Everything about Silkie totally explained
» Silkie is also an alternate spelling of Selkie, a mythical creature that can change between seal and human form.
The
Silkie is a variety of
chicken believed to have originated in eastern
Asia. Silkies generally have a fluffy appearance due to their feathers lacking functioning
barbicels; essentially, all their feathers are very much like
down. Their unique appearance and their quiet temperament mean they're often kept as
pets. The hens easily become broody, laying only a dozen or so eggs before attempting to hatch out their clutch. They are considered excellent mothers. Their broodiness makes them a poor breed for egg production, and their dark skin makes them difficult to market as meat birds in Europe and America.
Silkies are near-unique among chickens: both
skin and
bones are black. Black skin is found in only silkies and some rare breeds - the Indonesian
Ayam Cemani, the South American
Black Quechua Olmec, and the Swedish
Svart Höna. The
Black Sumatra and
Rapanui breeds sometimes have black skin also. . Silkies also have five
toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. Their crowns have to be trimmed occasionally so they can see properly.
The
American Bantam Association accepts six standard colors for silkies: black, blue, buff, white, partridge and grey. There are also other colors: red, calico, cuckoo, etc. One theory presents white as the original color with black following as a mutation. Buff was introduced via a cochin cross, as well as for the cuckoo pattern. There are two varieties of silkie: bearded and non-bearded.
Marco Polo is reported to have encountered Silkies in
China at the end of the
13th century, where they're raised for the
gourmet meat market to this day. Silkies are only
bantam size in the USA. American silkies are actually intermediate in size, not proper bantam but not large fowl either. Elsewhere there are standards for both the bantam Silkie and the standard Silkie. Silkies are used in
traditional Chinese medicine, due to their dark skin colouration. A cross has been undertaken to transfer this pigmentation to a larger breed.
Further Information
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