Fluffy, Black Chicken Can Goth Up Halloween and Has 'Silkie' Disposition

— -- The silkie “black” chicken's feathers look like fluffy fur -- and it is billed as one of the gentlest, cutest chickens out there. That's why some people in America keep it as a pet.

On the other hand, it's also a staple of certain Asian dishes, and its blue-black skin and meat might add a little Goth factor to an adventurous diner's Halloween meal.

“It tastes like chicken. It’s more of dark-meat taste,” said Bud Wood, who has been raising the odd-looking birds for more than 20 years at his Murray McMurray hatchery in Webster City, Iowa.

The dark-colored chicken may seem unusual to those not familiar with the animal, but the birds were described by Marco Polo during his travels to China in the 13th century, according to the American Silkie Bantam Club.

Frank Reese, owner of Good Shepard Poultry ranch in Lindsborg, Kansas, has been raising chickens and silkies for 60 years. Reese said the bird has been a standard bird in poultry exhibitions for more than 100 years and is shown across the country at exhibition shows.

“They’re excellent pets,” said Reese. “There are certain breeds of chicken that are just more gentle. The silkie is one of those, partially because it cannot fly.”

Wood added that the chicken’s black skin isn’t its only distinctive feature. The bird also has an extra toe and “silky” feathers that fluff up and look almost like fur.

Many hatcheries in the U.S. focus on selling the birds with their furry feathers to be used as pets more than food. At Purely Poultry, you can buy your own silkie for $5.25.

According American Silkie Bantam Club, the birds “make wonderful pets and adapt quickly to attention and handling by people.”

The club even hosts meets for fans of the silkie to show off their favorite bird.