I have wanted Silkies for ages, but my husband had a nagging doubt about their kosher status (we are Orthodox Jews). I sort of laughed it off; a chicken is a chicken, I said. But he still wanted to make sure, so I contacted Rabbi Chaim Loike from the Orthodox Union, and also other experts, and got a very unpleasant surprise as an answer: the kashrut status of the Silkie is dubious, both because of the extra toe and the exotic appearance which means there is no tradition of eating the bird or its eggs. So, bottom line: should not be eaten.
I realize Orthodox Jews are a probably very small minority here, so the rest of you guys will continue keeping Silkies and eating their eggs, but for the Orthodox Jewish Silkie lovers, those are bad news. I suppose you can say we might keep them as pets, not for their eggs, but then we might get confused between eggs of our other chickens, and we might also have accidental extra-toed progeny (as the extra toe gene is dominant) we wouldn't know where to place.
So, just wanted to post here just in case some Orthodox Jew is thinking about getting Silkies and reads this. It would be very disappointing to invest time and money, and to bond with these charming birds, only to find out later you have to get rid of your beloved Silkies.
Sigh. I suppose I should be content with Cochins.
I realize Orthodox Jews are a probably very small minority here, so the rest of you guys will continue keeping Silkies and eating their eggs, but for the Orthodox Jewish Silkie lovers, those are bad news. I suppose you can say we might keep them as pets, not for their eggs, but then we might get confused between eggs of our other chickens, and we might also have accidental extra-toed progeny (as the extra toe gene is dominant) we wouldn't know where to place.
So, just wanted to post here just in case some Orthodox Jew is thinking about getting Silkies and reads this. It would be very disappointing to invest time and money, and to bond with these charming birds, only to find out later you have to get rid of your beloved Silkies.
Sigh. I suppose I should be content with Cochins.