All Black Flock

[Kajoda929]

Poor layers doesn't mean that they lay sporadically. True, it can be a long time before starting to lay eggs in between (sometimes only twice a year) but once they start laying they can go for a month or more laying one per day or per second day. That gives you plenty of time to collect a batch and incubate them.

In Sweden, exactly for this reason, ie better laying, they created their own black chicken breed named svarthona. I don't know if it has been around in the states.

Svart Hona is definitely around, though not common in the US...From what I understand, these, Sumatra, and Kadaknath(which I REALLY want) are all cousin breeds to the Cemani...I was also told that giving hens Cilantro makes them want to lay more often...Not sure how true it is, but it worked for a friend from what she said...

I'm going to add in my response to Nigel here as well, since I already added the Cilantro part Lol

Cemani are notorious fliers, yes, but they're not the only reason I will be putting netting over my 6 foot tall run...
1-Many of my neighbors chickens jump their fences and take off, often through the back, and they have no clue...
2-My chickens are not cheap breeds and one of my neighbors has already been stealing chickens if he sees them out. He's not gentle with them either.
3-The biggest reason your flock can end up with worms is from wild birds...Netting would, at the very least, cut that chance a large chunk

So yes, I do know they're flighty, but I've got a plan for that

 

[Kajoda929]

I had an all black and white bantam flock at one point! Very striking but hard to maintain as I kept seeing chickens I wanted to buy but weren't black or white

I like some others, but I'm really set on these...I have a big long term goal in mind and I think that's what will make it a bit easier, but I also just love black...Both of my cats were solid black and if I wasn't so much of a Shepherd/Wolf person, my dogs would probably be black too...

 

[3KillerBs]

What about the black langshen breed? I love mine. My rooster is super calm. My gals are very gentle & always give me big brown eggs almost every day.

My one Black Langshen hen in the in-town flock gave me interesting, pixelated eggs.

I'm afraid it's not a very good picture, but her eggs always had this cool, finely-speckled pattern.

 

[Kajoda929]

My one Black Langshen hen in the in-town flock gave me interesting, pixelated eggs.

View attachment 2150598

I'm afraid it's not a very good picture, but her eggs always had this cool, finely-speckled pattern.

I can see it when I zoom in, like speckled, but all over? Very neat! What I'm wanting to do is cross mine later to end up with some dark olive eggers that are all black, so lighter browns are just too light for what I plan to do...I love the different shades of Brown's, but have something specific in mind and after I get a pretty dark shade going, I may cross with the Sumatra a few times to get that olive egger with solid black(they will be lighter than the original because the Sumatra have lighter eggs, but not as light as say, EE eggs...I will enjoy testing these out to get a more unique line going

 

[3KillerBs]

I will enjoy testing these out to get a more unique line going

I'll be interested in following your project. I like black, white, and black and white chickens best.

My former flock was light and dark Brahmas, Australorps, the Langshan, and some Delawares. I'm hoping to get the same again and maybe add a black Ameraucana, a French Black Marans, and an Austra White or a California grey to add additional color to my egg basket.

 

[Nigel27]

Is there any way to know if a lone Roo is a Cemani or a svart hona?

 

[Kajoda929]

Is there any way to know if a lone Roo is a Cemani or a svart hona?

Did you purchase from someone who didn't know?

 

[Nigel27]

There was a flock of five Young birds at a school I started working at three buff orp hens, a barred rock hen, and a beautiful pure black Roo that glistened green in the sun. They matured and he flew over the fence and got eaten by a fox, so I incubated all of the eggs they layed for the next few days,( and covered the run) now I have eight, five that look like they’re from the barred rock and three black ones, except for a little white feather on the tip of their wings and the tip of their middle fingers.

 

[Chris Lesley]

He is adorable, that must be one good-looking flock!

 

[cavemanrich]

three black ones, except for a little white feather on the tip of their wings and the tip of their middle fingers.

What color is the skin?? and wattles?, and comb?