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

[DCchicken]

So an update. The Smithies are refusing to go inside the coop at night. So they sleep out on the tree branches even with temps in the 20s at night.

I have noticed that my Smithie hen is nice and plump (I won't call the girl fat, LOL). So it is possible that the coop is too hot for now. This week the plastic goes up on the run walls. So if the Smithies want to stay outside this winter, I am going to let them.

 

[Double Kindness]

I noticed picking up my babies that the white bresse are as heavy as my ac roos. My roos like being handled more than the ladies. Have you noticed this?

 

[maranfarmer563]

My free range game stay in trees till the leaves come off,now I see each night more are moving into the goat barn to sleep in the rafters. Maybe single digits tonight.

 

[DCchicken]

My free range game stay in trees till the leaves come off,now I see each night more are moving into the goat barn to sleep in the rafters. Maybe single digits tonight.

We won't get that cold here in Maryland tonight but we definitely will be in the 20s. So I may be grabbing a few birds after it gets dark and relocating them to the coop for their own safety.

 

[DCchicken]

I noticed picking up my babies that the white bresse are as heavy as my ac roos. My roos like being handled more than the ladies. Have you noticed this?

The Bresse roos are either really nice or really mean. I know my sister and I culled for mean behavior. So I would expect them to be nice and want to be held.

 

[Double Kindness]

I was speaking about the ac I have, but the bresse are very sweet also. It's definitely a trait I like.

My chickens in general seem to love being held/petted. I'm sure this isn't the norm, and I have been lucky. Even with 15 roosters things are not awful, but many are young and have seen a couple loud roosters be culled. Maybe they think this has something to do?

 

[catface]

i raise Ayam Cemani and hybrids. My roos always start crowing at 6-10 weeks but after a week of "practicing" they almost always stop. I have Cemani roos that are over a year old and I never hear them. I have a Lavender Orp roo who crows every few hours around the clock no matter what but the Cemani's never join in.

 

[maranfarmer563]

Are all the roosters in together? If the dominant rooster is at all mean the subordinate ones will blend in almost hen like to avoid a fight if confined.

 

[catface]

They are not all together. They each have their own girls with no competition. I have Orps, Cochins, RIR's, Barbezieux, and an assortment of random layers and have quite a few roosters. The Cemani's are the only ones who aren't noisy. Even as chicks I brood them in the house and could almost forget they are there. They rarely make a peep. My Golden Cuckoo Marans on the other hand never shut up!

 

[Double Kindness]

How are the barbezieux? I'm about to order some from gff.. chicken math strikes me again.

My svart honas from gff are here, the gff ac went broody already, and I accidentally started a fibro oe/sbel project

So my bf gave me permission to get turkeys and more ducks and blue egg layers, so some easter leggers are coming to join in the fibro sbel project.

Could I house the barbezieux with my white bresse, or ducks or do they need their own pen?