My black mystery hen!

[Cockatrice6420]

A side note: if you look to see who is online at BYC, look for RavynFallen. Very knowledgeable, helpful, and familiar with silkies... well alot of poultry stuff.

 

[mamabokbok]

I did some searching... the only info I could find on black faced chickens. Silkies, most always have black faces. Ayam Cemani are the East Indian bird that is black through and through, skin, meat, internal organs are dark, etc. Your girl should be a cross of one of those, most likely silkie.

I found that pure black chicken when I was looking for answers, they are devine

if she was pure black feathers all over without the Gold part on her neck then she actually would LOOK a lot like that, she looked so similar to some of those pictures that It actually crossed my mind if maybe she was a 'cull' from a line breeding project to imitate that look

it wouldn't surprise me the seller was mature aged and said that his father is also was a breeder and has heaps more types of chickens he would re stock from when he returned from over seas, so they seemed pretty into it. but I highly doubt that she actually is part that type, I doubt that there is even any of those here they look to be fairly new in the US etc seeing as they are so rare and also super expensive? a fanatic collector who managed to bring them into AUS wouldn't be x breeding them? I also considered silky because they are common here and the 5 toes and small size would match but her body skin is white she's only black faced and legged so I don't know if that can happen with silkie x or if she would also have black skin? I thought prehaps she would be all black skin if she was silky x? I'm sitting out here in the yard and one of them is clucking up a storm

prehaps they are laying an egg! We have had them since Sunday so waiting with excitement for our first egg from them

 

[mamabokbok]

See

that would be me! And I don't have the space, your yard looks awesome! I'm already a member of the local aquarium society and my kitchen, dining/lounge room is at capacity with tanks

I have more catfish than I can count! It all started with a gold fish colouring in Comp when I was a child.. Now I breed fish and just completed a year being involved on the club committee. I've never been particularly good with birds though in general I pretty much suck, so because it doesn't come at all naturally to me I'm going nuts trying to educate myself on how to keep these ones alive and well on here. I must resist from becoming the crazy chicken lady hehe I'm already a crazy fish lady

 

[Cockatrice6420]

There are soooo many possibilities. Bird genetics are weird. I'm also trying to track down "marsh daisies" they originated in England and are a mix of something like five different breeds, finding all the parts for the recipe would be exhausting.

I think you may be onto something about the possible project bird. If the breeder is that deep into chickens, they may be working with some good specimens to begin with.

I love hanging out with my birds... it's neat watching the different personalities working together. All the different stages they go through, it's like kids but quicker, and no diapers, and they eat their vegetables...

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Sounds like you're a natural for raising chickens actually. They are much hardier than say parakeets or cockatiels, they're omnivores so they can eat table scraps with the exception of a few things, other than that a worming detail of which there are a number of options. Yeah, cleaning the coop isn't fun, but the manure is usable in the garden after about three months of composting. If you can "chicken tractor" your garden spaces, the chickens will loosen the soil, get insects and weed seeds, eat some weed plants, and give eggs too. Very helpful little companions they are

 

[mamabokbok]

Sounds like you're a natural for raising chickens actually. They are much hardier than say parakeets or cockatiels, they're omnivores so they can eat table scraps with the exception of a few things, other than that a worming detail of which there are a number of options. Yeah, cleaning the coop isn't fun, but the manure is usable in the garden after about three months of composting. If you can "chicken tractor" your garden spaces, the chickens will loosen the soil, get insects and weed seeds, eat some weed plants, and give eggs too. Very helpful little companions they are

YES they are miracle pets! I love having chickens

I've made my own compost from old straw bedding and poop which is successfully growing vegies in it now

and we LOVE eggs so there is never enough from the small flock. The very best thing about having chickens is not having to mow/weed or use pest control to keep spiders etc under control, that's the number one reason I got chickens. I'm getting into it a bit now since raising the chicks and really getting attached to them. My chickens came with scaley leg mites and lice so I've been playing vet and treatment looks to be going well, so I suppose anyone even without much experience can learn how to care for chickens if they really want to. I spend way too much time with them and on here

I've promised myself that I'm going to get all of my house work done today and go grocery shopping yet I've just found myself back outside with the girls, it's therapeutic! These bantams don't seem to eat a lot of chicken feed at all, they really enjoy digging and eating the baby grass shoots/weeds when they are free ranging but I don't think they are going to make a dent in the longer grass, I'm going to get it mowed down and then hopefully they can maintain it nicely, they will have free access to berries and herbs planted in the yard as well, apparently they don't like to eat the mint or the lavender which they tasted a few times and weren't impressed with, that's good because I planted it around their coop to try and help keep pests downand was crossing fingers it wouldn't become food. It's gonna be so pretty out here when I'm finished, hopefully I do become good successful chicken and garden keeper, because it's time to try and get back to basics in this plastic chemical world now I reckon. My health is not so good and I'm not even 30 yet so I'm determined to make this part of a healthier lifestyle. My daughter will benefit from the chickens a lot, she's very much enjoying them and the garden too.

 

[mamabokbok]

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Kabuki silver laced wyandotte

Ebenezer and Odd Ball two of my rumpless/tufted aracaunas

Cuckoo Diablo: cuckoo maran and Custard: Salmon Faverole

 

[mamabokbok]

please excuse the mess in my yard, I've been doing a major De clutter/clean up

I think that this shows her body shape better but she's turning into a shadow in the shade

I swear trying to get photo uploads to actually work on here is driving me insane

some simply won't upload and it takes multiple attempts anyone else have this problem?

 

[mamabokbok]

Kabuki silver laced wyandotte

Ebenezer and Odd Ball two of my rumpless/tufted aracaunas

Cuckoo Diablo: cuckoo maran and Custard: Salmon Faverole

They are beautiful

how many do you have?