The Smithies, the $5 "Ayam Cemani" black meat bird

[Double Kindness]

They are from mike bean's non Smithsonian line from kierstens on byc, Maranfarmer563 has some in her flock from my friend too.

I'm getting sh, ac & smithies from dc in the spring and have my deposit on them.

Since I'm only keeping 2 to breed with so far, I need more from my friend, so I'm still waiting for the next 20 to hatch to pick the next 6.

 

[bluenkimchi]

You'll be bussssssssssssssy busssssssssssssssssy next year

and here is a link to for some eye candy Fm birds from China. If you scroll down some, you can see white feather Fm birds too. I think that is how a Fm Bresse would look like

https://www.google.com/search?q=四川山...3ECsKwoQS574DoDA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg&biw#imgdii=_

 

[bluenkimchi]

Sorry Gloryblue, if you may have thought of purchasing him later on.........................anyway I decided to process him today and this is what he looks like

Not very dark at all, grey-blue color skin, light grey meat, organs, bones, connective tissues etc are dark. It's very lanky, small breast and legs, not very much fat and looks pretty lean, except a little bit towards the butt part. I would say live weight is about 5-6 lbs and dress out to maybe about about 3.5-4lbs with bones still intact?

 

[Double Kindness]

How old was your roo bluenkimchi?

 

[bluenkimchi]

How old was your roo bluenkimchi?

I got him in May of this year at about 2 months old, so................makes him about 6 months old as of processing date.

I guess he could have filled in more with higher protein feed and a little more time(2 more months), but he just had to go, since to much crowing in the morning in a suburban area.

I'm sure if you cross your AC and other FM birds with a breed that is known to have more meat on their bones, they will be a lot plumper(Bresse, Marans, Orphingtons, Dorkings, LF Cornish etc)

BTW, did you look at that link I posted above? There are some pics of white feather Fm birds from China on that link if you scroll down some.

 

[Double Kindness]

Ahh. I get it! I have 3-4 that are cemani x orpington, but the other 8 or so are cemani with black saturated coloring to varying degrees.

Only 8 bresse hatched to ship today instead of 12. Dang it. Depending on the refund amt and how much I have left I might get 8 marans from you Maranfarmer563. Since I planned for many more chickens than I have.

I'm looking forward to the results in crossing my fm roo over bresse and marans, and maybe vice versa depending on how things look with the haffies.

 

[DCchicken]

Just to give everyone an update. The Smithies are not yet laying. The weather here in Maryland has been up and down a lot. So I don't know if they are going to start laying before winter sets in. I need to get out and get updated pictures. The roos comb and wattles have gotten very red. Clearly we have a lot of work to do on this line. I may even need to bring in a cockerel from one of my other lines to assist.

 

[Double Kindness]

It looks like I need a blacker roo too. Learning...

Too bad it is too late in the year to add more chicks for me. We gotta get the next coop built or the chicks I have in the barn stay in the barn until spring, the idea of that isn't appealing.

 

[Kev]

Ayam Cemani came from Ayam Kedu. Kedu are the clear skin version of Ayam Cemani. They have clear skin that will look pink because of the blood going through it. Kedu actually do carry the FM genes. But you want to avoid breeding with Kedu as you are going to get a lot of Kedu and very few all black ones. When they mature, the combs and wattles will turn bright red.

How do you know that- has Fm, skin color due to blood?

I had Kedu pegged as birds lacking Fm, with their skin being normal as any other chicken...

 

[DCchicken]

How do you know that- has Fm, skin color due to blood?

I had Kedu pegged as birds lacking Fm, with their skin being normal as any other chicken...

Ayam Cemani originated from Ayam Kedu. Technically if you breed enough Ayam Kedu, some very small percentage will come up with black skin. But it is a very small percentage.