Eating Silkies

[kees]

A Silkie owner here...a lot of people don't eat them here in the States because they have a black skin and black bones and many people are used to chickens with a white or yellow skin and light colored bones. That being said, they are still chickens, albeit ones that look like stuffed animals!In Asian cultures, they are prized for their medicinal properties of which I'm unaware. However, a lot of things like gingko biloba, ginseng, astralagus root, etc. have been used by the Chinese for thousands of years for their medicinal purposes and have only recently been accepted by the American populace as being efficacious. I have Silkies, am of Chinese heritage, but wouldn't eat them because they are my pets. However, if I had raised them to be meat birds, I wouldn't have any problem eating them. I also wonder how they taste. When I had a hen they turned out to be a he/she, I asked my mom if she wanted the chicken. She said that she wouldn't eat it...don't know why. However, I did see them in the Asian market and they were selling for $10 each for the little ones. I ended up cooking the bird and feeding it to my cats...who evidently loved it. I think they must have been thinking...woohoo...fresh meat tonight instead of dried food!

 

[artistazalea]

I was really wondering, if you are planning to breed these guys to get show quality what do you do with the ones you cull? Do you sell them as "pets"? Or eat them? I'm not sure I could eat them either...

 

[DaQatz]

I raise silkies too. I hatched a number of them, and ate the spare roosters.

They taste much like any other chicken. Their breasts are smaller like a layer.

 

[artistazalea]

So are there any tricks to cooking them? Or is really the same as any chicken? Okay and i have to ask...is all the meat considered dark meat? like is it all extra juicy? Boy i sound stupid, but im curious...

 

[Ridgerunner]

You cook them like other chickens the same age. Like any chicken you have to adjust cooking methods based on age.

In China Silkies are considered a delicacy. That dark meat is greatly in demand. A poultry science professor showed photos of a Chinese facility that looked like a huge warehouse with the floor covered with Silkies being grown for meat.

Thanks for those photos @DaQatz they help explain the "dark" meat.

 

[Twinsnchickens]

The breeder I purchased my silkies from had wayyy too many roosters and said if they were not sold they would become dinner I bought a rooster from her and every now and again I wonder if he'd be tasty. Unfortunately I just can't get over the black meat and bones enough to be able to eat him. Just not what I'm used to

 

[artistazalea]

I mean it makes sense that there wouldnt be any difference. Its like anything...i would be curious to know what medicinal properties they are suppossed to have though ...i cant think of any other animal humans eat that have black bones. Can anyone else?

 

[artistazalea]

Cool!if your curious about the medicinal properties of silkie meat check out this link..

http://www.myhealthbeijing.com/prevention/wellness/black-chicken-healthier-than-regular-chicken/

Apparently the black silkie meat has more antioxidants and less calories than regular chicken...i guess that could be with all layers vs. Boilers though.