Many people also choose to keep silkies as they make such fantastic mothers, and will often sit on less maternal chickens eggs through to hatching- perfect if you’re wanting to breed lots of baby chickens for many years to come! Their striking appearance also makes them a popular exhibition bird (and a great aesthetic addition to your flock!). Silkie chickens are first and foremost an ornamental breed, kept in many suburban backyard flocks for the purpose of being a charming and sweet pet.
Silkies have a natural maternal instinct and have been known to even sit on other birds eggs- ducks and turkeys included- a real Mother hen!Ĭhickens have an impressive UV cone in their eyes that allow them to see many more shades and colours than our eyes do- especially handy when it comes to foraging around in the grass for bugs and other tasty morsels! The silkie is already a fantastic Mum, but this UV cone allows her to determine the health of her littles ones- growing feathers will reflect UV light, and so she can see which of her chicks are growing well, and who she needs give a little extra TLC. Unlike other chickens who have white skin, silkies are known for their black or dark blue skin, strange-yes, but just another little quirk that makes this breed so unique! We are now lucky to find silkies all across the globe, and in many backyard flocks! Silkies then made their way west, and were accepted into the North American Standard of Perfection in 1874.
Silkies claim to fame was being written about by Marco Polo in the 13th century, who wrote of ‘chickens with fur-like feathers’ in logs from his Asian travels. These wonderful birds originated in China sometime before the 1200’s and were aptly named because of their unique plumage- which feels like silk to touch. Originated in Southeast Asia- believed to be China. They are a common breed, so getting your hands on one of these fabulous birds shouldn’t be a problem.
The silkie is a feather-legged true bantam, meaning they are only available in bantam (miniature) size, and have profuse feathering covering their legs- a splendid sight indeed! Some Silkies have been known to live longer, so give them a little extra TLC and you’ll have their love for many years to come! With their pretty and profuse plumage, love of a snuggle, and their super sweet nature silkies are one of our favourite breeds- what’s not to love? Whether you’re on the silkie bandwagon or not, by the end of this article we can assure you that you’ll have some lovely new silkie additions in your backyard flock quicker than we can say brilliant beautiful bantams!Ī standard silkie chicken will generally live between 7-9 years, however this does all depend on the care given to them. If you love silkies, go check them out for incredible information. Update: A special thanks to the team over at Silkie Chicken Experts who helped us write this article.
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