Grocery store eggs are boring. Depending on where you live, they are offered in white or pale brown. Yet hens have so much more to offer, pinks, blues, greens, and browns, including some that contain reddish, copper tones. However, it is black chicken eggs that are catching people’s eyes.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a chicken breed that produces black eggs. So a human has altered these internet eggs to produce the gorgeous onyx color. There are black chicken breeds, including the Ayam Cemani, which has black skin in addition to its ebony feathers, muscles, bones, and organs. However, they produce cream eggs.
2 Farmed Birds That Produce (Almost) Black Eggs
A chicken’s plumage has nothing to do with the color of the eggs they produce. Instead, it is believed that a bird’s egg color harkens back to the climate of its original region. Therefore, the theory proposes the darker the egg, the better its chances of surviving in colder regions.
However, by this reasoning, a penguin’s eggs should be jet black, yet they are white, tinged blue, or contain a hint of green. But then again, there are penguins living in Africa.
Yet some farmed birds produce black eggs. Mostly.
1. Emu Produces (Mostly) Black Eggs
Emus, the second largest bird after the ostrich, produces deep green eggs that are sometimes so dark they look black. These eggs are gorgeous, often looking as if they came from the Emerald City of Oz, and taste good, too.
However, they are not backyard-friendly birds to raise. Nor is it the females that sit on the eggs, but the males. Once they hatch, he will father the chicks for 5-7months. Then, adorably, he will also adopt orphaned chicks so long as they are smaller than his offspring.
A single emu egg isn’t cheap. You could buy dozens upon dozens of eggs for less than a single emu egg. However, they are mostly farmed for their meat, leather, and oil. Buts, if you have a bit of land, emus can be a hoot. Just ask Emmanuel, the emu that’s become a TikTok star.
2. Cayuga Duck Produces (Some) Black Eggs
Cayuga ducks are a breed with many origin stories. Regardless of their true roots, Cayugas are beautiful, hardy, and excellent forgers. Each year they produce 100-150 eggs that begin as black and gradually lighten throughout the season until they are white.
Their plumage is generally black, with emerald and deep greens mixed in. However, some Cayugas are dominantly green. Their bill, legs, and feet are black, but the bill might have a tinge of green too.
Cayugas are raised for both meat and eggs. Unlike emus, they are considered an easy breed and suited to urban backyards. Cayugas are also considered a quieter breed but can be loud if inspired. Their flying skills are distinctly lacking, but they enjoy a good paddle.
4 Chickens That Produce Dark Eggs
A chicken is never going to give you black eggs. Nor are darker-shelled eggs any healthier than their paler cousins. But if you favor strong colors, you might want to welcome some of these little cluckers into your backyard.
1. Black Copper Marans: Dark Chocolate Chicken Eggs
Marans are a French breed of chicken that produce brown eggs. Of the Marans, it is the Black Coppers that produce the darkest. The pigment ranges from a pale copper to rich dark chocolate, depending on the hen.
Due to import restrictions, the hardy breed is popular in France but challenging to find in the United States. The average Black Copper produces 150-200 eggs per year. Interestingly, it is the poorer layers that produce the most intense color. Also, like the Cayuga, the eggs lighten as the laying season progresses. However, the color “resents” at the start of a new cycle.
2. Barnevelder: Dark Brown Chicken Eggs
Barnevelders, like the Marans, can lay incredibly dark brown eggs. They typically have less copper tones to their hue, but the darkest are strikingly rich. However, Barnevelders are not a consistent buy. Some will produce pale brown eggs, especially if they are bantams.
Thus, if you are seeking a dark brown layer, it is best to inspect the mother’s eggs first, although it isn’t a guarantee. You should also try to buy from a reputable breeder.
Barnevelder hens lay around 150-200 eggs per year. Some even produce eggs in winter. Like the Marans, the eggs gradually become lighter through the laying season and then reset. However, each year, the hen’s reset will be slightly lighter than the year before. Thus, the darkest eggs Barnevelder hens make are seen at the beginning of their first laying season.
Barnevelders are a docile to friendly breed with low aggression, making them perfect for people who want chicken pets. They are happy to be cooped up but also enjoy foraging and can evade predators fairly well. However, they do best in climates similar to Holland’s, from which they originated. Thus, they’re not a great choice if your area is prone to high heat or freezing temperatures.
3. Penedesenca: Deep Red-Brown Chicken Eggs
Penedesenca is a Spanish breed that is heat tolerant but can battle in winter, highly prone to frostbite. The breed produces some of the darkest chicken eggs, deep reddish-brown. However, there is variety within the hens; some producing eggs that are speckled and fairly light. Like the other dark-laying breeds, the Penedesenca produce the best color at the start of the season with gradual lightening through the year.
They are petite, 4-5lbs, and lay around 140-160 eggs yearly. Despite their smaller size, they are often raised for their meat, as it is of high quality. But they make for poor pets. They avoid humans and despise confinement. But they are excellent foragers, adept at avoiding predators, and great mothers. Well, the latter is only so long as you don’t confine them, as then they tend to become cannibalistic.
4. Welsummer: Terracotta And Speckled Chicken Eggs
Welsummers are a dark brown layer popular in the United Kingdom and Australia but harder to source in the United States. However, many claim that a Welsummer inspired Kellogg’s Cornelius the Rooster. Hens weigh 4-6lbs and males 6.5-7lbs.
A Welsummer hen lays between 160-250 eggs a year. The eggs begin as dark brown, but as the hen ages, the eggs will become pale with dark speckles.
They are a docile and friendly breed but are terrible parents. They can also be rather vocal, even if you forgo the roosters. However, they are excellent foragers and can adapt to colder temperatures.
3 (Mostly) Black Chicken Breeds That Produce Colored Eggs
Black chickens do not produce black eggs. Instead, their eggs tend to be white, cream, or light brown. However, there are a few with dark plumage that produces rarer colors. Admittedly, not all of these are a true black chicken breed.
1. Croad Lanshan: Pink-Brown Chicken Eggs
The Croad Lanshan are an ancient breed that originated in China with irredentist black plumage and red combs. Their pale brown eggs are often tinted with pinks. There are considered gentle giants, with the average hen weighing 7lbs and roosters averaging 9lb.
In the right conditions, Croad Lanshan will live over a decade and make sweet and charming pets if you can find one. They are also easygoing and will happily hang out with other friendly breeds. However, they don’t do well in rainy conditions. They need plenty of shelter and owners willing to dry their legs off if they get soggy.
2. Dongxiang: Blue Chicken Eggs
The Dongxiang is another rare breed from China that produces blue eggs. Unlike the Croad Lanshan, these are petite, 3-3.5lbs, although their meat is said to be delicious. Pure-bred Dongxiangs only produce two to maybe three eggs a week. Thus, it is common for this breed to be cross-bred to produce egg production.
Pure-bred Dongxiang can have black skin like the Ayam Cemani or grey. However, when cross-bred for higher egg production, the skin color is prone to lightning.
The Dongxiang is rare, even in China, as they favor a single tropical region. Thus, they are nearly impossible to find outside of the country.
3. Olive Eggers: Green Chicken Eggs
Olive Eggers are a breed that produces delightfully green eggs. But before you pull a Dr. Seuss, only the shells are green, and the insides remain the standard white and yellow. They produce between 3-4 eggs a week, working out to 140-200 a year.
Olive Eggers are not a proper pure breed but come from blue layers being crossed with brown. Due to this, their plumage varies. You do get black Olive Eggers, along with creams, greys, and some gorgeous combinations.
Olive Eggers withstand a wide temperature range, including freezing winters and hot summers. They are also known as docile that are often friendly. But due to cross-breeding, there is variety; some are pretty intelligent, while others will be nervous. However, they generally hang out with other breeds without fuss.
Conclusion
Alas, no chickens exist that lay black eggs, but Black Coppers Marans will produce a deep, dark, rich color. However, if you are open to trying ducks, the Cayuga will produce black eggs at the start of the season, gradually lightening to shades of gray.
David Cameron is a passionate chicken enthusiast. Growing up, he always wanted to be a veterinarian and loved animals. After graduating from veterinary school, David spent over 40 years as an equine veterinarian. He and his wife retired a few years ago and moved to North Carolina. Here, David’s love of chickens grew even more – he now has 7 chickens and 6 quail. If you have any questions about chickens, feel free to reach out.