My Growing Silkie Chickens
My beautiful, fluffy Silkie chickens are thriving here at my Bedford, New York farm.
As some of you may know, earlier this year I incubated and hatched 11 Silkies. They joined four adolescent Silkies in a coop I designated just for them right outside my stable. The Silkie, also known as the Silky or Chinese silk chicken, is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy, satin-like plumage. This breed is very calm and friendly - everyone at the farm loves to stop by their enclosure and visit with them. The youngest are now about four months old and doing excellently.
Here are the latest photos, enjoy.
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- I acquired, refurbished, and repurposed this coop from a commercial shoot several months ago – it’s the perfect Silkie home here at my farm. It is located within the large goose enclosure outside my stable.
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- The coop has an indoor area and a ramp at each end that goes down to the outdoor enclosure, which is well-shaded and dry.
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- Silkies were originally bred in China. They are best known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. Underneath all that feathering, they also have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
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- Silkies are also adaptable and playful. And, they are naturally more calm than most other breeds.
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- Silkies also have black eyes, dark beaks, combs, and wattles.
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- This breed grows a bit slower than other chicken breeds. This one is growing a very fluffy head. The combs of Silkie chickens are very dark maroon red. Both male and female chickens have combs, but they’re larger in males. Baby chicks hatch with tiny combs that get larger as they mature.
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- It is believed that the Silkie was first mentioned by Marco Polo around 1290 to 1300 during his journey across Europe and the Far East. Although he did not see the bird, it was reported to him by a fellow traveler, and he wrote about it in his journal, describing it as “a furry chicken.” The Silkie chicken made its way westward either by the Silk Road or by the maritime routes, most likely both. Experts accepted the Silkie into the British Poultry Standard of Perfection in 1865 and the American Poultry Association standard in 1874.
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- There are eight Silkie color varieties accepted by the American Poultry Association. They include black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, splash, and white.
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- Here at the farm, there is always plenty of food and lots of fresh water for all my birds – everything is replenished or changed whenever needed.
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- Here is a black Silkie at the top of the ramp – these chickens love to watch all the activity from this opening.
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- Because the Silkie’s feathers lack functioning barbicels, similar to down on other birds, they are unable to fly, but they do flap and stretch their wings.
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- This also means that the feathering is not waterproofed, so they should never get too wet. If they do, they must be dried or they will likely get ill.
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- Here, one can see this Silkie’s grayish-blue beak, which is short and quite broad at the base.
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- Their bodies should be broad and stout, the back is short, and the breast is full.
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- This is a splash Silkie – its markings are so beautiful, like splashes of black ink on a light gray background.
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- Silkies weigh anywhere from 1.1 pounds for a female bantam variety, up to four pounds for a large breed Silkie.
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- The head on a Silkie should be crested, looking somewhat like a pompom. The head on the white Silkie is a good example.
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- In general, chickens are quite vocal. They make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.” While these birds are a bit quieter than others, they still peep and communicate within their flock.
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- Some characteristics between males and females – female Silkies will keep their bodies more horizontally positioned, while males will stand more upright, keeping their chests forward and their necks elongated. Males will also hold their tail more upright, where females will keep it horizontal or slightly dipped toward the ground.
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- Here are two more Silkies coming out through the ramp doorway to say hello.
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- And look, inside my stable feed room, an incubator with more Silkie eggs. All my Silkies and these eggs are from Stonebrook Silkies in Massachusetts. Once they arrived at my farm, the eggs are placed into the incubator where they are safe from other birds and closely monitored until they hatch. Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
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- My incubating and hatching equipment is from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. There are several crucial conditions needed for proper embryo development in all birds. These factors include: proper temperature, controlled humidity, and sufficient air circulation. I can’t wait to see these babies hatch – stay tuned for more photos to come.
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