Information on the Silkie chicken breed

Rabbit or chicken?!

General information about the silk fowl

Originating from Asia, the silkie has a very long history as an ornamental chicken. They have been known for at least 700 years and in the beginning this breed was offered to unsuspecting buyers as a cross between a chicken and a rabbit. Unfortunately, there is no record of the Seidis’ ancestors.

Appearance of silk chickens

The special features of the silkhen are its black-blue skin and its five toes, and of course the feather structure of these pretty animals is also striking. Beaks, legs and head appendages also show the black-blue coloration of the skin. Silky hens have a mulberry crest and some specimens also have whiskers. Cocks weigh up to approx. 1.8 kg.

Existing dwarf form

Yes, bantam guinea fowl

Color variations of silk chickens

red
yellow
splash
white
black
blue
pearl gray
pearl
wild
silver wild
black white spotted

Keeping silk chickens

Silkies cannot fly, so they do not need a high enclosure. They are also not as lively and active as other breeds and therefore do not need as much space, but of course they are happy if they are allowed to run freely in the garden and are not always locked up in their enclosure . Despite their somewhat artificial appearance, silkies are very robust, vital and weather-resistant animals. As silkies spend most of their time brooding, their egg production is not particularly impressive.

Character of silk chickens

The representatives of this breed are extremely friendly and trusting chickens. They are very easy to tame by hand, so silkies are highly recommended for children and people who value “petting chickens”. The hens are also known to be excellent cluckers that are very easy to get into the breeding mood. Whether they are laying their own eggs or as surrogate mothers, silkies do their job with flying colors. However, the hens’ extremely strong breeding instinct is often perceived as annoying.

Eggs from silk hens

Silkie hens lay around 100 light brown eggs a year – but mainly in winter and spring!