Inside the Goth Chicken: Black Bones, Black Muscle and a Black Heart

[fredfoobar42]

It's like "How much more black could this chicken be?" And the answer is "None. None more black."

[stinos]

just one day-old chick of unknown sex goes for $199, plus shipping and handling

How is this done practically? Can a company like UPS move living animals or are there special regulations?

[dbarlett]

Mailing chicks via USPS [1] is legal and common:

    Some animals are mailable under proper conditions. See the specific         
    instructions as noted for the following kinds of animals:

    * Live bees
    * Live, day-old poultry
    * Live adult fowl
    * Live scorpions (only under limited circumstances)
    * Other small, harmless, cold–blooded animals

[1] http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/pub52c5_008.htm

[iamthepieman]

I haven't raised poulets in a while but when I was I would often get them delivered. They come in a big brown box with air holes cut along the top. Sometimes they are fancy like [0] and sometimes pretty plain [1].

They are usually a little stressed from the trip but a few hours in a refrigerator box (or the bathtub) under a heat lamp with access to fresh water and feed will put them at ease quickly.

Usually there's a minimum order because the body heat of two dozen chicks helps keep them warm.

[0] http://www.hm-e.net/ [1] http://cutlersupply.com/zen_new51/index.php?main_page=produc...

[DonHopkins]

I'd think twice before murdering an Intagliated Chicken [1], whose marked body bears witness to a family shame, and life belongs to a man whose lust for power is without limit.

[1] Iain M. Banks, Surface Detail: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7937744-surface-detail

[mc32]

Are these the same as the special occasion black chicken soup they serve in East Asia?[1]

If so, they're not unusual and people think they are gamier and tastier than regular chickens. In any event, they carry a price premium.

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/dining/17blac.html?_r=0

[Jipha]

No, these are closer to regular chickens, but all black. The ones used in those soups are called Silkies and are a more distinct breed of chickens. (Fluffy plumage, smaller, and apparently smarter.)

[teamhappy]

It says it right there in the first sentence. It's a Silkie chicken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie

[DiabloD3]

Is it wrong the only thing I want to know is what it tastes like?

[stickfigure]

"It tastes like chicken"

[splitbrain]

That was exactly my thought through the whole article. Also do the eggs look black, too?

[rokhayakebe]

Is it wrong that I feel it would be wrong eating it? It's feel like more than a mere animal to me. (I am black, btw, I have no idea if this played into my feeling)

[ars]

According to what I read there is no difference in the taste.

[StavrosK]

It tastes like black.

[krylon]

Not at all. I was wondering the same thing.

[gadders]

I went to a chicken breeder a while back to get some new pedigree hens and they had a couple of these. They are indeed very striking. Beautiful birds.

[kken]

This breed does not seem to be as rare as the article makes them out to be. I can find them for $10 in the local classifieds...

[Terr_]

TFA:

> Cemanis are not the only black birds, but most of the others have pink tongues and deep brown eyes, along with innards of the normal hues.

[chm]

Buy one and find out if the seller is legitimate :)

[tempodox]

Can only paraphrase Henry Ford here: You can have any colour as long as it's black.

[alex_doom]

Once you go black you ... pay $1500 for a pre-fab coop?

[fnordfnordfnord]

Oh man, the time and money I've spent to have fresh eggs. I built a chicken-fortress in my back yard, and still I was defeated by opossums.

[teamhappy]

I'm just here to watch the down votes. Also, buzzfeed has a list of odd-looking chicken (of course they do...)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamesgrebey/cock-a-doodle-oo-la-la