, due to a large amount of meat in a Shamo chicken, their eggs are not very popular in Japan. Shamo chicken eggs come in a wide range of colors including brown, blue, red, and green. Eggs should be collected daily or twice a day depending on the number of hens kept in the flock (eggs get dirty and are difficult to clean if they are left too long).
Each hen can produce between 50 and 200 eggs in her lifetime, depending on the diet and amount of space she has. During the laying season, hens will lay their eggs three to four times a day. The Shamo chicken will probably continue to lay for about 2 weeks when it is wintertime, However, after that sex of the hen does not seem to affect the number of eggs laid (the eggs are a bit like jelly). Egg size depends on the diet and health of the hen.
Behavioral characteristics
Shamo chickens are known to be both tame and aggressive, showing their wildness when attacked as they will flap their wings and attack the predator. When raised in captivity, they are known to lay eggs regularly. Shamo chickens like to mate with other types of chickens, which can affect the quality of their meat.
Shamo chickens are also known to be quite noisy, especially during mating season. Shamo chickens have been known to attack large predators such as foxes, raccoons, and wild dogs. Due to their high aggression, they are not often raised as pets; however, they are sometimes used for fighting in Japan.
Housing requirements
The Shamo chicken requires approximately 6sq meters of floor space per bird. They are also not active fliers so do not require much headroom. The enclosure should be large enough to allow the chickens access to feed, water, and dust bathing areas. A Shamo chicken stall should have the following characteristics:
- High lighting (optimal lighting is about 60 lux) for 16 hours per day; with 16 hours of complete darkness.
Diet:
A Shamo chicken diet should include:
- A complete grain ration (22%); should contain maize and soybean meal
- Roughage (12%); this will be made up of rice bran or rice polishings, wheat middlings and ground bean cake, etc.
Vegetables and fruits make up around 2-3% of the diet, which can include:
- Leafy vegetables; mustard greens, rape & turnip leaves, and fruit seeds such as rapeseed or sesame.
- Other vegetables; cabbage, carrots, and beans
- Watery vegetables such as cucumber, squash, and tomatoes.
- Fruits; grapes, apples, oranges, etc.
If growing in a barn or small yard, you can also add:
- Compost. It is important to ensure that the Shamo chickens have access to a dust bath area regularly (small amounts of mulch will suffice).
Special Considerations
- Shamo chickens are very good fliers, so they are often kept in cages with a net (so they cannot escape and injure themselves).
- The Shamo chicken is known to be very aggressive. They tend to attack any large animals that enter their yards, such as dogs, foxes, or even humans. As such, it may not be a good idea to keep them free-roaming.
- Shamo chickens may attack other poultry. As such, it is not recommended to keep them with ducks, geese, or other chicken types that may be prone to egg aggression (especially in the wild.)
- Shamo chickens are prone to egg aggression. This can be avoided by making sure the eggs are collected daily and there is sufficient space for hens to lay their eggs.
- Shamo chickens require intensive management and regular attention (feed, water, and dust bathing area).
However, review the full breed profile of the Shamo chickens in the following table.
Best information
| Breed Name | Shamo chicken |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| Breed Purpose | Meat Production |
| Profile Availability | Rarely available |
| Breed Class, size | Heavy |
| Egg production/year | 50-200 |
| Meat production | 3.2 kg per month (for a one-year-old) |
| Weight | 7kg (1 year old) |
| Climate Tolerance | Cold winter, hot and humid summer |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Color | yellow, red, black |
| eggs color | green, red, blue, or brown. |
| Rarity | Very rare |
| As Eggs | Non-popular |
| As Meat | very good |
| As Pets | Rare |
| Life Span | 5 years |
