The American Cemani Breeders Club...open forum

[birdman55]

I have been working with all three for about a year now. One thing people have to understand with the fibros. The males will start out all black and when they age they will go into a mulberry color. In all 3 types. I would love to have someone show me a pic of a five year old rooster that is still all black. Most people will show pics of birds that are less then two years. And now I know why. Even the birds from gff their roosters mulberry. One thing I have learned in the expensive endeavor of the all black chicken is in the end they aren't all black. And it would take years and hundreds of birds a year to be selective enough to make the breed better. The first batch of birds from gff I got ended up in my stomach. So people just need to relax with the all black claims cause in the end the silkie is still darker then Hmong, svart hona or Ayam cemani. I might even get out of fibros this coming year. Started getting into Gamefowl chickens. Oh yeah also the Ayam cemani is weaker to grow with other chickens and don't do well. So u should separate them. I don't feel like the quality that was brought over to America is that good.

 

[miss heny]

Would love some Hmong to help breed for meat Fibro to sell to the local Asian market but the one site I found that sells them and ships is just asking for your newborn for one pair

 

[GabrielBane]

We have a trio of these beauties. Planning on crossing them with Broiler NNs for a nice sized fibro NN for one project, keeping others for improvement of the purebred breed.

 

[miss heny]

I have a trio of Honas that are good/decent quality with a silkie hen with them atm. Looking at buying "broiler silkies" from purely and put the best hens with the hona rooster and butcher the rest. But Hmong appear to have nice breasties so wouldn't mind some of their blood too

 

[cjwaldon]

Thanks @birdman55 for your observations. Some things to think about for sure. I'll be watching my older boys to see if they lighten. Nice looking box of chicks you have there!

 

[birdman55]

We are about to hatch in two days right now we are getting about 30 eggs in less then ten days so that's about how many we hatch in 2 weeks. I really wish the cemani would be a little tougher. Two have separate brooders is kinda a heAdache if u know what I mean. Next year I'll mass produce the black birds and push the baton to its limit. Going to buy a second incubator as well before pheasant season in April. After I hatch a thousand then those will grown out and my decision will be made to keep or not to

 

[miss heny]

Hoping to get a Leahy 624 from a person we know and restore it so we can start hatching out next year.,even though our hona hens are good broodies they decided that their BF wasn't the best and snuck out with the OEGBs I have three of those crosses left, all Fibro with one rooster that looks like a Bantam hona.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Interesting, birdman... I haven't seen any issues brooding AC's with other breeds at all... I've had them with Call ducks, Ohiki and Araucanas so far... I prefer them with Ohiki though, but that's just because the Ohiki are much more people interactive and they're a great influence for the AC's...

I'm pleased with the progress of the chicks we're hatching out, though there's only a few left in the bator since the girls went broody, lol... our latest, while not perfect, are much improved from our first sets... I've also noticed consistent better quality chicks from one hen over the other who has had opposite results... I won't hatch from her anymore and will continue with the other and hopefully a couple of her daughters in spring...

 

[birdman55]

They are smaller to start out with. They don't grow as fast as all the other fibros, there weaker, normally the darkest ones are the last to hatch out n those are even weaker then the others. Most of my cemani get picked on so I have to separate. Even leaving a cemani rooster with svart hona hens the hens were beating him up plucking his tail end. But I also spend a lot more time with my birds then most. So I get to see a lot more then most.

 

[Pyxis]

I too brood my ACs with all kinds of other breeds and have never had trouble with them getting picked on. In fact, my ACs are currently brooding with a batch of leghorn chicks and the smallest AC is the dominant chick over them all. I've also brooded them with various other breeds and ducklings and they never seemed to get picked on. When I let them out to range with my other breeds when they are fully grown they don't take crap from any of them. I also have a legbar that lives full time with my AC flock and she is the lowest hen on the totem pole in that flock.

The darkest ones do seem to be smaller at hatch, but I've never noticed them being picked on. Like I said, my smallest one right now is my dominant chick in the brooder.