When you hear the term “black chicken eggs,” it may raise a concern because it doesn’t sound normal to you.
Whether you have had chickens for several years, a few months, or you’re thinking about adding chickens to your household or farm, it’s best to learn everything there is to know about them.
Learning about black chicken eggs is a great start. This guide will answer every question you may have about black chicken eggs.
Black Chicken Eggs: Do Any Chickens Lay Black Eggs?
There are at least five different kinds of chickens that lay eggs of beautiful colors. Depending on the kinds of chickens you have or are planning to purchase, you may see some pretty red, blue, green, pink, and, of course, white eggs, but sadly, no black eggs.
If you are curious as to what a black egg looks like, then you will have to purchase an emu. If you are familiar with chickens, you know that an emu is not a type of chicken.
An emu is very large, whereas a chicken egg is smaller. You will be able to tell the difference by putting these two eggs next to each other.
Don’t look on the internet for black chicken eggs because you may be scammed out of thousands of dollars.
Ayam Cemani: The Black Chicken Egg Chicken
Many people are fooled by this black chicken, called the Ayam Cemani. Even though it is a black chicken, people think they lay black eggs, but that’s not true.
If you plan to buy this chicken, you would be wasting your money because it’s approximately 2,500 dollars for a legitimate chicken. If you see anything cheaper than that, then it’s not an actual Ayam Cemani.
The Ayam Cemani is an extremely rare kind of chicken, and they lay eggs that are light pink. Their eggs are very pale pink and they look almost white.
Do Kadaknath Chickens Lay Black Eggs?
Another type of chicken breed is the Kadaknath chicken. Since you may not be familiar with these types of chickens, let’s get into detail about what these chickens are.
If you have heard a detail or two about these chickens, you may not have heard other facts about these magnificent creatures. Just like the Ayam Cemani breed, the Kadaknath is another rare black chicken breed that you will only find in India.
Because they are so rare, their meat is pretty expensive. This expensive cut of meat is very healthy, meaning it has a lower fat content, whereas other chicken breeds have meat that is higher in fat content.
Sure, it’s understandable that the meat is expensive, but what about the eggs? You may be dying to see some black eggs, and you believe that this is the kind of chicken that will produce those black eggs.
Sorry to disappoint you, but the Kadaknath chicken breed does not lay black eggs either. They don’t lay very many eggs, but when they do, their eggs have a light brown color, and you may find a little bit of pink in each egg.
Why Are Black Chicken Egg Rumors Caused by Ayam Cemani Chicken?
It was mentioned earlier in this guide that people thought the Ayam Cemani chicken laid black eggs because the chicken is black.
Just because the inside and outside of this chicken breed are black doesn’t mean that the eggs are black too. When more and more people assume this detail, it will spread as a rumor.
Why does the rumor come from the Ayam Cemani chicken breed? People believe that these chickens produce black eggs because they’re black; even the inside of the chicken is black.
Some people may have started this rumor but have never seen an Ayam Cemani chicken lay a black egg.
This particular breed of chicken is only heard of in the United States, but people in Indonesia will tell you that the Ayam Cemani does not lay black eggs, and that’s the truth.
The Genetics Behind the Black Chicken Breeds
The genetics of black chicken breeds can be vastly complicated. There are terms that you may or may not know, and then we’ll work our way through the whole genetics process.
Let’s start with the term “fibromelanosis.” You may be thinking, what is that and is it dangerous? It’s nothing bad. It just means that there is a source of melanin in each chicken.
That chicken could get it from their mother or father and pass it down to each of their baby chicks. It’s just like if a child has an allergy, they usually inherit it from their mother or father or both.
Melanin is not dangerous. It just means that it’s a source of the fibromelanosis that creates the solid black color you see in the Ayam Cemani chickens and the Kadaknath chickens.
Another gene that is in these types of chickens is known as the Fm gene. If the mother and father chickens have this gene, then their chickens will have a pitch-black color.
If either the mother or the father carries the Fm gene, it means that their chickens will still have a solid black color, but they won’t be as dark as the chicken that has both parents with the same gene.
As previously mentioned earlier in this section, the genetics of black chicken breeds could get messy. Several genes come into play. Some of them can intertwine with the FM gene, causing the chickens’ color to appear a different color than black.
Birds That Lay Black Eggs
By now, you have probably figured out that chickens do not lay black eggs, but what about any other kind of animal? Do they lay black eggs?
There are a couple of birds that lay black eggs, so if you have always wanted to see what a black egg looks like, check out the emu and the Cayuga duck.
Below you will find out more information about these animals and their black eggs:
Emu Lays Black Colored Eggs
Earlier on in this guide, it was mentioned that an emu does lay a black colored egg and that they are very large. Hold on a second. An emu? What is that? Picture an ostrich.
An emu is very similar to an ostrich except that an emu originates from Australia, and both males and females have dark brown feathers. It can get pretty hard to tell a male apart from a female.
Emus lay between 20 and 30 eggs per year. That’s not very many. Since these birds don’t lay that many eggs, the price of one egg goes up if you purchase it in the store.
These large black eggs run around $30 for one egg. Even though Emu’s produce a solid black colored egg, you will also find some green mixed in with the black. It is one of the most unique looking eggs on the planet.
Cayuga Duck Lays Black Eggs (Sometimes)
Another type of bird that lays black eggs is the Cayuga duck. If you live in the United States, you may have seen these ducks around a lot, especially if you live close to a pond or a lake in your subdivision or apartment complex.
Yes, these birds do lay black eggs, but only some of the time. When one of these birds lays an egg at the beginning of the season, it is black.
These birds can lay eggs in any season, but it’s usually towards the beginning. When these birds lay black eggs, you may start to feel giddy with excitement. Hold off on the excitement for right now.
If you leave a black egg in its nest for several weeks or months, the color will change. Before the start of a new season, the eggs in their nest will turn white, like regular chicken eggs.
There is a possibility that the Cayuga duck will not lay a black egg at the beginning of the season. If they don’t, it will be because of genetics.
Other FAQs
What is the appearance of black chicken eggs inside?
Remember, black chicken eggs don’t exist. If you want to see or eat black chicken eggs or if you want chickens that can produce some black eggs, then some chickens will be able to produce darker colored eggs.
They won’t be black, but these eggs are brown with black spots. They are the closest thing you will get to a black egg. These are called Maran eggs.
When you crack open a Maran egg, you will notice it is the same color as a regular egg that we all buy at our local grocery stores.
Not only will you notice the color of the yolk, but you will also notice that there is another egg inside that egg you just cracked. The color of that yolk is also yellow.
Are black chicken egg yolks black?
When you come across black chickens, you’ll notice that they do not lay black eggs as the myth suggests. As you read about earlier, there are a couple of different kinds of black chickens.
These eggs can range in a variety of colors, such as pink, brown, and green, but only their shells will have that beautiful texture. When you crack open the eggs, you’ll notice a beautiful yellow color, which is the yolk.
If you see a black chicken egg that has a black yolk, throw it out immediately. It means the yolk could be contaminated and would make you very sick if you were to eat it.
You may need to check the chickens out if that’s the case, and make sure your chickens don’t have an illness that they would be carrying.
What breed of chicken lays a black egg?
Some animals lay black eggs, but sadly, chickens aren’t one of them. If you’re desperate for a black egg because you know how rare they are, then your best bet would be to try to find an emu egg. Even the black chickens don’t lay black eggs.
Do black chicken eggs exist?
Black eggs exist, but not chicken eggs. People get caught up in myths and spirits all the time, thinking that they’re real. When people start believing that it’s real, they will start obsessing over it.
They will get to a point where they have to see a black chicken egg. If you do see a black egg, it came from another animal. Chickens don’t lay black eggs.
If you have chickens and you see that your chicken has just laid a black egg, then you might want to get that chicken checked out by a vet because it’s not possible.
You may think your chicken has laid a black egg because it’s dark in color, but it’s not. The darkest you will ever come to a chicken egg is a dark brown.
Final Thoughts
You may have read multiple times throughout this guide, that black chicken eggs do not exist. The reason why it’s brought up multiple times is so people will understand that what they have heard has been a rumor.
You may have fallen for that trap as well. If you’re interested in colecting black eggs, you could always dye them black using food coloring.
It’s not the same as a natural egg from a chicken, but it’s the closest thing you have. You should also be careful with what you’re eating.
No matter what color the egg shell is, the egg yolk will always be yellow. If it’s not, don’t eat it because it either went bad or something is wrong with your chicken.
Hopefully, you have learned a thing or two from this guide and are well aware of the facts about your chickens and the eggs they produce.
