Black Chicken

[Matsusaka Ushi]

I've seen some images of these black chickens online, and I've heard of how they have magical properties for healing people. I've also read that they lay 'jade' eggs, which are full of different vitamins and minerals. My main question is, where can one find such a bird? I would be interested in trying one just for the experience. In addition I'm supprised that they havent been used more often as an addition in higher end restaurants (at least not to my knowledge) if for no other reason that they would be an odd colouring for chicken. Has anyone ever had one of these birds?

[Gastro888]

Yeap, they can be found in the USA. If you live in an area with a large Asian population go to an Asian grocery store and you'll find them in the frozen section. We usually use it for "dun" soups (double boiled). It's very "bow" - fortifies your health.

[Adam Balic]

These are the dead form for Silkie Chickens. The are very docile, great mothers and quite popular as pets.

[Matsusaka Ushi]

These are the dead form for Silkie Chickens. The are very docile, great mothers and quite popular as pets.

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I'm not that interested in making friends with the chickens, I just want to eat `em!

Do they TASTE any different??

Edited April 28, 2005 by Matsusaka Ushi (log)

[Adam Balic]

The taste like chicken.

They are just a chicken breed with a few genetic quirks that make them look a little different (no 'hooks' on the feathers, hence the fluffiness, five toes, black skin etc). They aren't a different species or anything that would make the distinctly different.

The breed of chicken can effect flavour etc, but diet is very important as well. A commercially raised silkie chicken is likely to taste just as rubbish as any other commercial breed. The opposite is also true.

[Nyleve Baar]

Jade eggs, shmade eggs. We keep silkies in our flock and their eggs are just exactly like all the other eggs. If they have any special nutritional value then I guess it must be invisible because they certainly don't look any different.

[Matsusaka Ushi]

Jade eggs, shmade eggs. We keep silkies in our flock and their eggs are just exactly like all the other eggs. If they have any special nutritional value then I guess it must be invisible because they certainly don't look any different.

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Hmm, I looked for more info on it and the only thing I actually find is a study to promote the Magic Egg industry in china.

Just for fun, here is the link.

Where can I find one of these magic eggs I wonder, perhaps they will make me into a ninja...

[Nyleve Baar]

Interesting. These are definitely NOT silkies they're talking about. Our silkies have blue-black skin and are generally the type sold in Asian markets as black chickens. But the eggs that our silky hens lay are just plain old normal whitish colour. The small silkies lay little wee eggs, the bigger ones lay, well, bigger eggs. But none of them are jade green.

I am going to a chicken auction on Sunday (hooray!) and I will look into this more thoroughly. Have never seen any chickens sold as layers of jade green eggs. Pastel bluish greenish yes - those are araucanas, and we have some - but nothing more exotic than that.

Will report findings (if any) on Monday.

[SuzySushi]

If there's a 99 Ranch market near you, they sell black chickens fresh in the meat case. I've read that they're usually used to make a chicken soup that is given to new mothers. They're supposedly higher in iron than regular chickens, but I haven't seen any scientific studies.

[Chris Amirault]

I am going to a chicken auction on Sunday (hooray!) and I will look into this more thoroughly. Have never seen any chickens sold as layers of jade green eggs. Pastel bluish greenish yes - those are araucanas, and we have some - but nothing more exotic than that.

Will report findings (if any) on Monday.

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Photos, if you please!

[Nyleve Baar]

These photos are from last fall's auction. Will update with fresh photos on Monday, if there's anything worth looking at. So far I have a shopping list that includes a peacock and several bantam barred rocks. (I hope this works, I've not pasted a link here before...)

http://raabranchphotos.photosite.com/ChickenAuction/

[Adam Balic]

Interesting. These are definitely NOT silkies they're talking about. Our silkies have blue-black skin and are generally the type sold in Asian markets as black chickens. But the eggs that our silky hens lay are just plain old normal whitish colour. The small silkies lay little wee eggs, the bigger ones lay, well, bigger eggs. But none of them are jade green.

I am going to a chicken auction on Sunday (hooray!) and I will look into this more thoroughly. Have never seen any chickens sold as layers of jade green eggs. Pastel bluish greenish yes - those are araucanas, and we have some - but nothing more exotic than that.

Will report findings (if any) on Monday.

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Some chicken breeds with South American blood have blue-green eggs (like the araucanas mentioned). In the UK the larger supermarkets sell Cream Legbar, which are blue-green to olive. The genetics of the blue egg and black skin traits are relatively simply, so if you really wanted to you could breed a black-skinned blue egg laying magic chicken. Especially if you come from a country where there is a strong commercial incentive to do so.

If I was going to do it I would start off with these chickens as parental stocks.

1.01 Breeding Magic Chickens

[Tepee]

I've read that they're usually used to make a chicken soup that is given to new mothers. They're supposedly higher in iron than regular chickens, but I haven't seen any scientific studies.

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Been there, done that. See, it's stated that it's eaten for medicinal purpose here ----> scroll down a little.. Don't know why I can't get the direct link via Mozilla. Drank soup made from many a silkie during my confinements.I'm grossed out by the color of the meat, so I don't eat them. Must have worked coz I made it thro all those sleepless feeding nights. Haven't tried or seen their eggs, though.

[Bux]

I've seen fresh (dead) black chickens for sale at butcher shops in NY's Chinatown. They're usually identified as silkies. We've never cooked one, but I've always assumed they were at least not battery raised.

[Adam Balic]

I would assume so also (their bones are black also BTW), but I once assumed that sea bass, sea bream, turbot, cod and sea trout were wild caught...

I wouldn't think that they are battery raised (wouldn't be any point for a meat bird), but they could still be fairly intensively raised, in barns for instance, and fed crappy commercial pellets.

I doubt this is do, but it is something to think about.

[soupsister]

I saw them frozen in our local Vietnamese market this afternoon. Daughter was more interested in the live crabs and Pocky while there, so didn't investigate further. She was most surprised by the cooked, hacked apart regular chicken we brought home that included both the chicken's head (with beak!) and feet. Next time we'll get a black chicken.

[daniellewiley]

I'd love to get one to make some soup, since I'm pregnant. When we were in Singapore in the late 90s, they told us that it's great for pregnant women, and I've wanted to try it ever since.

I was going to try it then, even though I wasn't pregnant, and at one of the hawker courts, we got in line at one of the stalls. Alas, as soon as it was our turn, the vendor turned around and did a farmer blow right onto the floor behind him. I just couldn't do it after that, and we didn't run into another black chicken soup stall again before we left.

OT Question: Why is it illegal to spit in Singapore, yet legal to blow one's nose onto the floor?? I would personally rather see spit.

[Matsusaka Ushi]

OT Question: Why is it illegal to spit in Singapore, yet legal to blow one's nose onto the floor?? I would personally rather see spit. 

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Because it was HIS floor? Spitting is only illegal in the street isn't it?

[daniellewiley]

OT Question: Why is it illegal to spit in Singapore, yet legal to blow one's nose onto the floor?? I would personally rather see spit.  

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Because it was HIS floor? Spitting is only illegal in the street isn't it?

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I suppose it was probably OK (though not appetizing) for this vendor, but we actually witnessed farmer blows throughout Singapore, in public places.

[Tepee]

Some post-natal recipes (what we call confinement food) using black chicken.

[daniellewiley]

Some post-natal recipes (what we call confinement food) using black chicken.

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Thanks Tepee! That gives me even MORE time to locate a source.