the Blackest Ones: on exploring the significance of Cemani mutations

[Randy2010]

Many of the lines of Ayam Cemani in this country were raised land-race and not to any standard. So it's not that it is impossible to get black all over, it just requires very strict breeding and culling. The problem is that many of the people buying Cemani right now hatch and sell every bird because of the high value for each bird. The breeders with the best Cemani in the U.S. have not sold a single bird this year. One breeder culls at hatch. But other breeders see the breed as a source of income. So they buy some Cemani, breed them, and don't cull. Then they are confused as to why their birds are still throwing chicks with non-black areas or white nails. Ayam Cemani is not a breed that will make you money. Breeding requires lots of time and money. You have to have lots of coops to grow out birds for each generation. It is going to take years of very strict breeding to get perfect black Cemani like they have in Indonesia.

However, it is common for Svart Hona, to have some mulberry in the combs and wattles. But Svart Hona were raised to also be cold-hardy and dual-purpose. I plan on keeping two pens with my Svart Hona. One will be the original line and one will be crossed with my best Ayam Cemani. That way I can keep the cold-hardiness of the original Svart Honas and improve the blackness from my Ayam Cemani.

Also were the silkies you looked at have black skin under the wing or was it gray?

DCchicken is right on this, a lot of people are going to sell eggs or birds without culling at all and not try to improve the breed at all, all they can see is $$$. It is already being done which is ashamed. I am culling anything at hatch that is not pure black on the outside, I don't care if it is just a tiny spot of white on the wing tips, on their cheeks, on just a little tiny bit of white on a toe, they are culled. I have cull 3/4 of the chicks that I have hatched already this year off of one of my lines. And I'm already culled some older chicks that I was not happy with also. This is going to be the only way anyone with these birds are going to improve them so they will get more birds with black tongues and so on and get less culls in the future. Some may think I'm crazy for culling so hard, but I want to have the best of the best and this is the only way that I will get there.

 

[sharkman]

So just a quick question. So many people seem to be having issues getting a really black face, and a few have said it is impossible to get it all in the cemani's regularly. So the question I have, is what makes it different than silkies? Even the hatchery silkie hens I have owned in the past have a jet black face.

Getting silkie hens or any FM hens with black faces is easy that is why a lot of people will show off there FM hens. How many silkie roosters over 1 year old have you seen with black combs? At best they will be Mullbery usualy almost red. Even a roo with good FM under a year old will often get some mullbery as it ages. If you see a FM roo of any kind with almost no Mullbery in it at 1 1/2 years old breed it, it is likely 1 in a hundred or more.

 

[bluenkimchi]

Some videos of Thai native Black chicken. The colored rooster is gorgeous(the first video link) and look at his comb and wattle color

They seem to have both pea combs and single comb type of birds. In some of the video, some males have a Sumatra like body type and look, then there is the oriental fowl and dual purpose type look as well.

Enjoy these videos

white bird with FM, might be the same as the Vietnam AC chicken?

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Some videos of Thai native Black chicken. The colored rooster is gorgeous(the first video link) and look at his comb and wattle color

They seem to have both pea combs and single comb type of birds. In some of the video, some males have a Sumatra like body type and look, then there is the oriental fowl and dual purpose type look as well.

Enjoy these videos

white bird with FM, might be the same as the Vietnam AC chicken?

I have the chickens in the first video. So pretty

 

[bluenkimchi]

I have the chickens in the first video. So pretty

That is awesome! If you don't mind, can you show pics of your birds, would love to see them

 

[bluenkimchi]

And here are a some videos of the Vietnamese Ga Ac chickens(white feathers and Fm body parts)

If you pay close attention, some of the bird appears to have 5 toes and feather legs. I wonder if they have silkie genetics in their line somewhere?


silkie feather type

Why don't someone mix a Fm black feather bird with a La Bresse chicken to get an American Ga Ac chicken?

 

[Chickengirl1304]

That is awesome! If you don't mind, can you show pics of your birds, would love to see them

I ran out and took some
[IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6441728/width/200/height/400
[IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6441735/width/200/height/400

 

[bluenkimchi]

I ran out and took some

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Very pretty and gorgeous birds and THANK YOU for sharing! Does the female not have a single comb like the male's or her's is just that much smaller? They both seem fairly young like pullet/cockerel stage?

I bet they would make great cross babies with mine

I might have to obtain eggs from you in the future

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Very pretty and gorgeous birds and THANK YOU for sharing! Does the female not have a single comb like the male's or her's is just that much smaller? They both seem fairly young like pullet/cockerel stage? I bet they would make great cross babies with mine I might have to obtain eggs from you in the future

The pullets have both straight combs and pea/flat combs

 

[bluenkimchi]

The pullets have both straight combs and pea/flat combs

I see, they can vary. Either way they are beautiful birds