Some of my non Smithsonian ac have black tongues, black faces, black skin on the pullets and they seem gamey looking to me.
My understanding was mike bean had 2 lines, one the Smithsonian and one non. I had 2 roos go in for crow reduction surgery, the vet said charcoal skin, charcoal teachea, mulberry black heart on my boys insides.
Since then, I have 1 nicer blacker ac boy. But I'm unable to get the crow reduction surgery on him, as I have 2 am white bresse needing the surgery. We can't keep all the roosters.
My friend has a mated pair from gff that look blacker. But they have much of the same shape at the same age as her non Smithsonian ac, but better coloring.
Idk what I'm doing yet, which is why I come here. I don't know enough. I have leghorn, but I don't see leghorn in the ac I have, but I don't have a trained eye. Mine were hatched in august and September, so they are still quite young.
I'm working with what I have, I am working on a black meat bird project and gleaning information to better plan my next step in my projects. But I'm interested in fibromelanistic traits and breeds and find them quite beautiful and intriguing.
I have read the studies on fibromelanistic meat chicken nutritional values vs cx and heritage breeds which is one of the reasons I am also interested in this. And I'm half Korean, which idk for some reason these birds pull at me unlike other breeds. Like I am supposed to have them or something. Ok batty rambling done for now.