Top 9 Black Chicken Breeds plus Photos
Chickens come in various colors – black being one of the most stunning and unique ones. The following highlights will spotlight unique characteristics of the 9 top black feathered chicken breeds.
If you are not sure what to look for in picking the best breeds for your farm flock or backyard coop, the following information will help your decide especially if you’re a beginner.
We’ve rounded up nine of the top black breeds of chickens that you’ll absolutely love!
Top 9 Black Chicken Breeds to Add to Your Flock
Each breed of chickens have individual traits such as color of their egg shells, color of feathers, body size, skin color, egg laying ability and demeanor.
For starters, consider your motivation – if you want to raise them for meat or fresh eggs or as pets? Do you have children who’ll probably help care for the flock?
Are you looking for pure black breeds of chicken or can they have some white specks in their feathers?
Some people choose their favorite breeds based on the color of feathers only. While others will want a breed that has a high feed to egg conversion rate or cold weather tolerance or broodiness.
We will cover many of these aspects, so take a little bit of time to look over this list of the top black feathered chicken breeds to see if some of them might be just what you are looking for.
Just in case you are wondering, we rounded up some fascinating information what makes black chickens black.
The Smithsonian also has some interesting information on this topic of black chickens.
When deciding on a breed of black chickens for your farm flock, you first need to decide if you are looking for chickens with black feathers or do you want a chicken with black meat, too?
Secondly, you must know your budget. Some black chicken breeds are rarer and, thereby, much more expensive.
Once you know what you’re looking for and how much you’re willing to pay for it, you can start exploring the various black chicken breeds out there.
A Special Note of Caution: Always watch children around poultry of any kind. Especially roosters. Birds can be unpredictable at times. Keep your children safe.
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1. Orpingtons
Belonging to Great Britain, black Orpington chickens are crossbreeds of Langshan, Minorca, and Black Plymouth Rock. Orpingtons also come in White, Blue and Buff colored feathers.
These dual-purpose birds are used for egg and meat production. Their meat is exceptional and they lay 150 to 300 eggs every year.
Black Orpingtons have full black feathers with black legs. Since they weigh between 8 and 10 pounds, they are considered large-size chickens.
They lay brown, medium-sized eggs. Their friendliness and docile nature allow other chickens to pick on them.
These chickens are hardy and can resist harsh weather quite well, proving versatile even in cold weather.
All orpingtons can go broody which simply means, the hens will stop laying in order to sit on their nest and hatch a clutch of eggs.
This is a wonderful way to increase your flock size!
2. Silkies
Silkie chickens are one of the best black chicken breeds for families due to their mild disposition.
These are some of the most beautiful chickens you’ll ever see – no exaggeration.
Their small size and solid black, fluffy feathers make them an excellent ornamental fluffy chicken breed.
Plus, silkies are super friendly and fun to add to your homestead or backyard farm.
This black chicken breed is primarily used for ornamental purposes because of the size of its body and eggs. So, if you do not want a high production breed, this may be a good choice to begin with.
Silkies will often go broody. And, seeing how they like to hatch eggs, you may find them setting on eggs for other hens.
They lay approximately 160 tiny brown eggs each year. Their skin, bones and meat are bluish black to black. Silkies are a top chicken breed with feathers on feet!
Silkies are highly prized for medicinal purposes in Chinese medicine.
These chickens do well in the summer. Extremely high temperatures will require you to provide shade and plenty of fresh water, though.
However, they don’t do so well in colder climates. They can die in wet and cold climates in no time, so you must provide them with a warm indoor space in cold weather.
That being said, you must be prepared to dry Silkies off when they get wet because their feathers aren’t great at repelling water.
The bottom line on Silkies is that they are a small breed that is easy to start with and are simply adorable!
3. Sex Links
Black Sex Link chickens are a cross between a pure-bred non-barred rooster and a barred hen. They are all black with golden hackles and breast feathers.
The males are instantly recognizable upon hatching with a white spot on their heads. Both hens and roosters have red combs and wattles.
On average, the roosters weigh 8 to 9 pounds, while the hens weigh 6 to 7 pounds. These birds are super friendly, curious, and energetic. However, some roosters may be aggressive and noisy.
Black Sex Link chickens are prolific at egg-laying, producing around 300 eggs per year, given that they are healthy and well taken care of.
These black sex-links are also known as Black Stars and they happen to be one of my all-time favorite breeds due to their docile nature, prolific egg laying ability, beautiful coloration and large body weight.
Black Sexlinks are a wonderful breed for beginners especially if you are going into the brown egg business!
Some people just love big brown eggs but remember that white eggs and brown eggs are virtually the same except for the shell color!
4. Jersey Giants
This is one of the calmest and tamest black chicken breeds you can find. These large birds grow up to weigh 10 to 13 pounds and classify them as on of the large black chicken breeds.
Hailing from New Jersey, these chickens are a cross berween Langshan, Java, and Orpington chicken breeds.
They are typically raised for egg and meat production. They lay up to 200 large eggs in a year, proving a good choice for people looking to sell eggs for a living.
These giant chickens are adorned with solid black feathers and have grayish legs. They’re super friendly – just be careful though as they are large birds.
Please note that these chickens don’t handle high temperatures well. This means you’ll have to find a way to keep them cool during summers.
If you are looking for a large breed of chickens with white and black chickens with feathered feet or black and white chickens with feathers on feet, you may be interested in brahms.
5. Australorps
Australorps, along with the aforementioned sexlinks, are one of the best black chicken breeds for egg production.
This breed is the Australian version of the British Orpington chicken and is bred in bantam and large varieties.
On average, these chickens lay five eggs per week, for approximately 260 to 300 eggs per year.
These beautiful Australorp Chickens are loved for their shiny iridescent feathers and graceful walk.
They can survive in almost all climates, whether hot or cold.
However, they do better in cooler temperatures since they are less tolerant of heat and humidity.
Australorps are low-maintenance chickens; you’ll rarely face trouble caring for them. If you’re looking for egg-laying hens that are great for families with children, this breed won’t disappoint you.
They have great personalities. You may often find them following you or your family around the backyard.
However, their shyness often causes them to be victims of bullying by other chickens. Hence, you must choose other breeds carefully to ensure your Australorps stay happy and healthy.
6. Langshans
Next on our list of black chicken breeds is the Langshan. The original birds came from China and were imported to England in the late 19th century.
This breed was split into four types: Modern, Croad, Australian, and German.
You can easily find Modern Langshan in the US, while the Croad is generally popular in the UK.
Langshans are large birds, weighing around 7 to 9.5 pounds with black, smooth plumage. Their legs have light feathering and they can run fast!
These chickens are pretty docile and can survive the winter. However, they may not be very comfortable in high heat and humidity.
They lay three large, dark brown eggs every week, which comes to about 150 to 200 eggs per year. The Croads’ eggs tend to have a light mauve tinge to the shell.
The hens are sometimes known to go broody and will set their own eggs.
Langshans are calm and friendly, making it perfect for families with children.
You may struggle to get them, since, despite their popularity in China and the US, they may be difficult to find and expensive since they’re considered to be endangered.
7. Minorcas
Minorca chickens have been an American favorite for decades. This beautiful breed belongs to the island of Minorca in Spain.
It found its way to America in 1884 – and farmers and enthusiasts fell in love with it in no time at all.
Minorca chickens are one of the largest and heaviest of the Mediterranean black chicken breeds. Their feathers have a stunning green shimmer that shows in light.
Their striking appearance is enhanced by bright red combs and wattles and large white ear lobes.
The roosters weigh around 9 pounds, while the hens weigh 7.5 pounds.
These chickens have long, muscular bodies, slate-colored legs, and compact black feathering over white skin. Thanks to the long tails, they look larger than they actually are.
Minorcas are friendly and curious birds known for their fondness for human company. They make a great pet for beginners and families raising chickens for egg production.
Since they are fine foragers, you can expect low feed costs. However, they eat a lot, meaning you’ll need a large foraging area.
This breed lays many eggs (around 120 in a year) but isn’t quite broody. You may consider allowing other hens to hatch the eggs and raise chicks.
8. Ayam Cemanis: the chicken with black meat
This breed hails from Indonesia and is one of the rarest and blackest chickens in the world.
Fully grown Ayam Cemanis weigh between 3.3 and 3.5 pounds, so they are fairly small birds.
They have solid black feathers, black meat, black skin and even black organs. Their blood is also believed to be darker than usual.
This is a bit unusual, but these chickens are considered by some to be good luck charms and are believed to possess magical powers. Some people even say they can communicate with the spirit world.
Ayam Cemanis are primarily used for ornamental purposes or egg production. These are considered the all black chicken!
Following a cyclical laying pattern, Ayam Cemani lays 20 – 30 medium-sized, cream-colored eggs before the next cycle begins. This makes around 80 eggs per year.
Ayam Cemani is a friendly, gentle, and intelligent bird. These chickens are low-maintenance and easy to handle.
So, even if they are not good egg producers, they make up for it in their sheer impressiveness!
If you’re looking for black chickens to add to the ornamental value of your farm and get a few eggs and meat, Ayam Cemani chickens may be an option for you.
9. Black Cochin: with feathered feet!
Cochin black chicken is an exotic breed of chicken that has been gaining popularity among backyard poultry enthusiasts. Black Cochins are one of the top feathered footed breeds!
These chickens are known for their striking appearance, with their pitch-black feathers and fluffy plumage making them stand out in any flock.
However, what sets Cochin black chickens apart from other breeds is their unique feature of having feathers on their feet.
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Final Words on the Top 9 Black Chicken Breeds
Before bringing any of these black chicken breeds home, you need to know how to provide proper food and shelter for them.
If you’re willing to spend a larger sum of money and want to keep chickens as ornamental pets, you should consider getting Ayam Cemani chicken.
On the other hand, if you’d like a fresh eggs every week and have children who may be helping you take care of the flock, you can’t go wrong with Silkies.
Lastly, Giant Jersey may be the best bet if you want to raise black chickens for meat and occasional farm-fresh eggs.
So, spend a little time and think through your strategy on raising black chickens for fun or profit.
You an even try a few of each breed to see which ones are your favorites!