So there was some discussion about the Smithsonian line (the line I call the "Smithies"). To clarify what is known:
1. The first import of Ayam Cemani into the U.S. was Toni-Marie Astin.
2 TM Astin gave a few away to select friends and breeders, one of which was a breeder in Virginia that had a pair.
3. The breeder's Cemani rooster died. So he decided to mate a lavender leghorn rooster with his remaining TM Astin Cemani pullet.
4. Those half breed chicks were traded to Mike in New York for some ducks.
5. No one heard anything about what happened to those chicks until one day there was a posting for $150 Cemani.
6. The Smithsonian Institute never imported Ayam Cemani for the Indonesia Festival.
Ayam Cemani do not have white earlobes. The white earlobes come from leghorn. The rooster I purchased from Mike clearly resembles a bird that is a composite of two breeds. There is very little resemblance to the TM Astin line. Even the hen has red wattles as you would expect to find in a leghorn cross.
I do find some value in using the birds I purchased from Mike as a cheap black meat bird. So it does not matter if they are not really Ayam Cemani. They will never be perfect because of the leghorn in them but they should be good layers and larger than the pure TM Astin Cemani. So they can be made into a black skin meat bird.
So if anyone wants Free eggs from the Smithsonian line, just send me a PM. I have also started a second thread about the Smithies. Just search for Smithies.
1. The first import of Ayam Cemani into the U.S. was Toni-Marie Astin.
2 TM Astin gave a few away to select friends and breeders, one of which was a breeder in Virginia that had a pair.
3. The breeder's Cemani rooster died. So he decided to mate a lavender leghorn rooster with his remaining TM Astin Cemani pullet.
4. Those half breed chicks were traded to Mike in New York for some ducks.
5. No one heard anything about what happened to those chicks until one day there was a posting for $150 Cemani.
6. The Smithsonian Institute never imported Ayam Cemani for the Indonesia Festival.
Ayam Cemani do not have white earlobes. The white earlobes come from leghorn. The rooster I purchased from Mike clearly resembles a bird that is a composite of two breeds. There is very little resemblance to the TM Astin line. Even the hen has red wattles as you would expect to find in a leghorn cross.
I do find some value in using the birds I purchased from Mike as a cheap black meat bird. So it does not matter if they are not really Ayam Cemani. They will never be perfect because of the leghorn in them but they should be good layers and larger than the pure TM Astin Cemani. So they can be made into a black skin meat bird.
So if anyone wants Free eggs from the Smithsonian line, just send me a PM. I have also started a second thread about the Smithies. Just search for Smithies.