Since we started keeping chickens a few years ago, I’ve learned about some amazing varieties of birds. While I find myself partial to breeds of chickens I perceive as “traditional,” like the Rhode Island Red and the Welsummer, the more I learn about some cool and unusual breeds of chickens, the more I want some. Take, for example, the giant Brahma I wrote about earlier this year. They are magnificent birds with large bodies and sweet dispositions. How can you not want one of those?

But one of the most interesting breeds of chickens I’ve ever seen is the Ayam Cemani. This breed of chicken from Indonesia is black inside and out. And I’m not talking about just a little bit black. It’s feathers, comb, feet, meat, bones, and organs are all black!

That’s a goth chicken if I’ve ever seen one!

The only things that aren’t black are its blood, which, according to some people, is also darker or blackish, and its eggs, which are white. How awesome is that?

So where in the world did this all-black chicken come from?

This goth chicken originates from the island of Java in Indonesia. It gets its rare coloration from a genetic mutation that is dominant, so it keeps coming up when the chickens breed. This chicken is so rare and special that it can be considered sacred and mystical by some, and eating its black meat is thought by some to bring good fortune or good health. It was first brought to Europe in 1998.

The birds are supposed to be sweet, docile birds and since they look so cool, there’s a high demand for them. Purchasing just one that is pure black, inside and out, can apparently run you hundreds of dollars. There’s even a waiting list with some breeders that you have to pay to get on! Of course, there are variations, and you can get some that are just mostly black for cheaper.

But even though they lay white eggs, which is just a fantastic contrast, they only lay about 80 eggs per year. So I don’t think our little chicken farm can afford an expensive chicken who isn’t going to lay an whole awful lot.

Still, I have to admit that it would be really cool to have one, OK, two. I mean, think of the babies! And I’ve read that more people are starting to raise them, so they’re coming down in price.

What do you think? Are these chickens cool or what?