Are you wondering about those gorgeous black chickens you’ve seen online or at a friend’s backyard coop? I totally get it – black chickens are absolutely stunning and have a certain mysterious appeal that makes them stand out from the flock!
When I first started keeping chickens, I was immediately drawn to black breeds for their elegant appearance. But here’s the thing – there isn’t just one “black chicken breed.” In fact, there are over a dozen different breeds that come in beautiful black varieties, each with their own unique characteristics.
In this comprehensive guide I’ll walk you through 14 amazing black chicken breeds, their special features and help you figure out which one might be perfect for your backyard flock. Let’s dive in!
Why Some Chickens Are Completely Black
Before we jump into the specific breeds, let’s talk about why some chickens are black in the first place.
Most black chickens simply have black feathers, but some special breeds like the Ayam Cemani have something called fibromelanosis – a genetic mutation that causes excessive melanin throughout their entire body. This means everything is black – their skin organs, bones and even their tongue!
Scientists believe this mutation originated about 6,000 years ago, and all hyperpigmented breeds likely descended from a single common ancestor. Pretty cool, right?
Some people also value these chickens for potential health benefits, as their meat contains higher levels of carnosine (an antioxidant that may have anti-aging properties).
14 Stunning Black Chicken Breeds
1. Ayam Cemani
The Ayam Cemani is probably the most famous black chicken breed, and for good reason!
Origin: Indonesia
Special Features: Completely black – feathers, skin, muscles, bones, and organs
Purpose: Dual-purpose (meat and eggs)
Egg Production: Around 80 cream-colored eggs per year
Temperament: Can be somewhat shy but adaptable
This striking breed is truly black through and through due to the fibromelanosis gene. In Indonesia, they’re considered magical and are often used in ceremonies. They have a unique laying pattern, producing about 25 eggs before taking a break, then starting again.
They’re quite rare in the US and can be expensive – beware of hybrid “knock-offs” being sold as purebreds!
2. Australorp
Origin: Australia
Special Features: Beautiful black feathers with green sheen
Purpose: Dual-purpose
Egg Production: 250+ eggs per year
Temperament: Docile and friendly
The Australorp is Australia’s national chicken and was developed from the Orpington breed. They’re excellent egg layers – in fact, an Australorp holds the world record for most eggs laid in a year!
I love Australorps because they’re friendly chickens that start shy but become loyal companions. Their feathers have a gorgeous green sheen in the sunlight that’s really breathtaking.
3. Jersey Giant
Origin: United States (New Jersey)
Special Features: Largest purebred chicken breed
Purpose: Originally bred for meat, but good egg layers too
Egg Production: 150-200 large brown eggs annually
Temperament: Gentle giants, very docile
As the name suggests, Jersey Giants are HUGE! They were created as an alternative to turkeys and can weigh up to 15 pounds! Despite their intimidating size, they’re extremely gentle and easygoing.
These black beauties handle cold weather like champs but don’t do as well in heat. They lay about 150 extra-large brown eggs each year.
4. Silkie
Origin: Asia
Special Features: Fluffy feathers, black skin, 5 toes
Purpose: Ornamental, excellent mothers
Egg Production: Around 100 eggs per year
Temperament: Extremely friendly and docile
Silkies are absolutely adorable! Their unique feathers lack barbicels, giving them that distinctive fluffy appearance. Black Silkies are melanistic – they have black skin, bones, and even their meat is a dark bluish-gray color.
While they’re mediocre egg layers, they’re EXCELLENT mothers and often used to hatch eggs from other breeds. They’re super friendly and make perfect lap chickens for kids!
5. Orpington
Origin: England
Special Features: Fluffy appearance, cold-hardy
Purpose: Dual-purpose
Egg Production: 150-300 brown eggs yearly
Temperament: Exceptionally docile and friendly
Did you know the first Orpingtons were actually black? They were purposely bred black to hide the soot and dirt in late 1800s England. These gentle giants are like the teddy bears of the chicken world – soft, fluffy, and incredibly sweet.
Black Orpingtons are excellent for families with children since they’re so patient and friendly. Their thick feathering makes them perfect for colder climates.
6. Sumatra
Origin: Indonesia
Special Features: Long, flowing tail feathers
Purpose: Ornamental
Egg Production: Around 100 eggs per year
Temperament: Independent, can be aggressive
The Sumatra chicken is a stunning ornamental breed with glossy black feathers and an impressive waterfall-like tail. They have black skin and bones, and their plumage shows beautiful green highlights in sunlight.
Be warned though – these birds were once bred as fighting cocks and can be quite aggressive. They’re amazing flyers, so you’ll need tall fences!
7. Minorca
Origin: Spain
Special Features: Large white earlobes, red face
Purpose: Egg production
Egg Production: 120-200 large white eggs annually
Temperament: Active and independent
The Minorca (sometimes called Red-Faced Black Chicken) is the largest Mediterranean breed. These elegant birds have striking red faces contrasted against their glossy black feathers.
They’re excellent egg layers, producing large white eggs, and rarely go broody. They’re warm-weather birds, so not great for cold climates.
8. Langshan
Origin: China
Special Features: Feathered legs that stop before the toes
Purpose: Dual-purpose
Egg Production: Around 180 eggs yearly
Temperament: Calm and graceful
The Langshan is an endangered black chicken breed with a unique appearance – they have feathered legs that stop just before their toes, making them look like they’re wearing leg warmers!
They lay some of the darkest brown eggs you’ll find, and they’re calm, intelligent birds that make great additions to mixed flocks.
9. La Fleche
Origin: France
Special Features: V-shaped comb that looks like horns
Purpose: Dual-purpose
Egg Production: Around 200 eggs yearly
Temperament: Wild, not easily tamed
Called the “Devil’s Bird” due to its horn-like comb, the La Fleche is a heritage breed that originated in France. They’re critically endangered and have a striking appearance.
These birds are slow-growing but produce excellent-tasting meat. They’re not particularly friendly and can be difficult to tame.
10. Svart Hona (Swedish Black)
Origin: Sweden
Special Features: All-black coloration
Purpose: Egg production
Egg Production: 150 eggs per year
Temperament: Friendly and adaptable
The Svart Hona (literally “black hen” in Swedish) is similar to the Ayam Cemani in coloration but smaller in size. These chickens are fibromelanistic with black everything – even their tongues!
They’re much friendlier than Ayam Cemanis and adapt well to domestic life. They lay around 150 cream-colored eggs each year.
11. Breda
Origin: Holland
Special Features: No comb, crow-like beak, feathered feet
Purpose: Dual-purpose
Egg Production: Modest
Temperament: Initially shy but friendly once they trust you
The Breda is an extremely rare breed that’s critically endangered worldwide. They have a unique appearance with no comb, a crow-like beak, and feathered feet that give them a distinctive paddling walk.
They were popular around the Civil War era in America but became extinct in the US for a time. They’re heritage birds that grow slower than modern breeds.
12. Java
Origin: America (second oldest American breed)
Special Features: Black feathers with green sheen
Purpose: Dual-purpose
Egg Production: Around 150 large brown eggs yearly
Temperament: Calm and docile
The Java is the second oldest American breed, created using chickens imported from the Far East. Once common on farms, they’ve been pushed aside by industrial chicken farming since they’re slow growers.
They make perfect homestead chickens – good foragers with calm personalities. They’re also known for their broodiness and make excellent mothers.
13. Crevecoeur
Origin: France
Special Features: Wild crest on head and beard
Purpose: Originally meat birds
Egg Production: Modest
Temperament: Peaceful
The Crevecoeur is a critically endangered heritage breed with a distinctive wild crest on its head and a beard. Males have a V-shaped comb that’s often hidden by their crest.
They were originally bred for their tender white meat as they’re not prolific egg layers. They’re very peaceful birds that tolerate confinement well.
14. Cochin
Origin: Asia
Special Features: Extremely fluffy appearance, feathered feet
Purpose: Ornamental/pets
Egg Production: Modest
Temperament: Extremely friendly, cuddly
While most Cochins are buff-colored, you can find black varieties too. These birds became hugely popular after being presented to Queen Victoria in the 1840s, causing “Victorian hen fever.”
They’re absolute bundles of feathers from head to toe and love nothing more than cuddling with their owners. Perfect lap chickens!
Do Black Chickens Lay Black Eggs?
Despite their striking appearance, black chickens do NOT lay black eggs! In fact, no chicken breed lays black eggs – that’s just a myth.
Most black chicken breeds lay white or tinted eggs, while some lay brown eggs. The Ameraucana lays blue eggs, and the Marans lays dark chocolate-colored eggs, but black eggs simply don’t exist in the chicken world.
Which Black Chicken Breed is Right for You?
When choosing a black chicken breed, consider these factors:
- Climate: Some breeds handle cold better (Orpington, Jersey Giant) while others prefer heat (Minorca)
- Space: Larger breeds need more room
- Purpose: Are you looking for eggs, meat, or just pets?
- Temperament: Some breeds are friendlier than others
- Availability: Rare breeds can be hard to find and expensive
If you’re new to chicken keeping, I’d recommend starting with black Australorps or Orpingtons. They’re friendly, productive, and readily available at most hatcheries.
For those looking for a conversation starter, the Ayam Cemani is incredible – but be prepared to pay premium prices and make sure you’re buying from a reputable breeder.
If you have children, Black Silkies or Cochins make wonderful, friendly pets that don’t mind being handled.
Final Thoughts
Black chicken breeds offer an amazing combination of beauty, uniqueness, and functionality. Whether you’re looking for a productive egg layer, a friendly pet, or a stunning ornamental bird, there’s a black chicken breed that will fit perfectly into your flock.
Have you kept any black chicken breeds? Which one is your favorite? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Black Skinned Chicken Meat
Black chicken meat can be very bizarre if you’re not used to it.
I saw my first black-skinned chicken in a Chinese grocery store in Toronto and, naturally, I had to buy it and cook it. The chicken came plucked and gutted but every part, from the head to the feet, was attached.
I braised the chicken in various spices and the resulting meat was very flavorful.
I will perhaps post a recipe with more photos soon. I’ll make sure to update this article when I do with a link to the recipe.
No. That is a myth that follows certain black chicken breeds around, the Ayam Ceyami particularly. Black chicken eggs do not exist. There are, however, other birds that do. Cayuga ducks will lay an egg with a black bloom although the colour fades as the laying season goes on and the intensity of the black colour varies greatly. There are also a couple of wild birds that lay a black egg.
Some do. Most black chicken breeds do not have black skin or flesh underneath their black feathers. Their skin is just the same pinkish-yellow hue you are accustomed to. However, there are some notable exceptions (as noted above in the breed list) and they owe that unusual internal black colouration to something called fibromelanosis, a rare genetic mutation of hyperpigmentation believed to have originated in China.
Yes. Black chickens will get hotter than white or lighter-feathered chickens. It is very important that your black chickens always have access to cool drinking water, dust baths, and shade in the summer.
Black-skinned chicken breeds taste like regular chickens. How a chicken is raised has more impact on flavor than breed or color. So whether a chicken is free-ranged or pastured in a tractor set up makes a difference. The feed they receive makes a difference. Age matters greatly to taste too.
Maybe. They may have more iron in their flesh and higher levels of an antioxidant called carnosine. In Chinese medicine TCM the black skinned silkie is considered beneficial for women’s health particularly.
The 5 Fibromelanistic Breeds
While many chickens can have black feathers, there are very few breeds of fibromelanistic aka black-skinned chicken breeds in the world.
Not only are their feathers black but so is their skin, and even insides. These breeds are very popular in Asian countries and very rare in North America where the appearance can be bizarre or even off-putting.
Some breeds express the fibro gene less than others. The Silkie, for example, can come in many feather colors and their flesh can have a bluish tint whereas the Ayam Cemani is the blackest creature on earth, a true inky black color.
What is fibromelanosis (frequently shortened to “fibro”) in chickens?
fibromelanosis is a genetic mutation, a complex rearrangement in the genome that occurred hundreds (or thousands) of years ago in a single chicken from which all known fibro breeds originate from.
This mutation is so complex and peculiar, that scientists are sure that it occurred once.
There is one notable exception, eggs. As noted, black chicken eggs do not exist. The pictures you see online are faked by unscrupulous people.
Chicken eggs do come in many colors though. There are shades or green eggs, blue eggs, brown eggs, and even purple and pink eggs.
Scholarly References:
Let’s look at some pictures and facts about these beautiful and rare black-skinned breeds:
- Primary Use: Dual Purpose (meat & eggs)
- Size (Roosters): 4 lbs – 4 1/2 lbs
- Size (Hens): 2.5 lbs – 3 lbs
- Egg Production (Annual): 100-120
- Egg Size: Small
- Egg Colour: Cream
- Origin: India
The striking Kadaknath, also called ‘Kali Masi’ (“fowl having black flesh”), is an all-black chicken breed originating in India where it is a treasured meat bird purported to be the tastiest and healthiest of all chicken breeds.
It is also unusually iron-rich for chicken flesh.
Due to the popularity of the meat, consumption rates are very high, while breeding rates have been low. The Kadaknath is thus at risk of becoming extinct. Programs are underway in the bird’s native India to protect this unique heritage breed.
- Primary use: Dual-purpose (eggs & ornamental)
- Size (Roosters): 2 lbs -3 lbs
- Size (Hens): 1 1/2 lbs -2 lbs
- Egg production (annual): 100-120
- Egg size: Small
- Egg colour: Cream
- Origin: China
Silkies are an extremely popular Asian black chicken and they come in many colours. They resemble Pomeranian puppies to me with their fluffy feathers that look like fur more than actual feathers.
Silkies are known for being docile, gentle birds that are excellent at going broody and hatching out eggs laid by the rest of the flock (breed doesn’t matter to chickens!) and can be a great choice for this purpose if you do not wish to incubate and hatch your own eggs at home.
Because of their diminutive size, they are rarely utilized for meat in North America — at least not as a primary reason. And the egg-laying can be inconsistent too.
The flesh and skin of these chickens is completely black regardless of feather colour and they are prized in China for the taste of the meat and the health benefits — especially for women according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and tradition.
- Primary use: Ornamental
- Size (Roosters): 4.4-5.5lbs
- Size (Hens): 3.3–4.4lbs
- Egg production (annual): 60-100
- Egg size: Small
- Egg colour: Cream
- Origin: Indonesia
The Ayam Cemani is a stunning example of a black chicken breed. This is “The King of Chickens” and the breed stands out in terms of both beauty and uniqueness.
Commercial hatcheries do not sell the Ayam Cemani and procuring good stock from a reputable and honest private breeder can be very pricey.
They are well-known for being completely and utterly black in every way. Their skin, feathers and even tongue are pitch black. Their bones and blood and bone marrow is similarly a dark inky colour.
They are kept as a decorative breed primarily for the fortunate few who own them, and they are a sight to behold. Of course, you can also eat them and their eggs too.
- Primary Use: Egg-laying
- Size Rooster): 7lbs
- Size (Hens): 5lbs
- Egg production (annual): 250
- Egg size: Large
- Egg colour: Off-white
- Origin: Sweden
Svart Hona literally translates to “black hen” in Swedish. The first Svart Honas are supposed to have been imported from Indonesia before being developed into the beloved Swedish bird we know today.
This breed is sociable and gets along well with people. They are phenomenal egg layers and go broody as well.
Primary use: EggsSize (Roosters): UnknownSize (Hens): UnknownEgg production (Annual): 200-260Egg size: Medium – LargeEgg colour: Blue, green, etc.Origin: USA
An exciting new hybrid chicken that is fibromelanistic and lays BLUE eggs! From the look of the bird on the hatchery website, it definitely has some Ameraucana in it. I’m guessing a black Ameraucana crossed with an Ayam Cemani or similar.
From the breeder:
Discover 14 Unique Black Chicken Breeds: A Comprehensive Guide
FAQ
What breed are black chickens?
Black chicken breeds include the completely black Ayam Cemani, Kadaknath, Vietnamese Black H’Mong, and Svart Hona, while others like the Silkie, Australorp, Jersey Giant, and Sumatra are known for their black varieties but also come in other colors. These breeds vary in appearance and purpose, with some valued for their ornamental qualities and others for meat and egg production.
What is the pure breed of black chicken?
| Cemani hen | |
| Country of origin | Indonesia |
| Traits | |
|---|---|
| Weight | Male: 2.0–2.5 kg (4.4–5.5 lb) Female: 1.5–2.0 kg (3.3–4.4 lb) |
| Skin color | Black with a turquoise glow on the rooster neck side and tail. |
Do Ayam Cemani lay black eggs?