Chicken Breed Focus - Ayam Cemani

[birds4kids]

These are beautiful birds and thank you all for sharing and trying to increase numbers and quality.

That said would I have any hope of keeping these in Wisconsin? Right now I just have a small layer flock and a few silkies but I am looking at a home with more room and more rooster friendly and would like to get into an exotic breed or two as a hobby nothing more.

I would be fine with some modest winter attention like Vaseline on the combs on the coldest nights and do expect to keep chickens out of the snow and wind, but not heated.

 

[Cali Farms]

I have shipped Ayam Cemani to customers in very cold climates like Michigan and they say they have done fine. The Cemani surprisingly seem to be cold hardy here in America but I do not think that's the case for the actual real ones in Indonesia. Indonesian Ayam Cemani do not have the same feather type as the ones here. Our are soft feathers and short bodied. Their's are hard feathered and similar bodied to an oriental fowl like Thai or Shamo chickens from Thailand for example. Besides their all black look, Indonesian Cemani look more like oriental fowl than our so called Ayam Cemani here in America. They are totally different birds than what we have here.

For example, my first shipment of Ayam Cemani ever I bought directly from Greenfire Farms in 2014. Greenfire Farms has supposedly the best Ayam Cemani here in the US and are supposed to be pure but are definitely far from that. They sent me a young rooster of poor quality with mulbury face similar to Hybrid Smithsonian line. After 3 more months of owning him, he grew into a bright red face and neck, white ear lobes, bright white skin and white and pink inner mouth and tongue. If they so called have pures then they would never have had any birds in their line pop out with these characteristics that no pure Ayam Cemani in Indonesia should ever have. That's my point why I think that we do not have he true pure birds like they are supposed to be in Indonesia. But this is all we have to work with for now.

Greenfire eventually sent me another batch of Ayam Cemani in Spring 2015 and they were allot better quality with nice black skin pigment but still no black inner mouths or tongue. My black mouth birds came from chicks from Feather Lover Farms. Though their line is supposed to be mainly Greenfire Farms. Perhaps they dd a good job selecting for traits and breeding them back. I too am only hatching good quality black chicks with black mouths now after carefully selecting for only the best traits and culling the rest. This is the only way we can have quality Ayam Cemani with dark black features here in the US.

As for the cold temps, I have had some cold nights here in California as low as under freezing and haven't had a problem with my Cemani getting sick in a normal type chicken coop setup with no extra heat source. Just keep them in a dry pen and able to get into a barn with straw and they should be good. They are a great breed to own, seen if you'd just like a couple running around the barn. They are an eye catcher to anyone that has never seen them in person.

Cali Farms

 

[KippenPlatform]

Here 2 of our young Ayam Cemani roosters

 

[uzisuzuki]

These birds are so gorgeous and fantastic. Thank you everyone for sharing your pictures!

 

[KippenPlatform]

Ayam Cemani HEN - Black Conny Veenendaal Best 1 after Asian varieties big March 2016 Digi Show

Hans Ringnalda:
No. 2. A very fine representative of her race with the much desired sheen.
The head ornaments are beautifully blue-black. A beautiful type that may not be less.
The tail, always a problem in the Cemani's, is beautiful and unspoiled.
Only the wing are not worn properly connected.

 

[Hollis dollis]

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This is the quality I received from feather lover farms so frustrated

 

[Hollis dollis]

 

[Hollis dollis]

 

[rossfam06]

Yikes!!! I would be requesting my money back!!

 

[Hollis dollis]

Oh I did.... very nice people when they are taking your money.... not so much when you ask for replacements. I was told to buy more, and maybe I would have better luck. Think I will go with someone who cares about the breed, not just the money. on top of it 7 out of 10 chicks were roosters. not one black.