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Silkie

The silkie chicken was developed in the southeast asian countries or china.It was valued as a medicinal food item because of its black skin and bones
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General Information

Breed Purpose
Ornamental
Comb
Walnut
Broodiness
Frequent
Climate Tolerance
All Climates
Egg Productivity
Medium
Egg Size
Medium
Egg Color
Light Brown/ white
Breed Temperament
Friendly, Easily handled, Calm, Bears confinement well, Quiet, Docile
Breed Colors/Varieties
Grey, Blue, Splash, Partridge, Buff, Black, White are the standard colors with many off standard & derivative colors in existance today.
Breed Size
Bantam
APA/ABA Class
Feather Legged
Color
Grey, Blue, Splash, Partridge, Buff, Black, White are the standard colors with many off standard & derivative colors in existance today
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The Silkie breed was developed in the southeast Asian countries or China. It's named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most other chickens only have four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows and come in various colors. It was valued as a medicinal food item in Asia, because of its black skin and bones, and was thought to be particularly good to reinforce body immunity and protect from emaciation and feebleness. It also is reported to treat diabetes, anemia, female reproductive functioning and postpartum disorders. Marco Polo gave the first accounts of Silkie chickens in the late 13th century. As trade route between East and West were established, the Silkie was brought to Europe. Records have shown that in the Netherlands, they were sold as the product of crossing a rabbit and a chicken!

Nowadays the breed is very popular for the purpose of pet chickens as well as exhibition. They are not good layers, averaging 3 eggs per week, but are known and valued for their exceptional broodiness and are often used for hatching eggs from other breeds. They are also considered very good pet chickens, especially for children and are known for their friendliness and docile temperaments.

The breed was officially recognized in North America by acceptance into the Standard of Perfection in the first year of publication which was 1874.

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Silkie juvenile

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Silkie chick

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Silkie rooster

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Silkie hen

For more information on Silkies and their owners' and breeders' experiences with them, see our breed discussion here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-silkie.1048544/
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Latest reviews

Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies
Nicest, cutest, and fluffiest babies ever.
Pros: Amazing pets, great hatchers, sweet, can be kept in a smaller space.
Cons: Low egg production and eggs are small. Also take up to a year of age to start laying.
I have a few and I love them to death. Got to say that they're my fav breed. They take a long, long time to lay though.
Addicted To Chickens
Pros: Super sweet
fluffy
Delighting to the eye
Cons: Can get picked on easily
Broody
I have one of my own and she is super sweet I would highly recommend one if your looking to naturally hatch out some eggs.
VirulentVulpine
Pros: Beautiful breed
Unique
Popular and easy to sell
Great mothers
Docile and friendly
Cons: Skittish
Not the brightest birds
Susceptible to predators
Infrequent egg layers
Silkies are a favorite breed of many, including me. They’re just downright adorable, and there truly isn’t another breed like them. Their feathers feel like fur to the touch and they can be quite cuddly— for a chicken, at least.

I would say their friendly and docile demeanor is most likely because these birds aren’t very smart. I would even go as far to say they’re dumb, as much as I dislike calling an animal breed dumb. Silkies just genuinely don’t seem that bright and out of the hundreds of chickens I own, are the only ones to always find a way to get themselves into trouble on a consistent basis. They do best in smaller runs with similarly sized chickens.
Purchase Price
$5 per chick
Purchase Date
10/21/2020

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Comments

drumstick diva
I would be turned off by black meat also but, understand there is a very strong Asian market for them. As far as that goes there probably isn't enough meat on a silkie to feed anyone. Maybe they use them for soup - still don't want it.

Children love them and they tend to be docile and put up with being dressed and pushed in strollers etc. They look so much more like little furry dogs that neighbors would never guess they are chickens - great so they won't complain about them. The only thing I hate about silkies is that horribly ,ughly walnut comb- totally ruins they look about them.
 
DuckRaiser
Really, j1koo? Yours lay many eggs? Wow! They must be very healthy!:D I think i will get five silkies:)
 
chooks4life
I love the black meat! So does my family. Great taste, great texture, great juiciness, and medicinal benefits (the Asians didn't believe that without a good basis as it turns out. Chicken flesh is antiinflammatory and Silkies and their derivatives are extra potent).

We don't eat actual Silkies, but I bred that juicy, tender Silkie flesh coloration and composition into large fowl. Nothing fleshes up as easily and quickly as a Silkie, even without any extra 'finishing' feeds. You can get the benefits of Silkies in large fowl who lay a LOT more. Of course I'm talking about Aussie Silkies, which are very tough, cope fine with rain and mud, are great and capable mothers, and can be sexed young because they noticeably develop gender characteristics unlike US ones, which include many individuals I would cull on suspicion of leukosis or being 'poor doers' just based on their appearances alone. It's taken me a while to realize the sickly looking Silkies the US has are just normal for that country. :/ Less hormones maybe. I don't know why they look that way but I wouldn't keep birds that look like that.

Anyway, Silkies are pretty good little birds, sounds like the US has a weaker version that Australia. Wish we could do some cross-importing, you guys can have some Silkies from here and we can import some rare breeds we don't have from you guys. Last time we tried the birds were culled for salmonella even though that's already present in this country. One can dream. ;)
 
LittleRedCoop53
The females have small pad like combs...it's the males that get those huge walnut looking combs....hard to see if they are fluffy. I think they are still cute. Both my girls lay an egg almost everyday....the eggs are on the small size, but not that small. I sell all my large eggs from the other hens, and my husband and i save the silkie eggs for us. I just got two more silkies (don't know the sex yet) if i end up with a male, i'm going to try my hand at breeding....did i mention my silkies are show quality? not that i want to show them... but i'll be able to sell them as such. Good luck with your adventure into the silkie world. :)
 
DuckRaiser
Yeah, those walnut combs don't take away all of their cuteness! I hope I can tel their genders easily by combs!
 
beverly evans
Get over yourselves! We don't eat them; not enough meat to be worth the work! They are "YARD ART"! In all their different colors they are a treasure to see, real eye candy!! That they are great little layers is just a bonus. And you do have to eat two for every one of a regular egg, they are after all, bantams.
 
DuckRaiser
Yes, true, and I am not using them for meat, but if I did at some point for some reason, I think it would be odd eating black meat. But no, they will not be used for meat. I am starting to like the walnut combs, too. And the fact that to me, they are easy to tell genders with their combs or feathers:D. I want five, 1 partridge, 1 white, 1 black, 1 buff, and one splash:D. Anyone who knows any silkie breeders in Oregon?
 
DuckRaiser
I am moving around Eugene Oregon, and when I am settled then I will get silkies and Aumaricanas :D
 
fernwoodj9
we love our silkies they are the backbone of our farm providing year round income and as a breed are the sweetest most docile members of the chicken family and very good starter birds for kids . Yes they need a little more care and not lay as well as other breeds but ours lay good until they go broody .they stay close to home and only get more impressive with age .as far as the walnut comb in a a good show quality silkie the comb is barely visible the crest should be large and round with some streamers flowing gracefully out the back.
 
LittleRedCoop53
Eugene is fun! You shouldn't have any problems finding both Silkie and Americana here in Oregon :) Where ya moving from if you don't mind my asking? Your Avatar is 'DuckRaiser' does that mean you have ducks? My friend has 4 baby campbell ducks... she told me baby ducks are more fragile than chicks??? guess she had 5 and one died. I'm going over there tomorrow to help set things up(i have a large flight cage she can use) and get them out of a cardboard box....any good advice i can give her? :)
 
DuckRaiser
fernwoodj9: I used to not like silkies, but over time I considered them, and now I absolutely can not wait to get silkies!:D I am not into show, but I may show:)

LittleRedCoop53: I have ducks, and I plan to get more, either Swedish Blue ducks, call ducks, or Welsh Harlequin ducks:) I am soooo excited to get ducks!:D Ducklings are hardy-ish. They can swim as babies and grown ups, chicks are more fragile.
Ooh! You live in Oregon? Yay! PM me, please!:)
 
fernwoodj9
great you will fall in love with the fluffy little silkie . showing is a very easy laid back affair most of the work is done at home before the show on show day it is very laid back with lots of people that are more than willing to talk chickens all day from what we have seen most competitors are most willing to help a new person out and " take you under there wing " plus showing keeps your breeding program always striving to do better and advancing the breed
 
DuckRaiser
I do not really care about winning, I would only do it for fun:) What is a good price for a silkie bantam? 20$?
 
Wishapup
I've also found my Silkie mixes to be excellent layers. I have a pair of hens around 6-7 years old that I'm still getting 5+ eggs a week from.
 
nate1the1great1
I got 2 silkie chicks and they are comical when I put my aphand in to pet or hand feed the other jump away and come back but the silkies stay still and look at me lol but here in colorado we don't get a lot of rain
 

Item information

Category
Chicken Breeds
Added by
Super Admin
Views
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Watchers
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Reviews
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Last update
Rating
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