Types of Silkies

[JABehrens]

Well that's cool!! More detailed than what I could provide!

 

[BantyChooks]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought Silkies were a bantam only breed. Or are they common in LF, just not APA accepted?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

One book I own, Choosing and Keeping Chickens, references large and bantam, large is 3-4 pounds, and bantam, 18-22 ounces. It doesn't call them standard though, and I'm unsure if it's APA or not. I have read mention of standard silkies and that they were rare, but I can't recall where I read that.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought Silkies were a bantam only breed. Or are they common in LF, just not APA accepted?

 

[BantyChooks]

One book I own, Choosing and Keeping Chickens, references large and bantam, large is 3-4 pounds, and bantam, 18-22 ounces. It doesn't call them standard though, and I'm unsure if it's APA or not. I have read mention of standard silkies and that they were rare, but I can't recall where I read that.

Thank you. They aren't in the SOP, that much I know, but it's reasonable that someone would have bred larger Silkies.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

Thank you. They aren't in the SOP, that much I know, but it's reasonable that someone would have bred larger Silkies.

My understanding after doing some research is that the Silkie breed is ancient and they come from either Japan or elsewhere in the Far East. They were always bantams. Since they were brought out of Asia they've been interbred with other breeds including large fowl breeds. In Asia (particularly China) they're bred for their "medicinal" black meat and bones, so it stands to reason they'd want some larger birds. Nowadays there is such a thing as large fowl Silkies but they're only accepted by some breed clubs, so they're not common.

There are also a lot of hybrids around, being sold as Silkies. I've seen a lot of large fowl, straight combs, hard feathers, bare feet, pink or red feet, or feet with no extra toes on "Silkies" advertised for sale in my area.

 

[The Moonshiner]

In the UK, Australia and probably other countries they have a standard size and a bantam size silkie.
In the states we have bantams. Our silkies are in between their standard and bantam sizes.
Or at least that's what I had always heard.

 

[SueZoo]

Here's a frizzle sizzle Showgirl (basically a naked neck Silkie). The "frizzle" is the hard, curly feathers. The "sizzle" is the fuzzy feathers underneath. The sizzle feathering is similar to the regular Silkie feathers except it's fluffier and more delicate, like down or the marabou trim on lingerie. Shed sizzle feathers look exactly like a high quality down feather from a pillow. Unlike a regular Silkie, a frizzle bird can fly perfectly well. I found this out when I brought this one home, much to the amusement of my cats. His wings are clipped now!

View attachment 1227031

OK so I understand that a satin is a silkie with " normal" smooth feathering- they were called Sizzles at first. Then theres frizzled satin which has smooth tfeathering that curls out and up. Is frizzled satin the correct term for this type or is this now called sizzle? And what's the deal with that you call a frizzled sizzle? Do they have both satin and silkie feathering that is all curled? I just got a cockerel from a family who bought chicks from a very well known breeder so he's a good quality bird, he looks very much like the hen pictured here that is called a frizzled sizzle. I thought he was a frizzled satin. What I'm asking is if a frizzled sizzle is different than a frizzled satin. And one more question, can a splash bird be almost entirely white with only a tiny trace of blue on 1 or 2 feathers,or is that considered a white? And what will the bird breed as- ie, if that bird is bred to a true splash, will chicks be splash as per a splash to splash cross, or blue, as with a splash to white cross? I'm trying to determine if the described bird is the father of the chicks from my splash hen. Chicks just started hatching and first one is blue so if that bird is the sire, he must be white even with 2 blue streaked feathers, yes? But the slight possibility exists that the father of the chicks is my black silkie which would produce blue chicks also - so I guess I can't use that to determine if he's a white or a splash with almost no markings?. Does all this make sense? lol Just want to know if he is considered a white or a splash.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My understanding after doing some research is that the Silkie breed is ancient and they come from either Japan or elsewhere in the Far East. They were always bantams. Since they were brought out of Asia they've been interbred with other breeds including large fowl breeds. In Asia (particularly China) they're bred for their "medicinal" black meat and bones, so it stands to reason they'd want some larger birds. Nowadays there is such a thing as large fowl Silkies but they're only accepted by some breed clubs, so they're not common.

There are also a lot of hybrids around, being sold as Silkies. I've seen a lot of large fowl, straight combs, hard feathers, bare feet, pink or red feet, or feet with no extra toes on "Silkies" advertised for sale in my area.

Here's my Big boy, beside a standard Buff Orpington hen.

He stands 16 and a half inches tall.

 

[MysteryChicken]

There are two types of combs on silkies, there are Walnut, and single comb silkies. The straight, or single comb types aren't unusual and are a second original also found in China.

 

[Valoradia]

There's the usual Silkie, with the Silkie feathering, in bantam and standard.

There are satin Silkies, which are Silkies with normal feathering. They're quite pretty, though they are technically mutts. I don't think they are showable currently.

Then there are satin frizzle Silkies, who are satins with the frizzle gene. These are also delightful. Some people call them Sizzles, but anyone who's tried to google Sizzle Chicken knows how that ends up.

I just got a few Silkies from a local guy, and accidentally got a satin in there! He's gorgeous.

Satins are Satins, not Silkies. Satins are the product of breeding a pure Silkie to a frizzled breed, like a Frizzled Cochin. The best of their offspring are then bred back to Silkie to breed the Silkie traits back in. And the best of those offspring bred back to pure Silkie, and so on , for several generations. Until they have the desired traits. There are Smooth Satins & Frizzled Satins. Then there are Silkies. They are working on getting Satins recognized as a breed. Satins can produce Smooth Satins, Frizzled Satins and Silkies. Satins have all the characteristics of Silkies, except the feather type. Frizzled birds should never be bred to another Frizzled bird.