Chickens can make a delightful addition to your backyard or farm. These quirky birds can provide your family with ethically raised eggs, meat, and countless hours of entertainment. If you’re planning to start or expand your flock, you can choose from a range of types. A breed of black chickens can make a colorful addition to your yard.
What are Black Chickens? Black chickens typically have black skin and black feathers, though breeds like the Sumatra chicken can also produce other feather colors. These birds are known for their striking appearances, and you can choose from many types of black chickens. Learn about black chicken characteristics, breeds, and benefits.
What Are Black Chickens? Generally, the term “black chicken” refers to any chicken that has dark plumage. More specifically, many poultry experts use this name for chickens with black beaks, bones, flesh, and skin. Depending on the breed, these black chickens can have a range of feather colors. For instance, Silkie chickens have black bones and skin, but their plumage can be white, brown, or another color.
Many black chicken breeds originated in Asia. For instance, Chinese farmers prized the Xichuan black-bone chicken and selectively bred birds with five black body parts, including feathers and skin. Preliminary research shows that multiple genes work together to produce the chickens’ black coat, skin, and shanks.
Some people believe that black chickens have medicinal properties. Other chicken owners simply admire the birds for their unique coloring and ability to supply eggs and meat.
What Are the Breeds of Black Chickens? There are dozens of types of black chickens that you can add to your flock. Each kind has a unique appearance, benefits, and traits.
Black chicken breeds include:
- Black Australorp: Also known as the Australian Orpington, this breed has two variations. The Black Australorp has black feathers with a greenish sheen, while the regular Australorp has white feathers and skin. The Australorp is renowned for its high egg production, with backyard-kept birds producing approximately 250 eggs annually. The dual-purpose chicken breed can also be used to produce meat.
- Crèvecoeur Chicken: This rare French chicken breed has a solid black beak, plumage, and shanks. The Crèvecoeur chicken also has a unique “V” comb that gives it a disgruntled appearance. The bird makes a great pet due to its docile temperament, moderate egg production, and striking appearance. You can also harvest this chicken for its savory meat.
- Spanish Chicken: The visually arresting Spanish chicken has smooth, greenish-black feathers and a flowing tail. The male Spanish chicken has a large, erect comb, while the female has a floppy comb. The White-Faced Black Spanish variation has a large white face and white earlobes that stand out from the black body. This breed produces large quantities of white eggs, but the chickens require attentive care in extreme temperatures.
- Sumatra Chicken: This glamorous black chicken breed originated in Borneo, Java, and Sumatra as a fighting bird, but today, it’s kept by backyard chicken raisers. The chicken has black bones, dark skin, green-black feathers, a purple face, and a long, majestic tail. The Sumatra chicken can be an excellent choice if you want an ornamental chicken that will add beauty to your backyard. A hen will also lay modest quantities of small white eggs. However, these birds can be flighty and difficult to handle, making them a challenge for inexperienced chicken owners.
- Xichuan Black-Bone Chicken: This all-black bird originated in the remote region of Xichuan County in China. Local residents used the black-bone chicken to create medicinal remedies for diabetes, menstrual abnormalities, and other conditions. Today, Xichuan chickens remain rare and understudied.
Depending on your budget and location, some of these black chicken breeds may be easier to acquire than others. Your needs can also help you determine which type of black chicken will work best for you.
