A black chicken can mean two very different things. Sometimes it is simply a chicken with black feathers, such as a Black Australorp or Black Orpington. In a few breeds, the dark color goes much deeper and includes the skin, connective tissues, and bones.
That difference matters. It is the reason an Ayam Cemani looks black almost everywhere while a Black Jersey Giant has glossy black plumage but otherwise has the normal skin and internal coloring for its breed.
If you are choosing a black chicken for your backyard, color is only the starting point. Some of these birds are excellent layers. Some are calm family-flock chickens. Others are rare exhibition breeds, strong flyers, or slow-maturing giants. This list compares 17 black and black-dominant breeds without treating them as though they all behave the same way.
Black Feathers vs. Fibromelanosis
Most black chickens are black because of genes that affect feather color. Their feathers may look deep black indoors and show a green or beetle-like sheen in sunlight.
Fibromelanosis is different. It causes unusually heavy pigmentation in the skin and connective tissues and can also darken bones and internal tissues. Research has linked this trait to a structural rearrangement involving the EDN3 region on chicken chromosome 20.
Ayam Cemani, Silkies, and Kadaknath are well-known examples in this list. Black Australorps, Orpingtons, Javas, Minorcas, Cochins, and Jersey Giants are not fibromelanistic just because their feathers are black.
This also clears up a common myth: black chickens do not lay black eggs. Shell color comes from a different set of genetics. Our guide to black chickens and egg color explains that in more detail.
17 Black Chicken Breeds at a Glance
| Breed | Type of black | Eggs | Size | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Shumen | Black plumage | Light-shelled | Medium | Rare Bulgarian utility breed |
| Valdarno | Black plumage | White/light | Medium | Rare Tuscan breed |
| Black Orpington | Black plumage | Brown | Large | Calm dual-purpose bird |
| Ancona | Black with white mottling | White | Medium | Active layer and forager |
| Ayam Cemani | Fibromelanistic | Cream/light | Medium | Extreme dark pigmentation |
| Black Silkie | Fibromelanistic | Cream/tinted | Small | Broodiness and gentle temperament |
| White Crested Black Polish | Black body, white crest | White | Medium | Distinctive crest |
| Black Minorca | Black plumage | Large white | Large | Mediterranean layer |
| Kadaknath | Fibromelanistic | Light brown/tinted | Small-medium | Black skin and meat |
| Black Sumatra | Black plumage | White/tinted | Medium | Long flowing plumage and flight |
| Black Croad Langshan | Black plumage | Brown | Large | Tall dual-purpose breed |
| Crèvecœur | Black plumage | White/tinted | Large | Rare French crested breed |
| La Flèche | Black plumage | Large white | Large | Rare French utility breed |
| Black Cochin | Black plumage | Brown | Large | Feathered legs and broodiness |
| Black Java | Black plumage | Brown | Large | Old American dual-purpose breed |
| Black Jersey Giant | Black plumage | Brown | Very large | Exceptional body size |
| Black Australorp | Black plumage | Light brown | Large | High egg production |
17 Black Chicken Breeds With Pictures
1. Black Shumen Chicken
The correct name is Black Shumen, after the Shumen region of Bulgaria. It is an indigenous Bulgarian breed with black plumage that can carry a green sheen in good light.
This is more of a conservation and heritage breed than something most U.S. backyard keepers will find at a local hatchery. The birds are medium-sized, active, and useful for both eggs and meat. Older population figures are sometimes repeated online as though they describe the breed today, but those numbers quickly become outdated, so I would not use them to judge current availability.
2. Valdarno Chicken
The Valdarno is a rare Italian breed from Tuscany. Its plumage should be an even, brilliant black with a beetle-green shine, while the face and comb are bright red and the earlobes are white.
Do not confuse it with the Valdarnese Bianca, which is a separate white population. That mix-up appears in a lot of older breed lists. Valdarno numbers remain low, so this is a breed you are more likely to encounter through specialist conservation breeders than ordinary backyard poultry sellers.
3. Black Orpington
Black was the original Orpington color developed by William Cook in England. Cook used Black Minorca, Black Plymouth Rock, and clean-legged Langshan stock while working toward a broad, useful bird that could provide both eggs and meat.
For backyard keepers, temperament is usually the big attraction. Orpingtons are typically calm, heavy birds and many hens become broody. A Black Orpington has black feathers, but it is not a fibromelanistic chicken and does not have black bones or internal tissues.
Expect moderate brown-egg production rather than commercial-layer numbers. Their heavy build also makes shade and summer airflow important in hot climates.
4. Ancona Chicken
Anconas belong in a black-chicken list with an explanation: they are black-dominant mottled birds, not solid-black chickens. Their standard plumage is glossy black with white at the feather tips.
The breed comes from Italy and is known for activity rather than cuddly behavior. Anconas forage hard, range widely, and can fly surprisingly well. They are also useful white-egg layers, often producing around 200 eggs a year in productive lines.
The legs are yellow, sometimes with dark mottling. That is another detail that gets misreported when people assume every black-feathered breed must also have black legs.
5. Ayam Cemani
The Ayam Cemani is the bird most people picture when they hear “all-black chicken.” Its feathers, skin, face, comb, wattles, and much of the connective tissue are extremely dark because of fibromelanosis.
It comes from Indonesia and has a long cultural history there. That history includes ceremonial and traditional uses, but a backyard breed guide does not need to turn those traditions into medical or supernatural claims.
Ayam Cemani hens are modest layers and their eggs are cream to light colored, not black. If black eggs are the reason you are interested in this breed, you will be disappointed, but the bird itself is still one of the most visually unusual chickens you can keep.
6. Black Silkie
Black Silkies combine two unusual traits: dark fibromelanistic skin and bones, plus soft plumage that lacks the tight feather structure seen on most chickens.
They are small, gentle birds and are far better known for broodiness than for egg volume. A broody Silkie will often sit so determinedly that keepers use the breed to hatch eggs from other chickens.
The eggs are small and cream to tinted. The blood is red like that of other chickens. Fibromelanosis darkens skin, bones, and connective tissues, not the blood itself.
7. White Crested Black Polish
This is another black-dominant patterned bird rather than a completely black chicken. The body is black and the large crest is white, giving the variety one of the sharpest color contrasts in poultry.
The deeper origin of Polish chickens is not settled, although Dutch breeders played an important role in refining them. Their white earlobes and V-shaped comb are easy to miss under the crest.
Polish hens can lay a useful number of white eggs, but most people choose this variety for appearance. The crest may reduce forward vision, so these birds can startle easily and may need extra care in a rough mixed flock.
8. Black Minorca
The Black Minorca is a tall Mediterranean chicken with glossy plumage, large white earlobes, and a very noticeable red comb and wattles.
Its best feature is egg size. Minorcas are known for large white eggs and active foraging. They are not slow, sleepy yard ornaments. Give them room and they will use it.
The same oversized comb that makes a Minorca look impressive can be a liability in freezing weather. This is a better fit for warm or moderate climates than a small-combed northern breed.
9. Kadaknath
Kadaknath, also known as Kali Masi, is an Indian fibromelanistic breed with dark feathers, skin, meat, and bones. Genomic research confirms that it shares the fibromelanosis region seen in other black-boned chicken populations while remaining its own distinct genetic population.
It is a relatively small, active bird rather than a heavy meat breed. Hens are modest layers of light brown to tinted eggs.
Kadaknath meat has been studied for its composition, but that does not justify claims that eating it treats asthma, tuberculosis, anemia, or other diseases. Those medical claims do not belong in a responsible breed guide.
10. Black Sumatra
Black Sumatras are elegant, athletic chickens from Indonesia. The long tail, low carriage, and glossy green-black plumage give them a very different look from a round-bodied Orpington or Cochin.
They are also much more active. Sumatras can fly well, may be jumpy around people, and do best when they have room. Roosters are roughly 5 pounds and hens around 4 pounds, so they are not really a “big black chicken” despite the dramatic feathering.
Egg production is modest. Hens can become broody, especially as the breeding season progresses, and can make attentive mothers.
11. Black Croad Langshan
Croad Langshans came from China and were imported to England by Major A. C. Croad in the 1870s. They were sometimes confused with Cochins and later crossed into other poultry lines, but the breed itself was not simply created by mixing Cochins and Brahmas.
A mature Langshan is tall and substantial, with a rooster around 9.5 pounds and a hen around 7.5 pounds. Black plumage can show a rich green sheen.
Hens lay brown eggs and some become broody. The breed is useful if you want a large traditional bird that still forages well without the extremely fluffy body of a Cochin.
12. Crèvecœur
The Crèvecœur is an old French breed from Normandy. It combines solid black plumage with a crest and V-shaped comb, so it looks fancy even though it has a long history as a table bird.
It remains uncommon but is currently listed by The Livestock Conservancy in the Watch category rather than the more severe descriptions found in many old articles.
Hens generally lay around 120 to 150 white-to-tinted eggs a year. They are not especially broody, and the breed is usually calmer than La Flèche, another old black French chicken.
13. La Flèche
La Flèche is a rare French breed with glossy black feathers, white earlobes, and the horn-like V-shaped comb that earned it the nickname “Devil Bird.”
Its temperament is often described too softly. La Flèche chickens are active, alert, good flyers, and can be wary of people. If you want a bird that follows you around asking to be picked up, this would not be my first choice.
The hens can lay a respectable number of large white eggs, roughly 140 to 220 in productive lines. The breed remains in The Livestock Conservancy’s Critical category in the United States.
14. Black Cochin
A Black Cochin is almost the opposite of a Sumatra. It is round, heavily feathered, slow-moving, and covered in feathering right down the legs and feet.
Cochins are generally calm birds and hens have a strong reputation for broodiness. Egg production is moderate rather than exceptional, with brown eggs being typical.
The extra feathering makes wet mud a bigger management problem than it is for clean-legged breeds. In cold dry weather they usually cope well, but feathered feet need somewhere reasonably clean to stay in good condition.
15. Black Java
The Java is one of America’s older chicken breeds. Its exact ancestry is not neatly documented, but it was developed in the United States from stock believed to have Far Eastern roots. It was already established by the middle of the nineteenth century.
Black Javas are large dual-purpose birds, with roosters around 9.5 pounds and hens around 7.5 pounds. They are generally calm, good foragers, and hens can become broody.
The eggs are brown and production is moderate. The Livestock Conservancy currently lists the Java as Critical, so keeping well-bred birds can also support preservation of an old American breed.
16. Black Jersey Giant
If your main requirement is size, the Jersey Giant is the standout bird on this list. Mature roosters commonly reach about 13 to 15 pounds and hens about 10 to 11 pounds.
The breed was developed in New Jersey using large dark breeds, including Black Java and Langshan stock, with the goal of creating a very large table chicken.
Jersey Giants are gentle for their size, lay large brown eggs, and can make good homestead birds. The tradeoff is slow maturity. Many pullets start laying later than ordinary production breeds, sometimes closer to 8 to 12 months. The breed is now listed as Recovering by The Livestock Conservancy.
17. Black Australorp
For a practical backyard flock, the Black Australorp is probably the easiest bird on this list to recommend.
Australian breeders developed Australorps from imported Black Orpington stock and then selected heavily for useful egg production. Other breeds contributed along the way, but the story is more than a simple one-time three-breed cross.
Hens are strong layers of light brown eggs, often producing around 200 to 280 a year depending on line and management. The birds are usually calm, substantial without being giant, and adaptable to many backyard setups.
The Livestock Conservancy graduated the Australorp from its conservation list in 2023, which is good news for a breed that was once much less secure.
Which Black Chicken Is Best for Your Flock?
Choosing by color alone usually leads to the wrong bird. Think about what you actually want from the flock.
Best Black Chickens for Eggs
Black Australorp is the strongest all-around layer here. Ancona is also productive if you do not mind the white mottling and more active temperament. Black Minorca is worth considering when large white eggs matter more than a calm pet-like personality.
For more high-output breeds, see our best egg-laying chickens.
Best Calm Black Chickens for Beginners
Black Australorp, Black Orpington, and Black Cochin are much easier starting points than Sumatra, La Flèche, or Minorca. The calmer breeds are generally easier to catch, confine, and integrate into a family backyard flock.
Most Unusual All-Black Chickens
If you specifically want fibromelanosis rather than ordinary black feathers, look at Ayam Cemani, Black Silkie, and Kadaknath. Each has dark skin and deeper tissue pigmentation, but their size, egg output, and temperament are very different.
Rarest Black Breeds
Black Shumen, Valdarno, La Flèche, Crèvecœur, and Java are the birds on this list where conservation status or limited breeder numbers matter most. Availability changes over time, so current breed-club or conservation listings are more useful than an old worldwide population number copied from one article to another.
Three Black Chicken Myths Worth Dropping
Black chickens do not automatically have black meat. Most breeds on this list have ordinary skin and meat color for their breed. Fibromelanistic chickens are the exception.
Black chickens are not automatic hawk deterrents. There is no reliable reason to treat a black Silkie or Ayam Cemani as predator protection because a hawk might mistake it for a crow. Use a covered run, overhead netting, secure housing, and real predator-management practices.
Black feathers do not make every breed cold-hardy. A Minorca has black feathers but a large frostbite-prone comb. A Cochin is heavily feathered and much more comfortable in cold weather. Climate tolerance depends on the whole bird, not feather color alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do black chickens lay black eggs?
No. Feather color does not determine eggshell color. Ayam Cemani, Silkies, Kadaknath, Australorps, and the other black breeds on this list lay white, cream, tinted, or brown eggs depending on the breed, not black eggs.
Which chickens have black skin and bones?
Fibromelanistic breeds such as Ayam Cemani, Silkies, and Kadaknath have unusually dark skin, connective tissue, and bones. Most black-feathered breeds, including Australorps, Orpingtons, Javas, and Jersey Giants, do not.
What is the best black chicken for egg production?
Black Australorp is one of the best choices for a backyard egg flock because productive hens can lay roughly 200 to 280 light-brown eggs a year. Anconas are also strong layers, although they are black-and-white mottled rather than solid black.
Are black chickens rare?
Some are and some are not. Australorps and Black Cochins are widely available, while breeds such as Valdarno, Black Shumen, Java, La Flèche, and Crèvecœur have much smaller conservation populations or breeder networks.
Do black chickens keep hawks away?
Do not rely on them for that. There is no dependable evidence that keeping black chickens protects a flock because hawks will mistake them for crows. Covered runs, overhead protection, secure housing, and good predator management are much safer.
Are black chickens good in cold weather?
It depends on the breed. Black Cochin and Australorp generally handle cold better than a large-combed Mediterranean breed such as Minorca. Feather color by itself does not determine cold hardiness.
Which black chicken is best for beginners?
Black Australorp is a strong first choice because it combines useful egg production with a generally calm temperament. Black Orpington and Black Cochin are also beginner-friendly if you prefer heavier, more broody birds.
Final Thoughts
The nicest thing about a black-chicken flock is how different the birds can be even when the color looks similar from a distance.
A Black Australorp can be a practical egg-layer, a Cochin a big broody yard bird, a Sumatra an athletic ornamental chicken, and an Ayam Cemani a fibromelanistic specialty breed. None of those birds should be chosen for the same reason.
Pick the breed for temperament, egg production, climate, space, and management first. If the bird also happens to have beautiful black plumage, that is a good bonus.
Sources
- PLoS Genetics: The Fibromelanosis Mutation in Domestic Chickens
- Genomic Study of Kadaknath and Fibromelanosis
- American Poultry Association: Accepted Breeds and Varieties
- The Livestock Conservancy: Ancona Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Orpington Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Minorca Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Sumatra Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Langshan Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Crèvecœur Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: La Flèche Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Java Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Jersey Giant Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Australorp Chicken
- Italian Poultry Conservation Database: Valdarno
- AGRIS: Bulgarian Indigenous Chicken Breeds, Including Black Shumen
I recent purchased 4 black chicks to satisfy one of my hens that was setting on an empty nest. When I bought the black hens the sign in the store simply labeled them as black hens, good egg lays of large to extra large eggs. They are almost 3 months old now and some of their feathers are tufted with gold. Very pretty hens, I am anxious to see what color eggs they lay
Please tell us, black chicks of which chicken breed