The origin of the Silkie hen is uncertain although they have been around for several hundred years. It is thought that they originated in India, China or Japan and they arrived in Europe around 200 years ago where they were sold as crosses between rabbits and chickens! They are a lightweight chicken with a broad, stout looking body which is covered in fine fluffy feathers. They have short, rather ragged looking tails and the head is short and neat with an upright and full crest. The beak is short and broad, the face smooth and the eyes black and bright. The comb is circular and described as a mulberry comb and the wattles are concave, semi circular and not particularly long. The legs are purplish blue in colour and they have a fifth toe.
Silkie Behaviour
Silkies do tend towards broodiness and make wonderful mothers despite being rather poor layers. They are calm, friendly, trusting and rather lively birds which are unable to fly so can be kept with very low fencing and they also do very little damage to the garden. They begin laying around Christmas when the hen will happily sit on a clutch of eggs and will still go broody even if her eggs are removed! Silkies are frequently used as foster mothers for other hen's eggs. They stop laying altogether during the summer months. They don't have waterproof feathers so they need to be kept in dry conditions but require little room so can be kept in smaller runs. They are rather susceptible to scaly leg but are robust little chickens and can withstand the cold very well. The black skinned and black boned silkie is considered a delicacy in China where they believe that the ground up bones have special healing properties. They have a lifespan of around 9 years and can be tamed and considered a real pet which makes them especially suitable for children.
Silkie Varieties
Black, blue, gold, white, partridge, triple laced partridge, triple laced silver partridge, grey, cuckoo, red and buff.
Silkie For Sale
Please note: All animals listed here are for collection only. They cannot be delivered by the seller or by Omlet. The seller will send you their contact details to arrange payment and collection.
Sell Yours Here
It's free
Sorry, there are currently no Silkie listed for Sale
Latest Reviews For Silkie (5 of 70)
5 Stars:
66
4 Stars:
3
3 Stars:
1
2 Stars:
1 Star:
Average Rating: Based on 70 Verified Reviews
Write Review
Silkies are the best -Heidi,South Glos,
We’ve had a few different breeds but silkies are undoubtedly my favourite.. my dad wanted chickens again after we lost our last hens a few years ago so I surprised him with 2 silkie hens.. Egwina and Bailey.. they are so funny and are very interested in everything you’re doing. Since then we’ve had a few more silkies and they’ve never been any trouble! Great with the dogs and kids aswell as being great sitters on their eggs.
I like chickens -Lucy,
I really love chickens especially mini alpacas
Silkies-Ellie,
Silkies are very friendly and great with kids, they look so cute and funny, but their feathers are not waterproof as with other breeds, so need adequate shelter from rain.
Got given a silkie co*ckerel &3hens-Andrea,
The funniest chickens ever love them to bits, been reading msg's about them & am very surprised my hens are laying most days ! Thinking I may have a go at hatching some as Mr silkie keeping very active !
cute-Damian,
They are so friendly my two pet Silkies they don't even mind being picked up! There egg production is not good but as I got them for pets I'm not really bothered anyway. I have found that they will NOT perch on the roosting bars and will only sleep together in a nest box so I took the divider out and have it as one big nest box which they sleep together in. They will also never be without one anther and are sad if they are apart!
Our silkie ladies lay small eggs that are white in color (something off-white/cream). On average, their eggs are 1.5oz (42g). So you might want a few hens laying to have enough for an omelet! Silkies are a popular choice for a backyard flock as they make highly fashionable pets.
Their eggs are every bit as good as standard sized eggs, but they are small. Silkies have bright turquoise ears. As a rule of thumb, if chickens have red ears, they'll lay brown eggs. If they have white ears, they will lay white or cream eggs.
Silkies are relatively long lived for chickens with an average life expectancy of around eight or nine years and they remain productive long after other breeds have stopped laying eggs.
Aside from their adorable looks, this breed is known to be among the friendliest! Don't let their small size fool you, silkies can stand their ground in a mixed flock too. They're fun and love to get to know other chickens in their flock, which makes them some of the best chickens to incorporate into a flock.
Thanks to their fluffy feathers and docile behavior, silkies are a great starter bird for anyone looking to begin their own backyard flock. Silkies generally require smaller coops than other chickens. They still need plenty of food and water, however. Other than that, these birds have relatively few requirements.
It is among the most docile of poultry. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and care for young well. Although they are fair layers themselves, laying only about three eggs a week, they are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species due to their broody nature.
Silkies like all other chickens require a certain amount of care to keep them happy and healthy, and while they are not a high-maintenance breed, because of their delicate and substantial feathering, they do need a little extra attention to keep them looking super smart and sassy.
Weatherproof chicken run covers are also a must-have when caring for Silkies to ensure they stay dry while spending time outside of their coop. As long as Silkies are kept dry in cold weather, they will handle cooler temperatures as well as any other breed.
Silkies don't mind getting up close and personal with their human friends, in fact, they quite like being cuddled, kissed and groomed, making them eggcellent pets for young children.
Tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes are members of the nightshade family, so their leaves are toxic to many animals. Tomatoes and peppers are safe for your chickens to eat as long as the leaves are fully removed. Raw and green potatoes can carry solanine and chaconine in their skins.
Leghorns and light egg-type breeds tend to be more vulnerable to disease than meat type breeds. Silkies in particular, are highly susceptible to Marek's Disease. The percentage of illness and death in a flock can be anywhere from 1% to up to 50%.
But for the most part, cooking Silkie meat is a lot like cooking regular chicken, although it does taste a little different and differs in quality ever so slightly. However, for the most part, Silkies aren't kept for their meat even though their darker skin pigmentation may make them a delicacy in certain countries.
How to give a silkie a haircut 💇🏻♀️✂️😂 Not all silkies need a trim, but sometimes their poof is so magnificent, it can impair their vision or curl into their eyes. Here's how I do it.
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. 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.
Do Silkies Like to Cuddle? Yes! Silkies really like to cuddle! My silkies have been the snuggliest, cuddliest chickens of all of the breeds I have raised to date.
They like people, want to be with you, prefer small set ups and ultimately do not do well in mixed flocks of big rangy breeds, keeping these little birds in pairs will give you the best success, even in mixed flocks we advise pairing these little ladies.
They are gentle and docile. They do not wander far from their food dish and are easy to find at the end of the day. They are great for families with children because they are easy to catch and easy to hold. Plus, they are often quieter than most other chicken breeds.
Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
