Silkie Chicken Care: Coop, Bedding & Breed Tips

The maintenance of Silkie chickens differs slightly from that of their regular-feathered counterparts. Because of its extremely unusual appearance, flock-raisers worldwide have come to love this kind of chicken. They’re adorable, amiable, and entertaining to watch and engage with. And they are well-known for being excellent for kids because of their gentle dispositions.

The colorful silkie chickens have furry plumage that mimics fur rather than feathers. They are actually referred to in ancient history as “chickens with hair like a cat.” Although the egg output of this decorative breed is unknown, it does produce a few little eggs annually.

Silkie chickens

Although their precise origin is unknown, researchers think that Asia is where silkies first appeared. When Marco Polo traveled across China in the thirteenth century, he wrote in his journal about “furry chickens.” A while later, Dutch Silkie breeders advertised them as a chicken-rabbit hybrid.

In actuality, a Silkie is a kind of “Bantam” chicken. A type of chicken known as bantams is considerably smaller than other common types. Other varieties of bantams consist of:

Pekins
Sebrights
Seramas
Cochins

The appearance of silkie feathers is similar to fur, as Marco Polo observed. Due to genetics, they appear hairy rather than feathery. Normal-feathered chickens have tiny hooklets called “barbs” connecting each feather, giving their feathers a smooth, stiff appearance. Due to a hereditary abnormality, silkies are devoid of these hooklets. A silkie’s barbs are free to flow in all directions since they are devoid of this characteristic, which gives them their distinctive, fluffy appearance.

Although silkies have a cute, fluffy appearance, their lack of hardiness is a problem. Silkies have no moisture barrier since their feathers are flexible. They will become completely saturated as soon as they get wet. This puts any fowl in extremely perilous circumstances, especially throughout the winter.

Double-wall insulated chicken coops are a must for the well-being of Silkies. In order to keep Silkies dry when they are outside their coop, weather-proof covers for their chicken runs are also essential. Silkies can withstand colder temperatures just as well as any other breed, provided they are kept dry during the winter. But since they are unable to pull their non-rigid feathers away from their skin, silkies need a very long time to dry off when their fluffy, down-like feathers get wet. A damp silkie has to be put in a warm coop as soon as possible.

In addition, silkies suffer more from heat than other breeds. Their restricted vision from their walnut-shaped comb and the feathers surrounding their faces is the result of their dense plumage. It’s harder to find shade and drink when you have poorer vision. To aid your Silkies in warmer weather, place several chicken waterers around the run. You can also provide your hens with lots of shade in their run to help them survive a hot summer.

Despite the allure of brushing, your Silkie’s fluff is still made up of feathers, not fur. Extra grooming is normally unnecessary because they will preen and dust bathe themselves just like any other hen. When the weather gets warmer, giving your Silkie a mild bath and giving them a towel rub will quickly make them appear like new. Using a soft-bristled brush, you can gently remove bedding or other loose debris from your Silkie for a fun bonding exercise. The feathers of your hens are sufficiently delicate for a baby brush or toothbrush.

Every well-bred Silkie should have certain distinctive traits in addition to fur-inspired feathers. Even though certain characteristics might not be as noticeable as their fluffy feathers, together they all combine to set Silkies apart from other chicken breeds.

The feathers of silkies are not stiff enough to allow for flight because they lack “hooklets.” They are therefore the perfect backyard birds because they won’t test fences. Since silkies are unable to fly, their perches for chickens should be positioned at a safe height so they may securely hop on and off.

Under their feathers, most hens have white or golden skin; Silkies have black skin. Their guts and bones even have a black tinge! Hyperpigmentation of connective tissue cells results from the genetic abnormality fibromelanosis, which causes this. The Ayam Cemani is another chicken breed with this feature; it seems pitch black from head to feather to toe. Unlike this far-off relative, Silkies are available in many hues.

Silkie chickens

Some silkies may hardly be seen at all; their walnut-shaped, slightly lumpy-looking combs only span the feathery tufts on top of their heads. Combs should be dark in appearance, exactly like the rest of their skin.

The bright blue earlobes of silkies contrast sharply with their black skin and fluffy plumage. Popular wisdom holds that the color of the eggs a chicken will lay reflects the color of its earlobes. A hen with white earlobes, for instance, will lay white eggs; red earlobes will lay brown eggs, etc.? This approach is rather accurate, although depending on their genes, some hens with red earlobes also lay olive or blue eggs. Through their colorful lobes, silkies lay white or cream-colored eggs.

Indeed, you counted correctly; each foot of a silkie has five, often six, toes. Not touching the ground, this additional toe—or two—appears along with the “hallux” in the rear of the foot. Apart from adding to the adorable quirkiness of the Silkie breed, these additional appendages have no real use. Just five chicken breeds have five or more toes on each foot.

Average 2-4 eggs per week; silkies are not very plentiful egg layers. This labels them as an “ornamental breed” of chicken, more distinguished by appearance and character than by egg output. Still, they accumulate minute white or cream-colored eggs. Silkie eggs have a higher egg yolk-to-white ratio than other Bantam types, much as in conventional chicken breeds.

The calm, amiable demeanor of silkies is well-known. For kids, they are fantastic first-time pets since they have calm temperaments and look lovely. Children or first-time chicken keepers will find them easy to handle and interact with as they cannot fly; they also usually like being held.

Silkie chickens

Among the several colours in which silkies can be found are buff, black, white, and blue. There are additional patterned varieties, like “splash” silkies, a colour-mixing creation. Besides colour, silkies are now grown for various textures. For instance, you can now possess “Frazzle” Silkies, whose crimped-looking fluffy feathers Other variants to arise are “Silkie Showgirl,” a mix between a Silkie and a Turkan (Naked Neck) chicken. The outcome is pretty amazing: a completely featherless neck, a trademark Silkie “pom pom,” and a fluffy body.

Variation in Silkies has little effect on the general integrity of the breed since every colour and variant are still developed to be placid pets with distinctive looks. The Showgirl and Frizzle variants of the Silkie breed are more challenging to find than standard Silkies.

Can several chicken breeds live together? That relies on things. Once they have set their pecking order, chickens generally get along as a flock. Though some hens can also be aggressive and dominating, roosters are more likely to fight and disrupt things. Consider the characters of each of your hens if you are thinking about including Silkies in a current flock of bigger chickens. Keeping your silkies in a different location could be ideal if you have a dominating, overbearing hen. If you have a walk-in chicken run, think about separating hens based on size or degree of dominance with barriers.

Usually, hens of the same size can be kept securely side by side. Passive by nature, silkies will be at the lowest run-down in a flock. Larger hens, just by virtue of their size, could unintentionally damage silkies as they create this order.

Like any other breed, silkies thrive when provided with stimulating toys, a sturdy and secure hen house, and a premium feed. With Omlet’s extensive array of well-crafted chicken coops, runs, and accessories, you may grow a prosperous flock of Silkies. If silkies aren’t your type of chicken, there are plenty of other varieties to pick from, each with special qualities to liven up your existence.

Silkie chickens

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