Silkies
Silkies are a true bantam. Meaning that they do not have a larger version of themselves. They are one of the oldest breeds of chicken known. It is said that Marco Polo even wrote about them on his travels in the far east. Some say they originated from Japan while others say China.
Silkies are truly a one of a kind breed. They have black skin, face, comb and wattles. Even their bones are black. The most interesting thing about them is their fur-like feathers. On normal birds, each barb on each feather has hooks on it connecting the barbs together to create the web of the feather that we all know. On silkies, the barbs lack the hooks so that the barbs lay individually. This creates the fur-like effect. Silkies also have 5 toes instead of 4, have fluffy crests and come in bearded and non bearded varieties. They come in many colors with white being the most popular.
Silkie roosters weigh about 36 ounces and hens weigh about 32 ounces.
Silkies were bred specifically for their broodiness. They have been in use as a "natural incubator" centuries before the man made artificial incubator was invented. They were used for hatching pheasant eggs as well as other poultry. The silkie's natural brooding instincts are very strong and they will often go broody even if there are no eggs around. For this reason, silkies are not ideal for egg production ( although they do a great job when they aren't broody), but if you would like to have a dependable broody hen just in case you decide you want to hatch any breed of chicken's eggs, keep a silkie! Silkes also make fantastic pets as they are very calm, friendly birds. They are also excellent show birds and a perfect choice for a 4-h project.
I plan to have 2 small breeding pens of silkies for spring. I culled down to the very best of the pullets and cockerel I raised from my 09 breeding flock. I hope to make even more progress this year. Pictures of the 2010 breeding flock will come as soon as the weather improves.
Show brags:
Briana in Wi showed her lovely 5 month old buff cockerel, Leo from my May 09 hatch in two shows. So far, he has won three firsts and one reserve variety. Way to go Briana!
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