Help me identify these black hens

[chickenannie]

What breed are these? My pics don't really show their tails very well -- their tails fan out in a triangle from the back but only when they want to fan them. From the side their tails fan out much wider than they look here and the tails stand very upright. They lay small white eggs (banty sized) and one lays blue eggs. Their feathers are glossy black, and they are smallish -- perhaps banties? They were fierce broody henmoms which now makes me think they are banties. Some have slight feathering of the legs which makes me think they are crosses of something. Any ideas?

 

[jjthink]

Hi. When I first saw your photos I thought maybe your feathered friends were whatever my new hen Ellie is but then I saw the part about the egg color being white and blue. Ellie lays brown eggs. She also has gray legs. I see some yellow legs in your photos? And maybe gray? Anyhow, sorry this photo isn't so great. I have to get a better one. I went on the MH site where I think Ellie originally hailed from and think maybe she is a black star... Yours perhaps a cross of some kind....... Pretty girls!!!!

JJ

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks, yeah, some of them have yellow, some gray legs, so I know they're a cross.

Their feathers are so predominantly glossy black, though, can anyone tell me what their main breed might be? Or what kind of cross?

 

[tiki244]

Well it kinda looks like some or all are a cross with a black cochin. You said some had feathering on the legs? They do look like Orpingtons kinda but dont think they are. They probably have EE in them (blue egg)

 

[jjthink]

chickenannie, during your chicken troubles, by chance did you run across a vet who I may be able to reach today, LABOR DAY? Good luck, right? The hen in the photo above as of this afternoon is in dire trouble. And I don;t think she can endure waiting till tomorrow to have vet attention. I just started a post on her under "Emergencies"
JJ

Or if not a vet, a very experienced chicken person in our neck of the woods (I am in Mercer County NJ across the water from SEPA)

 

[dangerouschicken]

Maybe they are Black Langshan bantams?

 

[chickenannie]

Hey, I think you might be right... I look up Black Langhans http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Langshan/BRKLangshan.html maybe their feathered legs is not a crossbred thing after all...

 

[luvzmybabz]

I have a couple of cochin crosses ( experiment hatch) and I would have to vote no on the cochins cross.

 

[wyliefarms]

Ok, since some are laying colored eggs then they are a easter egger. you said that some are laying bantam eggs, if they are just starting to lay they will be small and gradually get bigger.

You have pretty birds, reminds us of our black austrolorp's with the green sheen on the feathers.

I hope Ellie is doing better.

Sarah

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks everyone... I am now positive these are Black Langshan bantams. Their unique fanned tails are EXACTLY like the ones in all the Langshan photos. Their eggs are white, except one lays a small blue egg -- maybe that one has that gene. I don't see anything similar to an EE in it's appearance though. It's taken me 6 months to figure this out!! (I bought them at an auction 6 months ago). At first I didn't like their "distant" personalities, but after seeing what tough and fearsome mothers they were, I really like them.