Questions about Shamos

[Fishkeeper]

From what I'm reading, Shamos are best kept in breeding pairs, and may not do well with other chicken breeds due to aggressiveness. Is this what people are finding?
What size coop and pen does a pair need to be content?
Is it okay for the roosters to be in eyeshot/earshot of a roo of another breed, assuming they can't reach the other, or will that stress them out?

Has anyone ever had theirs threatened by hawks? They seem big enough that a hawk would leave them alone.

Are they intelligent birds? I'm wondering about the possibility of letting some out to free-range with supervision and teaching them a recall command to bring them in. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?
Anyone ever tried to teach them or another game species to walk on a leash?

 

[centrarchid]

I can get my American Games to follow me around. We can go to any strange park and walk trails although the chickens are slower than we are for a sustained walk. They will even walk with me through a crowd dodging people's feet. No leash is required.

The potentially embarrassing aspect is I am sort of talking to them as we go.

 

[Trimurtisan]

I'll be setting 6 O Shamo eggs to hatch in the next few days. I don't have 1st hand experience yet, so take my comments for what you will. That being said I have read a lot on the O Shamo, and spoke with more than a couple of breeders...

I would say your answers would depend which Shamo you are talking about. There is a rather large difference in the sizes of the O Shamo, Chu Shamo, and Kimpa Shamo. O Shamo males should be a 12.5 lbs, while the Kimpa Shamo is only 4 lbs.

Then I would think it also matters if you are talking about pure Shamos, as a lot of what is available, say as hatching eggs on ebay, are potentially not pure.

The Shamo chicken is recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) and was admitted as a standard breed in 1981 in the following varieities: Black; Dark; and Black Breasted Red (Wheaten). In America males should weigh 11 lbs and females 7 lbs.

Some of the flashier colors are more likely to be crossed with other Oriental Game fowl. Take the Asil/Aseel for instance. They look similar, but have a wider, and lighter, color variations that are allowed.

The Aseel is recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) and was admitted as a standard breed in 1981 in the following colors: Black Breasted Red (Wheaten); Dark; Spangled; and White.

A spangled Asil crossed to a wheaten O Shamo would make one pretty bird, and likely be easy to sell as a purebred to the unknowing person. The reason I bring this up, and again this is based on reading and questions... but the Asil is a more aggressive bird, while the Shamos are said to make good pets, though both can be aggressive especially to other birds.

Quoted statements come from...
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/aseel
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/shamo

Has anyone ever had theirs threatened by hawks?

The breeder I got my eggs from said he does not have an issue with the adults and hawks. I have hawk issues and it's part of the reason I looked in to the O Shamo. (though any chick makes a good snack) He does breed to APA standards and for temperament (his 7yr old daughter helps tend them) however if any animal threatens it, it will stand it's ground and die if that's what it takes to either protect it's flock or it's ego. Keep in mind I am referring to the O Shamo, largest of the Shamo breeds. I could imagine a Kimpa Shamo hen at only 3lbs being as good as a target as any other smaller chicken.

Anywho, someone with more experiences will hopefully come along. I'd love to read and learn more about the breed/s too. Research is great, but experienced advise is priceless.

 

[varidgerunner]

Shamos are oriental games. Asils are also oriental games. They are all very similar, and probably related way back. You have the Asils spread from the middle East to India, the Thai in Thailand, the Ga Noi in Vietnam, and the various Shamos in Japan. Shamo is from what I understand a Japanese variation of a word that means "Siam", a historically used name for what we now refer to as Thailand. This could mean that the original stock came from trade with Thailand, making them Thai game derivatives. There are Thai games on the large side, some larger than the American standard for Shamo. There are Asils in India that are every bit as big as Shamos. It is likely that what we refer to as the Malay is simply a South Indian Asil, that came from a Dutch ship that had ported in Malay at some point before returning to Europe. The Madagascar game, another oriental, probably came from Ga Noi stock belonging to a Vietnamese prince who was exiled to a tiny island off the coast of Madagascar, (most Madagascars are recreations using Oriental game and Turken blood).

All these birds are similar. They were handled frequently for conditioning up to exhibition (which was not typically lethal, more of an endurance thing). They have been bred for thousands of years for ease of human handling.

The adult males will definitely not get along. If adult females have ever been separated (raising a brood for instance) from their peers, they will no longer know one another, and a massive battle will take place. The females can be more pugnacious than the males. If a young stag can't achieve dominance over a hen quickly and decisively, she may be insulted that you chose him as a potential mate for her when he was obviously not up to her standards, and she will cull him for you. And look longingly into your eyes for treats as she stands proudly on his dead body.

So you have to keep them alone or in carefully selected pairs, which they are perfectly happy with. You can take them for walks, have seen harness and leashes on birds. They will follow you pretty good though. I like to take them for rides, they are very attentive, and once you learn their language they can keep you posted on potential road hazards long before you can see them.

 

[Trimurtisan]

Shamos are oriental games. Asils are also oriental games. They are all very similar, and probably related way back. You have the Asils spread from the middle East to India, the Thai in Thailand, the Ga Noi in Vietnam, and the various Shamos in Japan. Shamo is from what I understand a Japanese variation of a word that means "Siam", a historically used name for what we now refer to as Thailand. This could mean that the original stock came from trade with Thailand, making them Thai game derivatives. There are Thai games on the large side, some larger than the American standard for Shamo. There are Asils in India that are every bit as big as Shamos. It is likely that what we refer to as the Malay is simply a South Indian Asil, that came from a Dutch ship that had ported in Malay at some point before returning to Europe. The Madagascar game, another oriental, probably came from Ga Noi stock belonging to a Vietnamese prince who was exiled to a tiny island off the coast of Madagascar, (most Madagascars are recreations using Oriental game and Turken blood).

All these birds are similar. They were handled frequently for conditioning up to exhibition (which was not typically lethal, more of an endurance thing). They have been bred for thousands of years for ease of human handling.

The adult males will definitely not get along. If adult females have ever been separated (raising a brood for instance) from their peers, they will no longer know one another, and a massive battle will take place. The females can be more pugnacious than the males. If a young stag can't achieve dominance over a hen quickly and decisively, she may be insulted that you chose him as a potential mate for her when he was obviously not up to her standards, and she will cull him for you. And look longingly into your eyes for treats as she stands proudly on his dead body.

So you have to keep them alone or in carefully selected pairs, which they are perfectly happy with. You can take them for walks, have seen harness and leashes on birds. They will follow you pretty good though. I like to take them for rides, they are very attentive, and once you learn their language they can keep you posted on potential road hazards long before you can see them.

Very good read, thank you.

 

[Stiletto]

I like to take them for rides, they are very attentive, and once you learn their language they can keep you posted on potential road hazards long before you can see them.

For real?!?