the Blackest Ones: on exploring the significance of Cemani mutations

[Resolution]

If anyone is interested in black bone stock they need to let me know this coming week.

 

[gootziecat]

I have become particularly interested in black skinned chickens and this has become my project this year. Since I can't afford the true black skinned birds, I'll be working on charcoal skinned with Silkies and Silkie crosses. Breeds that I'm hoping will be helpful are Sumatras, Araucanas, EEs and/or Ameraucanas, and Minorcas. I read the black Minorca crossed with Sumatra can produce black skin.

It would be great to hear anyone's input about what breeds have been successful, and even those that have not.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

I have become particularly interested in black skinned chickens and this has become my project this year. Since I can't afford the true black skinned birds, I'll be working on charcoal skinned with Silkies and Silkie crosses. Breeds that I'm hoping will be helpful are Sumatras, Araucanas, EEs and/or Ameraucanas, and Minorcas. I read the black Minorca crossed with Sumatra can produce black skin.

It would be great to hear anyone's input about what breeds have been successful, and even those that have not.

I just love them, too! I'll get pics of the chicks in brooders for you later. Most of the black-skin girls have finally started laying again.

 

[gootziecat]

Thanks, Lisa. That would be great.

I've considered using any non-NNs as my NN hens are fantastic utility birds.The non-NN chicks shouldn't have the red neck gene.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

You can see some of them hiding in amongst the Naked Neck chicks:

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

This one is the first chick from the blue fm single comb brown-egger girl (hatched last week):

All the others have been from the fm green-egger girls.

 

[alohachickens]

Nice!
This is a project bird of mine:

Lisa

Ha! These photos messed with me a lot at first. Doesn't the BOTTOM photo look like a black and white photo of a "regular" chicken?

It reminds me of that Halloween costume idea, where you get some of your friends together, and all of you dress in shades of black, white, and gray, and put shades of gray make-up on your hands and face. The result is you go out (in a group) as a "black and white movie". See a pics here:

http://candimandi.typepad.com/heres_lookin_at_me_kid/2011/11/being-bogie-and-bacall.html

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YxsbViCWN...65965621540_726596540_3422099_5506558_n-1.jpg

Note those are color photos - of black and white people! This hen would be PERFECT for a "black and white farm couple" costume, ha ha ha!

 

[gootziecat]

Your chicks look good, Lisa. It'll be interesting to watch them develop.
I'm fascinated with your hen's dark skin pigment.How large would you say she is?

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Just went out with camera and scale. The blue girl weighs 6 lbs 12 oz.

Those pics against the hay bales came out weird. That was a temporary 'hay house' made from old dusty hay bales (you can see the orange hay string next to the hens head). The sun was coming in at an angle and the camera picked up all the dust floating.

 

[alohachickens]

Just went out with camera and scale. The blue girl weighs 6 lbs 12 oz.

Those pics against the hay bales came out weird. That was a temporary 'hay house' made from old dusty hay bales (you can see the orange hay string next to the hens head). The sun was coming in at an angle and the camera picked up all the dust floating.

Maybe the camera got all confused because chickens normally don't come in "grayscale". LOL!

She is a really, really cool hen. A new breed. Grayscale Chickens! Hee hee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayscale

I have heard about the "foodies" starting to pick up on "black skinned" chicken as some rare gourmet delight. It would only make sense to breed that type of chicken plumper. When I read the article, they were eating Silkies, and they really don't strike me as being very meaty, huh?