These bizarre-looking chicken breed is believed to have come from Asia. A Silkie roosters’ plumage is not only unique looking for a chicken, but it’s also different from a silkie hen and one of the ways you can tell a mature male from a female. Since silkies are docile, it may be possible to keep more than 1 male bird with the flock. When the Silkies were brought to Europe for the first time, they confused the audience whether they are a chicken or rabbit’s offspring? The roosters are generally taller than the hens (and this is noticeable only to the experienced keepers), but for a newbie, only a DNA test can determine the gender. And who can live without clean water? Silkie chickens can be bearded or non-bearded, A DNA determines the sex of a Silkie chick, Silkie rooster’s meat has healing properties, Silkie Rooster Appearance and Breed Standard, Silkie Rooster: Characteristics and Care Guide. I don’t know to what extent it is true, but many Silkie keepers are heard saying their meat has healing properties. It takes around 6 to 8 months to reach sexual maturity. A variety of colored silkies exist including blue silkies, black silkies, buff silkies, red silkies, and white silkies. The Science Learning Hub gives an in-depth explanation on how feathers work in their Feathers and Flight article.. Chinese pregnant women and new moms like to eat Silkie chicken to gain the strength for the delivery and its aftermath. Available now - a few Silkie adult egg-laying hens and a few silkie roosters. Nov 27, 2014 - Explore Charlene Boykin's board "Rooster paint tutorial", followed by 136 people on Pinterest. Some Silkies are relatively friendly and calm instead of having anger on their beaks all the time. Legs are feathered and underneath the feathering are grey. Farmdesire.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, endless.com, smallparts.com, myhabit.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. Some of you already know a lot about Silkie roosters, but those who are willing to learn more about this “hen’s most wanted,” you are in the right place. If you are interested in a truly unique chicken breed, the silkie chicken is an excellent choice. The roosters are a bit taller than the hens, but their size does not cross the figure 14″. It's been awhile since I got eggs regularly. They also might have a pointed tail and have spurs. So, it’s your duty to provide a safe and healthy environment. Our foundation stock is a wide gene pool so we have many different varieties to work with. They are known for their unique fluffy appearance that sets them apart from other kinds of chickens. An easily cleanable feeding and watering pots come on the top of the list of their essentials. Common names A Silkie's beak should be grey or grey-blue. (Though the breed standard is 5 toes, some have an additional toe for a … They really enjoy interacting with humans and are a pushover for lap time, where they frequently have a nap. Unlike some common chicken breeds, Silkie chicken is a slow maturing breed. The breed has many other uncommon characteristics from each foot, like black skin or bones, blue earlobes, or five toes, while the majority of chickens have only 4. A variety of colored silkies exist including blue silkies, black silkies, buff silkies, red silkies, and white silkies. Our Silkies come both bearded and non-bearded and are tremendous setters on all types of eggs. Silkie is a hardy chicken breed, who hardly get sick, so they don’t require much pampering to do as long as they have easy access to food and clean water. Really nice breeding, this is the kind of silkie people ask about: bearded and all the fluff!. If you are looking for a pet chicken, Silkies are the breed for you. While Silkie chickens are technically categorized as bantams, many people consider Silkies a different class of bird altogether. I'm bouncing off the walls! Most are partridge, splash, blue/black A breeding pair of one hen and one rooster costs $250. These slow maturing birds are expensive and hard to find, but the upkeep cost is somewhat similar to the other domestic birds. This little guy is a bantam breed, so he cannot be housed with standard sized roosters at all. Show Girl Silkie Chicken Colours and Pictures Very unusual, wonderful and just fabulous!!! The hen is definitely a hen as we wait until she lays eggs before selling her. And, according to a recent poll we conducted, Silkies are a favorite choice as a pet for children! Got yet another egg from the blue Silkie! They are known to call chicks over to treats in the yard when they are old enough to venture from their moms. The turquoise blue earlobes, fluffy plumages, five toes, grey legs, dark-coloured wattles, short but broad beaks make these roosters look a little more attractive than the traditional chicken breeds. Copyright 2011 californiahatchery.com All Rights Reserved. Silkie Rooster Appearance and Breed Standard. Nesting box should be kept in the coop if you are raising the Silkie rooster as a pet. Silkies chickens are a very calm and friendly chicken breed, except when brooding, and many backyard chicken owners are proud to keep them. Silkies … Silkie chickens are a rare chicken breed with small thin feathers, making them distinct from other chicken breeds. Silkie roosters are generally considered aggressive, but fortunately, not all Silkies are alike. Head of a white Silkie male owned by David Pell showing the walnut comb. Silkies are an extremely calm breed that do well in confinement. When stacked up against super popular breeds like Orpingtons, Cochins, Brahmas and Easter Eggers, they were a top choice. Our birds are super healthy, no bugs/fleas/worms, eat varied diet. Silkie chickens are mainly kept and raised for eggs and show-off (sorry if I sound rude). They are usually taken as aggressive birds, but in reality, they are calm, active, and quite friendly. These stunning Silkie hens are named Showgirl Silkies. So, here I am, putting off the misconceptions and stating the facts you need to know about this miniature chicken called “Silkie roosters.”. Buying a rooster may leave your saving box empty for some time, but the upkeep cost isn’t something you need to be bothering about. We have bearded and non bearded. I will never eat my own chickens, eggs are different for me though. Silkie roosters are slightly different from the standard chicken breeds as they have oval-shaped turquoise blue earlobes, fluffy plumages, five toes (typically, chickens have four toes), grey legs, dark-colored wattles, short but broad beaks, and black eyes, skin, and bones. I already have. Silkie chickens are a type of chicken breed. History: No one is exactly sure where Silkie chickens originated, but Marco Polo did mention black-skinned, furry chickens in his travels through Asia during the 13th century. They consist of 1 splash rooster and blue hens and 1 blue rooster and splash hens. Not only are these chickens interesting because of their fluffy appearance, but there are also some other unique things about the Silkie chickens, including their black skin and blue earlobes. Silkie roosters are slightly different from the standard chicken breeds as they have oval-shaped turquoise blue earlobes, fluffy plumages, five toes (typically, chickens have four toes), grey legs, dark-colored wattles, short but broad beaks, and black eyes, skin, and bones. They are very mellow and have been seen tidbitting and helping baby chicks to learn what is good to eat. Though Silkies have a lot to be considered distinct from the traditional chicken breeds, black-pigmented skin, unique earlobes, and five toes are their prominent distinctive features. Silkie chickens are known as show quality chickens, named for their fluffy soft feathers. This combination will result in blue or splash offspring Silkie chickens blue breeding chart: Blue X Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black , 25% Splash Blue X Splash = 50% Blue , 50% Splash Bantams weigh up to 32 oz and the large fowl being between three and four pounds. Blue Silkies are usually bantams. According to PLoS one journal, The Silkie rooster got recognition from the rest of the world when Marco Polo mentioned him in his journal as “furry chicken.”. See more ideas about rooster painting, rooster, chicken art. I took this picture at the UK's National Poultry Show, where Silkies are one of the favourite breeds in both standard and bantam classes. Silkie Roosters. Even if they are expensive, the upkeep cost is somewhat around the common chicken breeds. They have pointed hackle and saddle feathers that are more like other birds. Used to goats, geese, other chickens. Note that breeding a blue bearded Silkie to another blue Silkie will not produce 100% blue offspring. Silkies die for table scraps, seeds, fruits, bugs, vegetables, bread, rice, fish, and of course, mealworms. There is … The color blue does not breed true. Some experienced keepers determine the sex of a Silkie chick by the size of their comb, wattle, and creat feathers. In their homeland China, Silkie chicken is fed to pregnant women and new mothers to prepare their bodies for delivery and heal their bodies from childbirth. To raise and keep a silkie rooster, you have to fulfill these basic requirements. A male Silkie named Licorice the Rooster,just learning to crow, and a mixed female very pretty whose name is Taffy and another Silkie whose name is Candy,she is blue and black.. There are some less reliable ways to tell if the chick is male or female, but the only authentic way to determine the sex of a silkie chick is to get a DNA test done. This breed is so gentle that the roosters have maternal instincts as well. Silkie chickens are also known for their blue skin and five toes on each foot. Blue is a diluting gene for black. My writing material will help you to find valuable information about farming. Ventilation and heat lamps are made to save these birds from deadly summers and winters. There are several different color varieties in Silkies, such as black, blue, buff, grey, partridge, and white. As beneath the dramatic appearance, a regular chicken resides, so providing raw chicken food, a healthy lifestyle is enough for them to live a well-balanced four to eight years life. ... A Blue Ribbon for this young silkie pair. PLEASE NOTE: the color blue does not hatch true in chickens. The Silkie roosters are brought to farms either for breeding or for their extra delicious meat. Silkies tend to be docile chickens, which means that other breeds can sometimes bully them. The ears should be small and neat and preference is normally given to turquoise blue ear lobes, although mulberry lobes are permitted. Pets,and egg layers. See more ideas about silkie chickens, chickens, silkies. The Origin of Silkie Chickens. Even if the qualities that Silkie chicken has got made them stand out in the crowd still, their lifespan is somewhat similar to the average chicken breeds. With a reputation as the number one Silkie Chicken rearer in the U.K. we guarantee the quality of our beautiful birds. See the results, here. Much like other roosters, but it’s a little harder to tell with all the fluffy plumage. It is better to purchase a feeding and watering pot designed for the chickens than to fill the useless jars with food and water. The wattles in the male are small and neat, and a … Silkies are expensive, as I have mentioned above, so they are generally bought between $20 to $120 per bird. He's going to end up with a large, very cool crest. Blue gray silkie rooster for sale, born 05/2020. Some spurs just grow to points about an inch long and some grow into huge great curves. What age do Silkie roosters start crowing? In addition to the fuzzy feathers that make them so unique, the roosters also have long, pointy saddle and hackle feathers. Silkies chickens are a very calm and friendly chicken breed, except when brooding, and many backyard chicken owners are proud to keep them. As silkies are “the talk of the town,” there are still quite a lot that needs to be cleared to my readers. While most types of chickens have 4 toes, silkie chickens have 5 or even 6! Silkie rooster is referred to as many different names and nicknames. … Later, their unusual appearance made them famous in other parts of the world. Silkie Characteristics 1. A popular trade item on the Silk Road, the geography of the Silkie chicken lends itself naturally to the name of this breed. Don’t we? Silkie roosters are a delight. Blue Silkie Bantam Both China and Japan claim the origin of these unique bantams and historians have traced them back to Marco Polo. The hens lay cream or tinted eggs, but many times they are not kept for the eggs or their meat. Their keeper treats a six weeks old Silkie chicken the same way as they treat a two weeks old regular chick. Like traditional chicken breeds, they need bedding to survive winter and rainy days. One of the low number of chicken breeds that you can keep in your apartment. The information I’m about to provide you is based on what I have learned in these past years. Fact #1: Silkie chickens have extra toes. Some inexperienced chicken keepers avoid going for a Silkie rooster because they think that raising and caring for a Silkie rooster is a tricky process, but in reality, it’s not. They are popular with many names, but the Chinese call them “wu-gu-j.” Underneath the unusual black skin, the Silkies are a regular chicken that needs housing, food, and freshwater access to live a better life. Heat lamps also keep their drinking water from freezing. He hatched May 11, so he is still getting more feathers in. This chicken breed is often called miniature chicken as they are relatively small, having a height between eight to fourteen inches only. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As per a general chicken feeding rule, allow access to the food at least two times a day or keep the water and feed containers always full. Silkie roosters are expensive, so if one has it, he and his rooster become the town’s widely discussed topic. Silkies are the oldest, expensive, but well-known Chinese chicken breed that is either kept as an ornament, pet or sometimes for their rewarding meat. Even stubbornness can be handled with care. Meyer Hatchery's Silkies are a mix of bearded and non-bearded. Others may appear blue as in the blue splash bearded Silkie chicken. The first guy in this video just started crowing this morning, he crows so hard that he falls on his butt. Silkie chickens are also known for their blue skin and five toes on each foot. Silkies are known for their unique genetic twist which gives them an additional 1 or 2 toes per foot. I moved our laying flock to another coop when my girls who are now in their coop, were pullets, and then, moved my pullets to their coop. The chicks hatched from blue parents can be blue, black, or splash. 1 / 2. Silkie chicken can be bearded or non-bearded its unfair to associate the presence or absence of a beard with this population of the chicken breed. It is unknown from where (or when), exactly, these breeds originated, but the most well-documented potential origin is ancient China. The roosters weigh 2 – 2.25 lbs, while the hens weigh 2 lbs. The first thing you need to make sure is that the environment you are putting your rooster in is safe from the predator attacks as the fluff on them didn’t let the tiny eyes see correctly, and they aren’t really good escapers. Perfect age to … If you’re going to keep silkies with other chickens, go for Polish chickens or bantams. Instead, their earlobes and wattle are more notable. Jul 6, 2019 - Explore Dwyllis Harrison's board "Silkie Chickens", followed by 636 people on Pinterest. Relevant to Farm Desire as a research writer and data recorder. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. It is no secret that Silkies are the labrador retrievers of chickens. They have fatherless necks and outrageously poufy pom-poms making them look every bit as their name suggests. Silkie Chickens come in many colour variations and Pipinchick Poultry stock them all with 13 colours of Bearded Silkies to choose from including Lemon Meringue, Gold, Blue, Partridge, Porcelain to traditional White. One adult hen is $250. Size and Weight. You will get roughly 50% blues, 25% dark blue/black, and 25% splash Silkies. They are usually observed living up to five to eight years under ordinary care and up to fifteen years under extraordinary care. I’m fond of the Silkie roosters, so I had kept these aggressive birds at least from the time when I came to know what the world is? Silkie chickens are truly the weirdos of the chicken world, and to prove it, weve put together 7 Silkie chicken facts! Both of my Silkie roosters are now crowing! Silkie roosters also love treats like green beans, apples and grapes. Often silkie roosters get along with each other fairly well, so it's not too much of a hardship, and their slightly lower fertility rates are offset with an extra rooster or two. Silkies just love being carried around or having cuddles. I just want them as pets and to be able to bake with fresh eggs. Silkie roosters have unique feathers other than the fuzzy ones typical of the breed. Bearded Silkies have a muff around their faces. The roosters often make good daddies anyway, and the extra rooster can help watch the chicks too. Oxford Academics quoted DNA identification research of silkie chick. The non-bearded silkies have the same structure, but the only difference is the absence of “feather-like fluff” underneath their beaks. Keep silkies and chickens with similar temperaments together. What do you need to raise a Silkie rooster. Silkie Chickens Breed is seen at poultry shows or appears in various colors. Here is my speculative guess as to why and how Silkies have blue ear lobes: After the Southeast Asians and the Chinese domesticated the chicken the blue pigment gene popped up as a random mutation (who knows if it was somehow linked with the Silkie feather gene) and the people raising them thought this was really cool. Like all mammals on planet earth, Silkie roosters need good food to live a healthy life. Before bringing the rooster home, you need to make or buy a small house with plenty of space for the rooster to roam around (if they are not taken out).