Are Javas good for showing?

Yes, in the APA's **American** class. Only the **Black** and **Mottled** varieties are APA-recognized, so those are what you enter and place with; **White** and **Auburn** exist but are not in the Standard and are still being restored. Judges reward the breed's large frame, deep body, and long back.

How hard are Javas to hatch?

No harder than any chicken — **99.5–100°F, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch**. There are no breed-specific incubation quirks. Just remember Javas grow slowly, so young birds feather and develop later than commercial breeds.

Very. The Livestock Conservancy lists the Java as **Critical**, its most endangered status. Taking on Javas is a genuine conservation commitment — breeding enough birds to sustain the line is part of the point.

Are Java hens broody?

Frequently. Java hens go broody readily and are regarded as good, attentive mothers, so you can hatch and raise chicks under the hens themselves rather than relying only on an incubator.

What breeds came from the Java?

The Java is a foundation breed behind the **Plymouth Rock** and the **Rhode Island Red**. The Auburn Java in particular was used in developing the Rhode Island Red, which is why the breed is considered so historically important.

Java: One of America's Oldest — and Rarest — Breeds

Q: What color eggs do Javas lay?

**Brown** eggs — large, ranging from lightly tinted to fairly dark brown. Javas are also notable for continuing to lay well into winter, at roughly 150–180 eggs per hen per year.

Verified September 2026Brown eggs

The short version

The Java is one of the oldest chicken breeds developed in the United States — generally cited as the second oldest American breed after the Dominique, established between roughly 1835 and 1850. It is a large, calm, dual-purpose bird that lays brown eggs, and it is a foundation breed behind the Plymouth Rock and Rhode Island Red. The APA recognizes only the Black and Mottled varieties; White and Auburn exist but are rare and being restored by dedicated breeders. The Livestock Conservancy lists the Java as Critical, so keeping one is as much about preservation as production.

APA class: American

Egg color: Brown

Broodiness: Frequently broody

Varieties: 4

Egg-color genetics

Javas lay a large egg that ranges from lightly tinted to a fairly dark brown, with the brown coming from a pigment coating (protoporphyrin) laid down over a base shell late in the egg's formation. Shade varies from hen to hen, so breeders selecting for a deeper, more uniform brown save hatching eggs only from their darkest layers.

Why the Java matters

The Java is a piece of American poultry history. Developed in the first half of the 1800s from Asian stock, it became a foundation breed for the Plymouth Rock and the Rhode Island Red — two of the most important American breeds that followed. By the late 20th century the Java had nearly vanished, and it survives today only because of focused work by heritage breeders.

The Livestock Conservancy still lists the Java as Critical, its most urgent category. That makes the breed a strong fit for keepers who want a calm, productive dual-purpose bird and want their flock to do conservation work at the same time.

What color eggs do Javas lay?

Brown. Java hens lay large eggs that run from lightly tinted to a fairly dark brown, and they're known for laying well into winter when many breeds stop. The Livestock Conservancy cites roughly 150–180 eggs per hen per year — a solid, steady output rather than a hybrid-layer's numbers.

Breeding notes

This is a conservation breed first. The Livestock Conservancy classifies the Java as Critical — a status assigned when fewer than roughly 500 breeding birds remain across five or fewer primary flocks — so every well-bred hatch matters. If you take on Javas, plan to breed enough birds to actually sustain the line, not just keep a trio.
Keep varieties in separate pens. Black and Mottled are the two APA-recognized varieties and should be bred pure; White and Auburn are not currently recognized and are being brought back by a small core of breeders, so those lines especially need careful, isolated matings to fix color.
Auburn is a historic color sport of the Black Java, mentioned in writings as early as 1879, and Auburn Javas were used in developing the Rhode Island Red. Breeders reviving Auburn are effectively reconstructing an old color — expect variation and select hard toward the intended pattern.
Select for size, a long, broad back, and the breed's slow, sturdy growth rather than early maturity. Javas develop slowly compared with modern hybrids and can live 5–8 years, so patience in the breeding pen pays off in longevity and hardiness.
Because Java hens go broody readily and make good mothers, you can preserve the line the old-fashioned way — under their own hens — which also selects for the mothering instinct that makes the breed self-sustaining on pasture.

Showing notes

Javas are exhibited in the APA's American class. Only Black and Mottled are recognized in large fowl, so those are the varieties you can enter and place with; White and Auburn can be shown at breed-club and heritage events but are not in the Standard.
The Black variety should carry a rich green sheen (beetle-green) on clean black plumage; the Mottled shows black feathers evenly tipped with white. Condition birds so the sheen shows and the mottling stays crisp and even.
Type over everything: judges and preservation breeders both want the large frame, deep body, and long sloping back that define the breed. Undersized, hybrid-looking birds miss the point of the Java.

Hatching & incubation

No breed-specific incubation quirks — treat Java eggs like any large brown chicken egg: 99.5–100°F forced-air, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch.
Javas are slow-maturing, so hatchlings feather and grow more slowly than commercial breeds; give them extra weeks before judging development, and don't cull a promising bird just because it's a late bloomer.

Recognized varieties

BlackMottledWhite (not currently APA-recognized; being restored)Auburn (never APA-recognized; being restored)

Frequently asked questions

What color eggs do Javas lay?: Brown eggs — large, ranging from lightly tinted to fairly dark brown. Javas are also notable for continuing to lay well into winter, at roughly 150–180 eggs per hen per year.
Are Javas good for showing?: Yes, in the APA's American class. Only the Black and Mottled varieties are APA-recognized, so those are what you enter and place with; White and Auburn exist but are not in the Standard and are still being restored. Judges reward the breed's large frame, deep body, and long back.
How hard are Javas to hatch?: No harder than any chicken — 99.5–100°F, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch. There are no breed-specific incubation quirks. Just remember Javas grow slowly, so young birds feather and develop later than commercial breeds.
How rare are Javas?: Very. The Livestock Conservancy lists the Java as Critical, its most endangered status. Taking on Javas is a genuine conservation commitment — breeding enough birds to sustain the line is part of the point.
Are Java hens broody?: Frequently. Java hens go broody readily and are regarded as good, attentive mothers, so you can hatch and raise chicks under the hens themselves rather than relying only on an incubator.
What breeds came from the Java?: The Java is a foundation breed behind the Plymouth Rock and the Rhode Island Red. The Auburn Java in particular was used in developing the Rhode Island Red, which is why the breed is considered so historically important.

Sources

Java Chicken (history, varieties, egg production & conservation status) — The Livestock Conservancy (Breed club)
Java Breeders of America (breed history & variety notes) — Java Breeders of America (Reference)

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