12 Best Black Chicken Breeds: Know This Rare Chicken Breed

If you are thinking of expanding your flock garden, then Black Chicken breeds are the best suitable choice for your garden. Black chicks are the most stylish breed of chickens and they also give a serious fashion statement to the rest of your flock.

The majority of these black chickens are easily available in your nearby hatchery or you can buy from private sellers.

If you are looking for a new color for your chicken coop then, consider one of these black beauties for your flock.

12 Best Black Chicken Breed

1. Ayam Cemani

• Primary use: ornamental
• Egg production (annual): 80
• Egg size: Small
• Recognized variety: Black
• Egg color: White
• Origin: Indonesia

The very rare and unique chicken is Ayam Cemani. The interesting fact about this black chicken is that her heart is black! This chicken has originated from Indonesia.

Her feathers, skin, and internal organs are all black, and even the blood is darker than the healthy blood.

You can raise this chicken for its meat and eggs. Eggs of these chickens are cream in colour and medium in size. Ayam Cemani lays only 80 eggs per year because of its unique habit of laying in which it will lay approx 25 eggs at one go, then stop for a period, and start again.

The weight of these chickens is about 4-6lbs, has featherless legs, and average meat producer. 

2. Silkies

• Primary use: eggs
• Egg production (annual): 100
• Egg size: Small
• Temperament: Calm, Friendly
• Recognized variety: Bearded Black, Bearded Blue, Bearded Buff, MORE
• Egg color: Cream, Tinted

In our list, next is Silkies Chicken. Although this breed is not Black like Ayam Cemani, they have black flesh and bones. Silkies are mostly known for their fluffy, cuddly-like appearance.

You can raise Silkies for their brooding, but they are known as good mothers to their offspring.

Eggs of these chickens are usually light cream colour and in a small size. Silkies can lay up to 100 eggs per year. They are suitable for your flock as they are beautiful in appearance and children love to cuddle them. The average weight of silkies is 4lbs.

3. Orpington

• Primary use: dual-purpose meat/eggs
• Egg production (annual): 190
• Egg size: Large
• Temperament: Calm
• Recognized variety: Black, Blue, Buff, White
• Egg color: Light brown

The breed of Orpington chicken is the most popular chicken in the black races. This bird has originated from England, and they are mostly in black with a thick, soft, and fluffy layer of feathers. They are easily adaptable to the cold weather.

The body of this breed is not all black; the skin of this breed is white in colour. But, Orpington chicken has a gorgeous black plumage that makes them stand out from the other races in the flock.

They usually raised for their egg production. Orpington can lay approx 150 to 300 eggs per year. The eggs of this breed are large in size and brown and tinted pink in colour. The best thing about these chickens is that you have to feed them less than other kinds as they are good at finding their food.

4. Australorp

• Primary use: dual-purpose meat/eggs
• Egg production (annual): 250
• Egg size: Large
• Temperament: Docile, Hardy
• Recognized variety: Black, Blue, White
• Egg color: Brown

Though Australorp comes in many colours, black colour is one of the popular. They are also known as Australia’s Orpington. They are shy, docile, and sweet in nature. 

If you are looking for a pet, then black Australorp is the best choice because they are not only gorgeous, but they are loyal that you can teach them to eat food from your hands.

Australorp are those chicken breeds that have a record in laying eggs per year! They can lay approx 250 eggs per year. The size of their eggs is extra large and is brown in color. They are also raised for meat as they produce high-quality broilers.

5. Minorca

• Primary use: ornamental
• Egg production (annual): 120
• Egg size: Large
• Temperament: Flighty, Noisy
• Recognized variety: Rose Comb Black, Rose Comb White, Single Comb Black, Single Comb Buff, Single Comb White
• Egg color: White

They are known as Red-Faced Black Chicken because of their pale red faces. Minorca Chicken is native of Spain and mostly raised as show breeds.

As these birds are warm-weather birds, you should avoid raising them in cold weather. 

These chickens are the largest of the Mediterranean breed. It is also amicable. The weight of the Minorca bird is seven pounds.

They are not good at eating and are not good producers of meat. However, they are great egg producers, laying approx 120 eggs per year. The size of their egg is extra large and is white in colour. 

These chickens can start laying at around 26 weeks of age. These birds are graceful and an excellent choice for your backyard flock.

6. Sumatra

• Primary use: ornamental
• Egg production (annual): 100
• Egg size: Medium
• Temperament: Flighty, Jumpy
• Recognized variety: Black, Blue
• Egg color: White

The Sumatra chicken has glossy black plumage that covers their entire body. They are the native of Sumatra in Indonesia.

These birds are quite aggressive, and if you have small children, then this species is not a great choice to keep in your flock.

They are poor egg-producing chickens as they will lay one egg per week, and the size of the egg is medium and whit in color. They are also poor meat birds, producing robust, gamey meat. The weight of these birds is a maximum of three to four pounds.

7. Langsham

• Recognized variety: Black, Blue, White
• Egg color: Brown
• Adult male weight (lbs.): 7
• Adult female weight (lbs.): 5.9
• Rank: Breed

Mainly black Langsham are quite endangered chickens that can be rare to find. They are initially from China. Unfortunately, they are unique to find breeds, you can find them at hatcheries that specialize in selling rare breeds.

These calm and graceful species are suitable for mixing them with the other breeds. You can also raise them for meat and eggs. They produce a satisfactory amount of decent-tasting meat. They can lay plenty of medium size brown eggs each week.

8. Jersey Giant

• Primary use: meat
• Egg production (annual): 260
• Egg size: Large
• Temperament: Calm, Docile
• Recognized variety: Black, Blue, White
• Egg color: Brown

This breed is known as Boss of the backyard flock. They have originated from the United States and mostly raised for their meat. These birds are the giant breed of chickens, and are excellent in cold weather but don’t do good in the heat.

Jersey Giants lay around 150 eggs each year. The size of their eggs is extra large and is brown. Their weight is up to 15 pounds. Shade and lukewarm water should provide for them. They will be suitable for your backyard as they are gentle giants, very easygoing, and are docile in nature.

9. Swedish Black

• Scientific name: Gallus gallus domesticus
• Origin: Sweden
• Rank: Breed
• Higher classification: Chicken

Swedish Black breed is similar to the Ayam Cemani kind as they are black in colour and even their tongue is also black. However, Swedish Black are much smaller in size as compared to Ayam Cemani and too challenging to find.

Despite this, they are excellent egg layers as they lay approx—150 eggs per year. The eggs are in cream colour and the weight is 3lb. These are friendly and small birds for your backyard flock.

10. La Fleche

• Primary use: dual-purpose meat/eggs
• Egg size: Large
• Temperament: Active, Flighty, Wild
• Recognized variety: Black
• Egg color: White
• Origin: Sarthe

If you want an unusual and rare bird for your backyard flock, then La Fleche is an excellent choice for you. They have originated from Paris, France. This chicken is all black and listed as an endangered breed of chickens. Although they are growing mainly because the meat of these chickens is outstanding in taste, these chickens take about ten months to reach full growth.

It does well in the heat but does not like living in cold environments. The average weight of these birds is usually 6.5lbs. They lay approx 200 eggs per year.

11. Breda

Breed Purpose: Dual Purpose
Egg Productivity: Medium
Egg Size: Medium
Egg Color: White
Breed Colors/Varieties: Black/Blue/Splash in USA, Others in Europe
Breed Size: Large Fowl

This bird has originated from Holland. This bird is also critically endangered worldwide and challenging to find these days although these birds are very docile and curious birds which can be quite shy with people until they get to know you.

The bird’s full weight is around 5-6lbs and is decent in egg-laying as they can lay up to 4 eggs per week which are large in size and white in colour.

12. Pekin (Cochin)

Primary use: ornamental
Egg size: Small
Temperament: Docile
Recognized variety: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Cuckoo, Lavender, Mottled, Partridge, Silver Partridge, White
Egg color: Brown
Origin: China

These birds are perfect as pets for your backyard flock. They are very cuddly, head to toe feathers, and perfect for cuddling and lap time.

The cochin chickens are not prolific in laying eggs although when they do lay, they can lay up to 3-4 eggs that are brown in colour and are medium-sized.

Now, many of you must be thinking why some species of chickens are entirely black?

Some species of Chickens are entirely black because of genetic pigmentation of the breed.

Advantages of Raising a Black Chicken

If you are considering in black chickens for your flock then you should know about the following advantages:

• Black chickens are gorgeous in appearance as they offer unique plumage that will attract you to them immediately.
• If you are thinking of raising them for poultry shows and events then they are best suitable for this.
• The meat of all black chicken like Silkies is better for you as it contains higher levels of a certain antioxidant known as carnosine.

Challenges of Raising Black Chickens

There are also some challenges and drawbacks that you might face raising a black chicken so you should know about them.

• They can be hard to find as many of them are endangered or difficult to purchase from local hatcheries and importing them is costly.
• It is also difficult to raise them in warm weather except Minorcas.
• Don’t choose them just for their color or appearance. Choose them according to your flock conditions and their temperaments.

Is Black Chickens Are Right for you?

If you are choosing a black chicken breed to give a new look to your backyard flock then it is right choice for you.

Choose them according to your flock conditions, and your requirements. We have included 12 best black chickens and we hope that you might include any one of these for your backyard.