Silkie Chicken - Facts, Information and Pictures | by Pets Planet...

The Silkie chicken is one of the most popular ornamental chicken breeds today. Silkies are known for their incredibly friendly, pet-like personality, which, combined with their unusual appearance, adds to their appeal.

History

The origin of the Silkie hen is uncertain although they have been around for several hundred years. It is thought that they originated in India, China or Japan and they arrived in Europe around 200 years ago where they were sold as crosses between rabbits and chickens! They are a lightweight chicken with a broad, stout looking body which is covered in fine fluffy feathers. They have short, rather ragged looking tails and the head is short and neat with an upright and full crest. The beak is short and broad, the face smooth and the eyes black and bright. The comb is circular and described as a mulberry comb and the wattles are concave, semi circular and not particularly long. The legs are purplish blue in colour and they have a fifth toe.

Behavior/Temperament

Silkie chicken is very calm, trusting and friendly. They are unable to fly and can be kept easily with low fencing. They usually do little or no damage to the garden if given them to access freely.

Silkie hens are not good layers. They lay a few cream or tinted colored eggs. But they are great mothers, and go broody frequently. They are even supremely happy to hatch the eggs of other birds. So they are frequently used as foster mothers for other birds.

Some poultry fanciers consider Silkie hens as the ideal organic incubator. Silkie hens cheerfully brood and raise their unorthodox offspring too, if given the chance. The hens stop laying eggs during the summer months.

The Silkie chicken should be kept in dry conditions, because their feathers are not waterproof. The breed is extremely suitable as pets, especially suitable for children. They are very cold hardy and also do well in confinement.

The breed was valued as a medicinal food item because of its black skin and bones. The average lifespan of Silkie chicken is around 9 years.

Color Varieties:

• White
• Buff
• Black
• Gray
• Blue
• Splash
• Partridge
• Lavender (not recognized by American Poultry Association)
• Cuckoo (not recognized by American Poultry Association)

 Are they good egg-layers?

Silkie chicken eggs - an unremarkable, standard light brown colour. No - they're wonderful at sitting on eggs, but if you want a good layer, don't have Silkies.

They will lay about 100 to 120 eggs each year.

They can stop laying altogether during the summer months.

Despite some information on the internet that blue-earlobed chickens lay blue eggs - that's a myth - Sillkie eggs are a standard creamy-brown colour.

Skin, Toes, and Earlobes:

Silkies have black skin and black bones. They are considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia, and some cultures believe the meat has healing properties. The meat of a silkie is a little darker than a standard chicken and has a richer, gamier flavor.

Silkies have a polydactyly gene, which results in an extra toe on each foot. This is a breed standard. Their extra toe appears on the back of their leg, much like the dewclaw on a dog.

Silkie earlobes are shockingly bright and iridescent, they’re colored turquoise or aquamarine.

Silkies : physical appearance

• Their characteristic downy feathers come in a multitude of colours including white, black, blue, grey, gold and porcelain.
• Silkies come in standard or 'Bearded' - the Bearded Silkie has a beard and muffs.
• All Silkies have a black face, bones and skin; the flesh is a very dark grey-blue.
• A Silkie's beak should be grey or grey-blue. Legs are feathered and underneath are grey.
• Feet are also grey, and a real Silkie has five toes.
• Earlobes should be a beautiful shade of bright turquoise blue.
• The wattles and comb should be black or a dark, mulberry shade - if it's red, it's not a full-bred Silkie.
• The 'walnut' (also known as 'cushion') comb is a feature.

Interesting Facts About the Silkie

They produce fewer eggs than most other breeds, averaging 90-120 per year. Their eggs range in color from white to light brown. Because they are so broody, they make excellent setters, and are often used to hatch other breeds’ eggs.

Silkies are calm, trusting, friendly, and docile. Because of their temperament and because they’re flightless, they are often kept as family pets. Silkies can become quite affectionate, but do require frequent, gentle handling at first to socialize them to their “humans."

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