The American Cemani Breeders Club...open forum

[Randy2010]

"He had 3 jet black ones for me but they got stolen before he could send them.

With these, I should get 25% jet black, 25% white and 50% grey. But because he bread them for egg production and not so much color I should get an egg per day from each of my four hens. So, by the numbers, in a perfect world, I should get 1 jet black cemani per day. "


Where did you get the percentages/numbers from?

Just because they hatch out black doesn't mean that they will be black inside and out, especially with them having been crossed or breed for egg production. They might be big enough that you can look inside their mouths and see if they are black inside, also you can check skin color under the wing, and also check the vent and should be able to see that it is black inside and not pink. Plus as they get older, some of the cockerel's may get red or a pinkish red in their combs, and waddles as they get older, even though they are black at the moment. Especially the ones that are light skin or the ones that might have a white feather here and there.

My advice is when you are able buy at least the best and blackest rooster you can, breed it into that line and cull as heavy as you possible can. Only keep the blackest ones, I would not keep any that the skin is not black, the inside of the mouth is not at least gray, and so on. Then take the best pullets that you kept and cross back to their dad and cull hard again really hard.

 

[Steadfast]

Here they are in better light

One of the first five is a rooster.

1

2

3

4

5

6 Rooster

 

[Randy2010]

Steadfast, They will change a lot over the next few months, but some things you should be able to tell now the looking at their tongues and under their wings for blackness. The cockerel's for sure may change on you, but until you can add better bloodlines, grow them out and use the blackest rooster and breed to the blackest pullets and go from there. Just cull really hard like I said earlier.

 

[Steadfast]

Steadfast, They will change a lot over the next few months, but some things you should be able to tell now the looking at their tongues and under their wings for blackness. The cockerel's for sure may change on you,  but until you can add better bloodlines, grow them out and use the blackest rooster and breed to the blackest pullets and go from there. Just cull really hard like I said earlier.

I just checked them all.

They all have tan tongues. Bummer

But they all have
Dark grey vents and dark grey skin under their wings.

 

[boykin2010]

That is what wolfwhyte said his numbers are like in all his birds.

Is there a genetic explanation somewhere on the internet or in your research?
Example: Gray Tongue x Black Tongue = x% and y%?
Or: gray down chick x gray down chick = x%, y%, and z%?

 

[Randy2010]

I just checked them all.

They all have tan tongues. Bummer

But they all have
Dark grey vents and dark grey skin under their wings.

Yeah, I was afraid of this, because I know someone who got some from him and their tongues were also tan to normal and one had a lot of white feathers on its body. He decided to just give his away.

 

[DCchicken]

The thing that many people don't seem to understand with this breed is that you have to hatch a lot of chicks and cull hard to get perfection. It's going to be a long project. I have one rooster that looked perfect. His skin, toes, vent, under the wings, comb, wattles, and mouth were all black. But then he grew up and now has silver hackle feathers. I may still keep him because the skin color is the hardest to accomplish. And the silver feathers may fall out when he matures.

I have about 15 more than will go outside tomorrow and I will be able to get a better look at them in sunlight.

 

[Randy2010]

I agree with you DCchicken, and they are going to have to cull if they want to get them perfect. I know some have a hard time with culling and want to say how cute they are and so on, but will never get them to where they need to be if they don't. I am culling at hatching, and then will cull again around 6 to 8 months and then make my final selection again later on for the ones that I want to keep and then cull the rest. If good enough I think to pass on, then I will sell, if not then cull or send them to friends that I know will process them and not breed them.

 

[Steadfast]

Even if I am starting out with a depth of darkness handicap...
Im just really happy to finally have some birds in the game!

and soon enough i will hatch my own jet black chicks to make emprovements and sales!
which will make my dear patient wife much more happy about this whole venture...
.
.

 

[Steadfast]

I agree with you DCchicken, and they are going to have to cull if they want to get them perfect. I know some have a hard time with culling and want to say how cute they are and so on, but will never get them to where they need to be if they don't. I am culling at hatching, and then will cull again around 6 to 8 months and then make my final selection again later on for the ones that I want to keep and then cull the rest. If good enough I think to pass on, then I will sell, if not then cull or send them to friends that I know will process them and not breed them.

What is your post hatching culling process?

I was thinking about using the process using baking soda and vineger a small open container, togeather with the chick inside a large sealed tupperware tub...
This process is said to be the kindest:
Taking only 3 seconds to unconciousness and 10 seconds to cull...