The History of Silkie Chickens
The Silkie is a breed of chicken with soft, fluffy plumage and black skin. It is believed that the breed originated in China or Southeast Asia, and one of the earliest references to the Silkie appears in Marco Polo's writings, dating back to the thirteenth century. The breed was recognized in the United States in 1874, and today is one of the most popular show or ornamental breeds of chickens.
Significance
The Silkie is most likely the oldest pure breed of chicken in existence today.
Function
The Silkie is an ornamental bird, and is not prized for its meat because of its black or gray color. It is a good egg layer, but not prolific as it has a tendency to become broody. Behaviorally, Silkies are very good mothers, often used for incubating or hatching eggs of other fowl.
Types
The Silkie is a Bantam chicken, and comes in two varieties, bearded and non-bearded. Additionally, there are several color variants that are common in the breed: black, buff, blue, gray, splash, white and partridge.
Considerations
Because of their soft feathers, they do not do well in extreme temperatures.
Features
All Silkies have five toes. They have a small walnut comb, dark wattles, turquoise earlobes, black skin and bones, and grayish-black meat. They lay buff- or cream-colored eggs. Their feathers lack barbicels and are similar to down.
Size
Silkies generally weigh between 3 and 4 lbs.
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