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Ok, so I had to look up Ayam Cemani because I had never heard of one. It looks like they are a black skinned Asian breed (along with many others, it turns out--this scientific paper lists 12: http://www.sasas.co.za/sites/sasas.co.za/files/gaoy38issue3.pdf). They are very rare and it seems like someone in the Netherlands did get a few hatching eggs about 5 years ago but that's Europe and not in the US. It also looks like some folks on BYC have discussed trying some project birds to re-create this type of bird: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=65273&p=1.
Post #71 on page 8 gives an idea of how to accomplish this goal. Posts #69, #72 and #74 have photos of other black skinned chickens or breeds.
I still have a gut feeling that this your bird is a project bird but the sex-link coloration may be coincidental and the real goal was to breed a black skinned chicken like one of the Chinese breeds listed. In the above post #71:
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This last part makes me wonder if someone has tried something similar starting with a Black Sumatra to give the gamey wilder look, perhaps using a Silkie (instead of the South American dark skinned as suggested) to darken the color and thus giving the 5 toes. Then to breed up in size, they added in Australorp thus giving them the name Black Australian (to mirror the Black Serama they started with).
I really hope you figure out if this is a project and what they are doing with the genetics because it is really interesting. I am thinking project because to create a breed you have to have a lot of chicks and end up culling most to only keep the few that match your genetic line you are creating. By selling the culls to a feed store in bulk, they would be able to give the chicks a home rather than killing them and make a few $ on the side to continue the project. It makes the most logical sense.
Please keep us posted as Jet matures. If you could give us more photos of her and maybe of her feet--both the extra toes and the undersides of the feet-that would be great!
Ok, so I had to look up Ayam Cemani because I had never heard of one. It looks like they are a black skinned Asian breed (along with many others, it turns out--this scientific paper lists 12: http://www.sasas.co.za/sites/sasas.co.za/files/gaoy38issue3.pdf). They are very rare and it seems like someone in the Netherlands did get a few hatching eggs about 5 years ago but that's Europe and not in the US. It also looks like some folks on BYC have discussed trying some project birds to re-create this type of bird: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=65273&p=1.
Post #71 on page 8 gives an idea of how to accomplish this goal. Posts #69, #72 and #74 have photos of other black skinned chickens or breeds.
I still have a gut feeling that this your bird is a project bird but the sex-link coloration may be coincidental and the real goal was to breed a black skinned chicken like one of the Chinese breeds listed. In the above post #71:
Quote:
This last part makes me wonder if someone has tried something similar starting with a Black Sumatra to give the gamey wilder look, perhaps using a Silkie (instead of the South American dark skinned as suggested) to darken the color and thus giving the 5 toes. Then to breed up in size, they added in Australorp thus giving them the name Black Australian (to mirror the Black Serama they started with).
I really hope you figure out if this is a project and what they are doing with the genetics because it is really interesting. I am thinking project because to create a breed you have to have a lot of chicks and end up culling most to only keep the few that match your genetic line you are creating. By selling the culls to a feed store in bulk, they would be able to give the chicks a home rather than killing them and make a few $ on the side to continue the project. It makes the most logical sense.
Please keep us posted as Jet matures. If you could give us more photos of her and maybe of her feet--both the extra toes and the undersides of the feet-that would be great!
