Chinese Silkie Chickens are an ornamental breed, loved worldwide as docile and charming pets.
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Origin:
An ancient & popular breed, Chinese Silkies originated in Asia & were brought to the Western World by Marco Polo in around 1300. Aristotle mentioned Chinese Silkies in his writings as far back as 380BC! Whether or not they in fact were initially bred by the Chinese is debatable. Some evidence indicates that they may have come from Japan or India.
Appearance:
Who doesn't love a soft and snuggly Silkie chicken? They are quite unlike any other poultry in that their feathers lack the barbs that hold the feather strands together. The feathers fan out into the soft & fluffy plumage that makes a Silkie unique.
An ancient & popular breed, Chinese Silkies originated in Asia & were brought to the Western World by Marco Polo in around 1300. Aristotle mentioned Chinese Silkies in his writings as far back as 380BC! Whether or not they in fact were initially bred by the Chinese is debatable. Some evidence indicates that they may have come from Japan or India.
Appearance:
Who doesn't love a soft and snuggly Silkie chicken? They are quite unlike any other poultry in that their feathers lack the barbs that hold the feather strands together. The feathers fan out into the soft & fluffy plumage that makes a Silkie unique.
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Silkie hens have much smaller combs and wattles than roosters, and are smaller in size.
Roosters have a walnut "rose" comb, which should be mulberry in colour. Other unique feature of Silkies are their strange, 5 toed, feathered feet, and short legs. Their skin and bones are black, and their earlobes a brilliant turquoise. A fluffy pom-pom adorns the top of their head, which can be seen right from the time they hatch. Silkies come in bearded and non-bearded varieties. The Australian Silkie Chicken Breed Standards can be found here. Standard Silkies are medium sized birds, usually 1.5 to 2kg in weight. Our flock includes whites, blacks, partridge, buffs, and greys. Lifespan: A well cared for Silkie will live for 7-9 years. |
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Uses: In Australia, the cuteness factor & docile nature of silkie chickens makes them a popular backyard pet. As a laying bird they're not much chop, producing only 2-3 eggs per week between spring and autumn. The black meat of silkie chickens makes them an offputting meal for most caucasian Aussies. However some Asian cultures, particularly the Chinese, love silkie meat for "wu gu ji" soup (烏骨雞), meaning "black boned chicken", 足丝鸡 , 竹丝鸡, 乌鸡. This soup is prized for its medicinal value, and commonly consumed by new mothers after giving birth. The head & feet are left on, and the chicken cooked in a broth of wolfberries, orange peel, ginger & mountain yam. |
Temperament:
Silkie hens are arguably the perfect pet. Their sweet dispositions & calm temperaments make them a firm favourite with children. They are easily tamed & seem to love human attention. Hens love to forage beside you in the garden & are relatively quiet. Silkie roosters are a little fiestier than hens, and make some serious noise - not a good choice if you have neighbours in close proximity. They are poor fliers, so you are unlikely to lose them over your backyard fence.
Silkies hens are the ultimate mothers. They go "broody" at the drop of a hat, and are often used by poultry fanciers to incubate other breeds of chicken & duck eggs. We have seen our broodies, in the absence of any available eggs, attempt to hatch a rock!
Housing:
Despite their delicate appearance, adult Silkies are quite robust chickens. Our area in northwest Sydney has extremes of temperatures, often down to -5° C in winter and up to 47°C in summer. Like all birds, cold weather is less of a problem for Silkies than cold draughts, so their enclosure should offer protection from wind. Housing also needs to be predator proof, with cats, foxes, neighbourly dogs and eagles being an issue for us locally. Wood shavings make an ideal bedding.
Feeding & Watering:
We feed our Silkies a mix of Red Hen Layer pellets and Laucke Showbird Breeder. For optimum health, they should also be fed greens like lettuce or cabbage, and they love veggie peelings. They love to peck at grass, and seem to have a soft spot for sunflower seeds too. Chicks need to be raised on a commercial chicken starter crumble which contains medications to prevent coccidiosis. The usual commercial layer pellets fed to chickens are really too coarse for little silkies to digest. Pullet pellets & scratch mixes are much more suitable for bantam breeds of chicken.
Water needs to be kept scrupulously clean to prevent transfer of disease and worms. In very hot weather, replace the water frequently because chickens often refuse to drink hot water & they can die from dehydration. We float ice in their water during heatwaves, and offer them frozen watermelon, which they will peck at all day.
Silkie hens are arguably the perfect pet. Their sweet dispositions & calm temperaments make them a firm favourite with children. They are easily tamed & seem to love human attention. Hens love to forage beside you in the garden & are relatively quiet. Silkie roosters are a little fiestier than hens, and make some serious noise - not a good choice if you have neighbours in close proximity. They are poor fliers, so you are unlikely to lose them over your backyard fence.
Silkies hens are the ultimate mothers. They go "broody" at the drop of a hat, and are often used by poultry fanciers to incubate other breeds of chicken & duck eggs. We have seen our broodies, in the absence of any available eggs, attempt to hatch a rock!
Housing:
Despite their delicate appearance, adult Silkies are quite robust chickens. Our area in northwest Sydney has extremes of temperatures, often down to -5° C in winter and up to 47°C in summer. Like all birds, cold weather is less of a problem for Silkies than cold draughts, so their enclosure should offer protection from wind. Housing also needs to be predator proof, with cats, foxes, neighbourly dogs and eagles being an issue for us locally. Wood shavings make an ideal bedding.
Feeding & Watering:
We feed our Silkies a mix of Red Hen Layer pellets and Laucke Showbird Breeder. For optimum health, they should also be fed greens like lettuce or cabbage, and they love veggie peelings. They love to peck at grass, and seem to have a soft spot for sunflower seeds too. Chicks need to be raised on a commercial chicken starter crumble which contains medications to prevent coccidiosis. The usual commercial layer pellets fed to chickens are really too coarse for little silkies to digest. Pullet pellets & scratch mixes are much more suitable for bantam breeds of chicken.
Water needs to be kept scrupulously clean to prevent transfer of disease and worms. In very hot weather, replace the water frequently because chickens often refuse to drink hot water & they can die from dehydration. We float ice in their water during heatwaves, and offer them frozen watermelon, which they will peck at all day.
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Health issues: Worms can cause ill health in Silkies, particularly in crowded environments. A telltale sign of a wormy chicken is a dirty bum, and/or significant weight loss. Liquid wormers can be purchased from most stockfeed stores and vets, and added to the drinking water. We worm our Silkies twice a year, in the spring and autumn. Silkies will have vigorous "dust baths" in loose dirt, bedding or sand, to help prevent lice infestation. They should be regularly checked for lice, which in high numbers can be debilitating for the birds. Delousing products like Pestene or Coopex are commercially available. Broody hens sitting on nests are particularly susceptible to lice infestation. If your silkie is looking listless & not eating, and showing symptoms like diarrhoea (which may contain blood), it may need to be treated for coccidiosis. Marek's disease can also be a problem in silkies, often as young adult birds. |
Eggs:
Silkie hens are not prolific layers, laying around 3 eggs per week. Laying peaks in the spring/summer, and drops off considerably over winter, often stopping altogether. Eggs are creamy in colour and small to medium in size, being around 40g in weight. They are perfectly edible, but you'd need quite a few of them for a decent sized omelette.
Silkie hens are not prolific layers, laying around 3 eggs per week. Laying peaks in the spring/summer, and drops off considerably over winter, often stopping altogether. Eggs are creamy in colour and small to medium in size, being around 40g in weight. They are perfectly edible, but you'd need quite a few of them for a decent sized omelette.
Breeding:
Breeding Silkies is very rewarding & enormous fun for children. Hens are naturally good mothers, with a propensity to go broody at the drop of a hat. Silkie roosters are very amarous, & it's not difficult to produce fertile eggs. Eggs can be left under a broody hen, to hatch in around 21 days, or alternatively put into an incubator. Incubators are available fairly cheaply on Ebay, and don't require a lot of maintenance if you buy an auto-turning one. We incubate Silkies at 37.5°C and around 50-55% relative humidity. If you do decide to breed, remember that 50% of your chicks will be roosters, which are difficult to find homes for.
Breeding Silkies is very rewarding & enormous fun for children. Hens are naturally good mothers, with a propensity to go broody at the drop of a hat. Silkie roosters are very amarous, & it's not difficult to produce fertile eggs. Eggs can be left under a broody hen, to hatch in around 21 days, or alternatively put into an incubator. Incubators are available fairly cheaply on Ebay, and don't require a lot of maintenance if you buy an auto-turning one. We incubate Silkies at 37.5°C and around 50-55% relative humidity. If you do decide to breed, remember that 50% of your chicks will be roosters, which are difficult to find homes for.
