![]() Adult silkies should be given a feed that is higher in protein such as a gamebird feed of at least 20% protein. I always recommend adding vitamins and electrolytes to their water. One thing I have learned over the years is that silkie chicks can be fragile. Make sure that your silkie can always see by trimming the feathers above and below their eyes. You can trim their toenails and beaks and give them a true spa treatment. One of the experiences you can’t miss is giving your silkie a bath and then fluffing them up with a hair dryer. I enjoy showing silkies in poultry shows. When buying chicks, my customers often ask for one of each color. I find that people enjoy collecting different colored silkies for their backyard flocks. Breeders also have non accepted colors such as Red, Porcelain and Cuckoo. These are the colors of silkies that can be shown in a poultry show. The Standard of Perfection lists White, Black, Buff, Blue, Splash, Gray, Partridge, Self Blue and Paint. The variety of colors in the silkie world is what keeps people coming back for more. They have been very hardy in our Minnesota winters. ![]() Coming from the mountains of China, silkies do very well in cold weather. Marco Polo mentions “furry chickens” when he explored that area in the 1200s. Smaller means that you will be able to fit more into your coop! Silkies are smaller than the average chicken and are classified as Bantams. Silkie chicks are often born with vaults which makes their crests look large for the first few weeks. A fancy top knot crest in the shape of a powder puff for the girls and a slicked back Elvis look with streamers for the boys. They have five toes and fluffy feathered feet. They have a mulberry colored walnut comb and beautiful turquoise colored ear lobes. Silkies cannot fly up to a high roosting bar but do like to sleep in a heap together on the floor at night. I was always trying to get them down out of the trees. My first flock contained chickens that liked to fly onto tree branches at night. I find this fact to be a plus in chicken owning. This softness is caused by the fact that their feathers do not stick together with barbs as most bird’s feathers do. They feel a lot like an angora rabbit when you pet them. Silkies are called “Silkies” because of the softness of their feathers. Seniors love them because they are an easy pet and can even live indoors (provided they have chicken diapers.) They make great therapy birds. They are often quieter than most other chicken breeds. ![]() They are great for families with children because they are easy to catch and easy to hold. They do not wander far from their food dish and are easy to find at the end of the day. The temperament of silkies is what makes this breed a great pet. They have the WOW factor that makes people fall forever in love with them. ![]() They lay eggs like any other chicken, but they are not known as “layers” though they do lay about 100 eggs a year. That is what makes them so attractive to the average chicken owner. Silkies are different from every other breed of chicken. From there I branched out and now breed seven different colors of silkies. They will always breed true to those three colors. She recommended starting with a Blue/Black/Splash pen because you will not need to keep the colors separated. I did some research and bought some quality stock from a local breeder who specializes in silkies. I was thrilled with them and was anxious to purchase a few more. I started out by purchasing some through our local feed mill. I saw and read about silkies on the internet and was instantly obsessed with them. I started out with a typical backyard flock that included an assortment of different breeds of chicken. I have owned and bred silkie chickens exclusively for over thirteen years.
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