Silkies....

[rarebreedeggs4u]

I bought 8 week old chicks for use and future broodies and have fallen in love with their personalities. Here's a few of my handsome guys... They were about 4 months old here

 

[catwalk]

A Silkie breeder I know told me that they are very popular with the Amish for hatching and raising their meat and egg birds. I guess they don't buy a lot of electric incubators.......

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

patman75 I think it's like a cat or dog they serve no purpose but to love

I wasn't to inpressed about silkies then my DH brought one home and she is my favorite..Just hatched my first batch of chics..

 

[jimnjay]

I have heard many people express their thoughts about Silkies being Usless. The fact is there have managed to survive and exist for over a thousand years. Marco Polo's writings describe chickens in China that most likely is an early relative of our Silkies today. They have hatched out prize birds for centuries, not just Silkies but many ornamental birds that could not have hatched without the expert mothering and obsessive broody tendency. In my opinion the problem with poultry today is that fact that TOO mush emphasis has been placed on egg production and ease in producting meat. Chickens have been revered for centuries for their beauty and distinction alone. It is not necessary to have animals on this wonderfull earth for food alone.

The generic chickens that are raised for eggs and meat today are so far removed from the wonderful little birds that has inhabited this earth since time began. There is a Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities and the Livestock Preservation Association that have made great stride in making people aware of the wonderful diversity in Poulty breeds and encourages people in raising them least they be lost forever due to the fact that their commercial value is not as great as the "chicken" we all associate with food.

Fortunately for the Silkies they are not on any of the endangered lists, I guess they have proven their usefullness.

Sorry to get on the soap box but as a senior citizen who has watched the world become more and more generic, I take exception to the idea that thing all need to be useful, beautiful should count too. Yes I do think Silkies are beautiful along with all the other non usefull chickens out there.