Ayam Cemani Crosses
The Zombie Project
Ghostly pale plumage, dark-purple faces, eerie black skin — born from the cross of the all-black Ayam Cemani and carefully selected hen breeds. Something truly unlike anything else in the poultry world.
What Is a Zombie Bird
The Undead Look Is Real
Zombie birds get their name from their striking, otherworldly appearance. By crossing an Ayam Cemani rooster — the rarest, most intensely black chicken in existence — over select white and light-colored hens, the result is a bird with ghostly pale or spotted plumage set against dark-purple or black faces, combs, and skin. The contrast is haunting. The look is unforgettable.
The Ayam Cemani carries a dominant gene called fibromelanosis, which causes hyperpigmentation of the skin, bones, organs, and feathers. When crossed with a white or light hen, the offspring inherit this dark pigmentation in their skin and face — but their feathers express the pale base color of the mother, creating that signature ghostly, undead contrast.
The Foundation
The Ayam Cemani Rooster
Everything in the Zombie Project starts with the Ayam Cemani — a breed originating from Indonesia and considered one of the rarest chickens in the world. Every part of the Ayam Cemani is black: feathers, beak, comb, wattles, skin, bones, and even internal organs. This total blackness comes from fibromelanosis, a genetic trait that causes extreme hyperpigmentation throughout the entire body.
When an Ayam Cemani rooster is crossed over a light-colored hen, the fibromelanosis is inherited by the offspring — giving them the dark face, comb, and skin of the Cemani, while the feather color is influenced by the hen. The result is the Zombie bird: pale feathers, dark everything else.
The Science
Fibromelanosis — the dominant gene responsible for the Ayam Cemani's total blackness — is inherited by Zombie offspring. It darkens the face, comb, wattles, and skin while the feather color is determined by the hen, creating the signature ghostly contrast.
Our Crosses
Four Crosses, Four Expressions
Each hen breed we've selected brings something different to the cross — different feather color, egg color, body type, and temperament. The result is four distinct Zombie expressions, each with its own character.
The Original Zombie
Ayam Cemani × White Leghorn
The cross that started it all. The White Leghorn's clean white plumage against the Cemani's dark face and skin produces the most classically 'zombie' look — pale, spotted feathering with an eerie dark-purple or black face and comb. These birds are striking, active, and excellent layers.
The Gourmet Zombie
Ayam Cemani × American Bresse
The American Bresse is prized for its exceptional meat quality and clean white plumage. Crossed with the Ayam Cemani, the offspring carry that same ghostly pale feathering with the signature dark Cemani face — and the potential for outstanding table qualities alongside their dramatic appearance.
The Blue-Egg Zombie
Ayam Cemani × Ermine Ameraucana
The Ermine Ameraucana brings white plumage and the blue egg gene to the cross. Zombie birds from this pairing carry the dark Cemani face and skin, pale feathering, and — most excitingly — the potential to lay blue eggs. A bird that looks like it came from another world and lays eggs to match.
The Production Zombie
Ayam Cemani × Austra White
The Austra White is a proven production bird — calm, hardy, and an exceptional layer of large white eggs. This cross brings practical laying ability together with the Zombie look, producing birds that are both visually dramatic and genuinely productive members of any flock.
Want to add a Zombie bird to your flock?
We're actively developing all four crosses and will have hatching eggs, chicks, and select birds available as the program matures. Get in touch to learn more or get on our availability list.