Silkie Chicken Facts: A Furry Chicken

“Silkie Bantam Chickens are an incredibly unique breed of chicken, adorned with more fancy features than any other breed.”

© Copyright 2011 Cindy Murdoch (homesteadbound)

The Silkie, sometimes spelled “silky”, is a very small (usually 1.5 - 3.5 pounds) and unusually unique chicken. It is named for its fluffy, or should I say, furry or hairy-like plumage that is sometimes described as feeling like silk. Others have said it "feels just like angora fur". Their feathers do not have barbs holding the feather strands together like other feathers do, so they form many individual silky strands. This gives them their fluffy appearance and their silky softness.

Other names for the Silkie are: Chinese Silkie Chicken, Bearded Silkie, or Bantam Silkie. Silkies are so unusual that they have been described as the "poodles of the chicken world". The scientific name for the Silkie is Gallus domesticus.

The silkie chicken is thought to have come originally from Southeast Asia, before the 1200’s. In the 13^th century, Marco Polo made mention of a chicken with fur-like feathers and black skin, obviously referring to these unusual birds.

They gradually made their way to North American and in 1874 were officially accepted into the North American Standard of Perfection. There are 6 standard (acceptable) colors accepted by the American Bantam Association: black, blue, buff, white, partridge, splash, and gray. Other Silkie colors that are also popular although not accepted as standard are: red, lavender, porcelain, and cuckoo. Because of their many unique characteristics, Silkies are considered to be an ornamental breed.

The non-bearded Silkies have larger wattles than the bearded - the cock’s being larger than the hen’s. (The wattle is the fleshy appendage below the beak at the throat.) The bearded Silkie, both cock and hen, have very small wattles. They are called bearded because they have a full and fluffy beard of feathers around the bottom of their beak. A good example of this beard can be seen in the picture to the right. This beard also hides their distinctive blue earlobes.

Bearded and non-bearded Silkies have a feathery crest or topknot on the top of their head. And with this crest, is the Silkie’s comb (fleshy area on top of head). Its comb is different than most other chicken’s in that it resembles a wart-like lump on its forehead, rather than the spiky one that most chickens sport.

Silkies have quite a few feathers growing down their legs and over their middle toe. This is shown in the photo to the right.

Silkies produce fewer eggs than most other breeds – averaging 90-120 per year. Their eggs range in color from white to light brown. Because they are so broody, they make excellent setters, and are often used to hatch other breeds’ eggs.

Silkies are calm, trusting, friendly and docile. Because of their temperament, and because they’re flightless, they are often kept as family pets. Silkies can become quite affectionate, but do require frequent, gentle handling at first to socialize them to their “humans”.

Silkies are different from other breeds of chickens in several ways. As mentioned earlier, Silkies have fluffy, almost silk-like plumage, beards, crests or topknots, and feathers on their legs and middle toe. A Silkies’ plumage can easily become water logged because the water doesn’t run off their feathers; therefore, they cannot swim.

Silkies also have dark blue/black skin, meat, and bones. (See the picture of the Show Me Silkie in the picture to the right which readily displays the blue/black skin.) This particular Silkie reminds me of the Turken.

They have blue earlobes, and 5 toes (most chickens only have 4) on each foot. The fifth toe can be seen in the picture of the chick to the right.

Despite their fragile appearance, Silkies are a very hardy breed of chicken and generally have a lifespan of about 9 years.

Silkie meat is considered a delicacy in China. It has also been coveted for its medicinal value since the seventh or eighth century. Chinese women who have just given birth believe that eating it will give them energy. The Chinese also believe that ground up Silkie bones have special healing powers.

Magical powers or not, the Silkie certainly has the ability to enchant.

“Ornately colored and covered in fluffy, silk-like feathers, silkie chickens are among the most beautiful of the chicken breeds and provide companionship, top-quality eggs, and the opportunity to show them at poultry shows.”

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© Copyright 2011 Cindy Murdoch (homesteadbound)

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Much gratitude and thanks goes to Show-Me Silkies and My Pet Chicken for use of these beautiful pictures. Thank you!