In China it is the commonsense recipe for avoiding the dreaded greys: consume a bird with black flesh and black bones and your hair will retain its black shine.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 6 minutes 18 seconds 6 m Victoria farmer Steven Brickell describes "insatiable" demand for the black meat of Silkie Bantam birds from Chinese Australians. ( Danielle Grindlay ) Download 11.6 MB

The problem for Asians living in Australia is that the 'black chickens' used for such a soup, Silkie Bantams, are rarely processed for their unique black meat.

Better known for their calm temperament and fluffy feathers, silkies often feature in Australian poultry shows.

But those bred by Victorian poultry producer Steven Brickell are produced for reasons far less glamorous.

"When this is slaughtered, the head's left on and the feet are left on," the Nhill farmer said while presenting a 700g bird.

"[The Chinese] put a little thing-o on the feet and it bobs in soup.

"One serving of the soup each week stops their hair going grey; it keeps their hair black."

Mr Brickell is in the midst of an application to expand his operation in Hindmarsh Shire, citing "insatiable demand" from Chinese Australians.

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"I get very tired sometimes of people asking, 'have you got more birds, have you got more birds?'," he said.

"How many Chinese people are there in Australia and how many will there be in a year's time? The numbers are growing all the time."

Chinese chefs confirm farmer's niche market

A list of Chinese chefs confirmed that Mr Brickell's belief in the niche market — if only they could source the bird in Australia, most would include it on their menus.

"We just make the soup, especially for women after [giving birth] and for people who had an operation," Dragon Inn head chef Sung Chung Wen said.

Not burnt to a crisp: Silkie Bantams have black flesh and black bones and Chinese buyers prefer the heads and feet left on.

"It's good for your blood and good for your body to recover."

Sung Chung Wen also believes the black meat would prevent his hair changing colour.

"We have black hair in China so these things are very good for hairs," he said.

The Warrnambool chef is not sure Australians would embrace silkie soup in the short-term, but if he could find a supplier he would soon join the distribution list.

"I would cook that for my family," he said.

"Every week I'd cook one soup for the family."

Pitch to transform abandoned abattoir into Silkie farm

Mr Brickell has been experimenting with Silkie Bantam production at his home for four years, without any production permits.

He is now battling Hindmarsh Shire Council to transform an abandoned abattoir near Nhill into the home of ,1000 Silkie Bantams, but the application has twice been deferred in council chambers.

Nearby farms have raised concern about biosecurity and disease issues, while councillors concede they do not yet know enough about the unique production system to approve the plans.

Mr Brickell said the abattoir, which had not been used for 23 years, was the perfect place to raise the "very very fragile birds".

"I don't know anyone that's tried it that hasn't pulled at least some of their hair out over the process," he said.

"They're grown indoors under constant warmth. They have a terrible habit of climbing on top of each other and crushing the ones underneath.

"A lot of the habits that make them Silkie Bantams are the habits that make them not suitable for commercial growing."

Mr Brickell said those challenges explained why other Australian poultry producers were not vying to capitalise on demand.

"It could be because they've never heard of it," he said.

"And the people that have tried it find it too hard."