Malay chickens originate from Asia, in particular from India, Malaysia and Indonesia. Once used for fighting purposes, they are the tallest of all chicken breeds and can stand as tall as 30”. It has a long neck, long muscular legs and an upright stance. The wattles are small and it has a short, hooked beak and yellow legs. The plumage consists of firm, narrow feathers.

It is a very hardy bird that is not suitable for confinement due to its tendency to squabble with the flock. They are very active birds that need a lot of room to exercise, and they are not ideal for beginner poultry keepers. The hens are not particularly good egg layers and only lay for around two months of the year, but they do make attentive mothers. The color varieties are white, black, black-red, spangled and red pyle. Males weigh approximately 4.1 kg, and the females 3.2 kg in the standard size. There are bantam versions of this breed available.