Watching chickens on your land is a peaceful sight. Do you prefer to have all one color of chickens, or a rainbow selection? Some chicken breeds come only in certain colors, while others have a selection of colors you can choose from.
Either way, when it comes to black varieties of chicken breeds, we’ve got you covered with this ultimate list. Next time you want a black-colored chicken, make sure you get one of these breeds!
The 11 Black Chicken Breeds
1. Australorp Black Chicken
The Australorp chickens come in many colors, black being the most common. Later, you will read about the Orpington breed; Australorp is simply an Australian hybrid version of the Orpington. Like their Orpington cousins, these birds are very easy-going and make good pets, but they may be so docile that they will tend to hide. You can train this breed to eat out of your hand.
These chickens are excellent egg producers; they lay up to 250 eggs per year. This breed even holds the record for the number of eggs laid within a year. You can also raise this breed for meat.
2. Ayam Cemani Chickens
Interesting name, isn’t it? That’s because this chicken hails from Indonesia, with an Indonesian name. With an interesting name comes an interesting feature; this chicken is entirely black. It’s feathers, beak, legs, even its internal organs are all black.
This very rare chicken breed is considered a good luck charm in Indonesian culture. Because it is so rare, it’s also expensive. One mating pair can cost $5,000! Extra tip: be diligent on your research before you buy because some breeders will pass off a hybrid that looks like a pure bred Ayam Cemani.
These chickens weigh about 6 pounds and lay 80 eggs a year on average, making them an average meat and egg producer.
3. German Langshan Chicken
The German Langshan is a popular chicken breed in Germany, but quite rare anywhere else in the world. They come in many colors, black being the most popular. They have a wine glass shape to them with a U-shaped back when viewed from the side.
Usually bred and bought for exhibition purposes, this chicken breed is a decent producer of eggs. They lay around 150–200 eggs per year.
4. Jersey Giant Chicken
The name Jersey Giant is an appropriate name for this chicken breed as it is the largest purebred chicken in the United States. The average Jersey Giant weighs more than 11 pounds! They tend to be bred for meat but they also make a good pet.
Not only are they great for meat, they also are good layers too. Jersey Giants can lay 150 extra-large eggs per year. They have a nice layer of fat which makes them great for cold-weather climates, but not so great for hot weather.
5. Kadaknath Chicken
Here we have the Indian version of the black chicken, the Kadaknath. Its skin, organs, beak and feet are all black, too. Its black meat is popular and many people pay a high dollar for it. Its meat is believed to have medicinal value as well.
Although the bird is rare to find, it makes a great chicken for meat. It does not produce very many eggs at 80–90 light brown eggs per year.
6. La Fleche Chickens
La Fleche chickens originate from France and serve a dual purpose in providing meat and eggs. They come in an all-black color with an additional unusual feature: it has a comb that looks like two horns on top of its head. That’s how it got its nickname, “The Devil’s Bird.”
While these chickens are good for meat, they tend to grow very slowly, not reaching a full-grown size until 10 months of age. It is a decent egg producer though, bringing in about 200 eggs per year.
7. Orpington Chickens
For backyard chickens, the Orpington is a popular choice. They are originally from England. With soft and thick feathers, they are matched well with cold-weather climates. Though they originated as a mostly white breed, their coloring is now usually black.
The Orpington chicken is commonly gentle and even-tempered, which makes them a great choice for a pet. You won’t need to feed this breed much, as they are good at foraging their own food. They are community-minded; the roosters will help gather all the hens up for the night.
These chickens are good for meat and eggs. One Orpington chicken can lay up to 300 large brown eggs per year, making them an excellent egg producer.
8. Minorca Chicken
The Minorca is an excellent chicken for laying eggs, as they lay some of the largest eggs out of all chicken breeds. This breed was originally bred in Spain and comes in black and white colors.
Its most unique feature is probably it’s strange facial feature: the Minorca has white earlobes that reach all the way to its beak. Because of this and other fleshy parts of its skin, it’s not a great chicken for cold climates.
Despite the fact that they are large in size, they do not taste very good for meat. However, they will produce an average amount of eggs starting at 26 weeks old that are large white in color.
9. Silkie Chicken
Silkie chickens might be the cutest chicken breed there is. They come in many colors, one of them being black. The original Chinese name for these chickens meant “black boned chicken,” which is true. Their bones, skin and meat are all black or blackish-grey. Originating from China, they have quite a long history, with records of Silkies going way back to BC times!
These chickens should be kept mostly for show, as they are not great for eggs or meat. Their best purpose is pet-keeping. You also need to treat them more like a pet, as their feathers cause problems for them if they get too wet.
10. Sumatra Chickens
Another ornamental bird, Sumatra chickens are native to the island Sumatra in Indonesia. However, they can also be found in other parts of the country as well. As with many other chicken breeds, this breed of chicken comes in many colors other than black.
At one time, these chickens were bred as fighting birds, and for a good reason: they are not the friendliest chickens. They are known to be aggressive and will not play nice with other chickens or small kids.
They do not lay well and their meat is too tough to eat, but their long tails make them a beauty to look at.
11. Swedish Black Chicken
The Swedish Black chicken is also called Svarthona. It is extremely similar to the much-sought-after Ayam Cemani in that it is all black from the inside out. The main difference is this breed has adapted to cold weather while the Indonesian twin has not.
This breed of chicken is smaller at 5–7 pounds and has a nicer disposition than the Ayam Cemani It’s also good at laying eggs. The Swedish Black makes a good pet and will lay 150 cream-colored eggs per year.
Conclusion
There you have it! This article covered some of the most popular black-colored chicken breeds you can own. Now you can search for your next black-colored chicken breed with confidence. We hope you have all the essential information you need to add more chickens to your flock.
Featured Image Credit: Pavlofox, Pixabay