FS in MI- Ko Shamo

[Polish]

Hello,
I will have a few pairs of Ko Shamo available this fall. I have two lines available as pictured below. These pictures are of my breeders who are under a year old and still developing. They are fantastic pets- highly intelligent and hardy.

 

[shelleyb1969]

Pretty!!!! Never saw those before.

 

[Polish]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder with these guys. They are my favorite birds.

 

[shelleyb1969]

So what is their "claim to fame"? Meat, eggs, dual purpose? They look like they have a lot of meat to them.

 

[Polish]

They are very meaty and have been good layers for me, but are very small birds, roughly the size of bantam Cornish.
They are fantastic pets.

 

[GardenerGal]

These birds were originally used for cockfighting, and I think they still are in some parts of Japan, where they come from. That's why they're so meaty -- muscular for fighting. The hens are good brooders and moms.

Ko Shamo is a Japanese breed, originally brought to Japan from Thailand (when it was Siam). "Ko" means "little" or "small" in Japanese because these are bantams -- they're a true bantam with no standard/large counterpart. "Shamo" is the Japanese pronunciation for "Siam."

So, Ko Shamo is the "Little Siam" chicken.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
The large fowl.. O-Shamo.. Was originally used for cockfighting. Ko shamo, and O-shamo are relatives.. But considered different breeds, and as far as i know. The KO's were never used in cockfights.

 

[Polish]

While my Kos show a lot of oriental character (intelligent birds, quiet, strong hens), they are fairly mild-mannered towards each other- especially when compared to my Shamo. They are very friendly birds, actually seeming to enjoy company and handling. They have completely won over our family- including my silkie-loving daughters. I have been surprised by how thrifty and productive they have been as layers.

 

[GardenerGal]

Hey DTChickens,
Dunno how true this is, but it's what I was told by Japanese friends -- that the Ko Shamo is used for "unarmed" cockfighting in Japan, and that it's legal. They don't use spurs or any kind of artificial spur attachment, just bare-legged sparring. Since Japan is such a crowded place, the bantam birds are easier to raise and keep than full sized O-Shamo.

Like Polish said, what we see in the U.S. of Ko Shamo are mild-mannered. It's probably that American hobbiests select for mild-manneredness when breeding them, which would contribute to Polish's birds being gentle. But, here's a general description of Ko Shamos that mentions their original combative behavioral trait:
http://www.geocities.com/asiangame/koshamo.htm

They're great birds, anyway!

 

[StarLIteStarBrite]

Plz Rememebr To Save Me A Pair Buddy