These small-sized chickens come in two varieties: the non-bearded and bearded varieties. According to the "recognized breeds" link on the website for the American Poultry Association, the splash color is only recognized in bearded silkies and was accepted in 2001. It is not listed as an accepted color for non-bearded silkies. Disclaimer: LearnPoultry does not intend to provide any kind of veterinary suggestion. gold and even blue! Size & Weight. We will describe so much about caring for silkie chickens here. Feathers have several parts to them; the main part being the quill that grows from beneath the skin which tapers off up the center of the feather to become the shaft. Neck: Short, gracefully arched, with a very full hackle flowing well over the shoulders. Silkies that get wet are at risk of getting hypothermia. Although Silkie chickens are simple, fun, or affordable to bring as pets, sickly chickens can be obtained, which helps make it much harder or more costly to keep the flock healthy. Silkies have multiple recognized color varieties: Partridge, Red, Splash, Self-blue, Black, Blue, Buff, White, and then all the colors above, though variants do not This is a great gene because (when bred correctly) you can hatch blue, black, or splash babies.I have 2 breeding pens. Silkie cockerels are also docile and less aggressive than other breeds and make fine, caring fathers to young, even helping mum with her duties. We have shown our buffs during the fall season and have done well at shows. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Silkies/BRKSilkies.html. Wattles: Male - Non-Bearded: medium size, concave, nearly round, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds. Toes: five, the three front straight, well and evenly spread, the hind toe double, the normal toe in natural position and the extra toe placed above, starting from close to the other toe, but well formed, longer than the other toes and curving upwards and backwards; the outer and middle toe well feathered. Varieties shall include the standard recognized varieties: White, Black, Blue, Splash, Buff, Gray, Partridge, and Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. Partridge Silkie chicks are typically born with stripes and will develop into partridge variations. Vegetables are also crucial for strengthening your Silkies immune system. Rest of the description same as the male. The head of this breed is crested, looking a little like such a pom pom. They compete in the Featherleg Bantam class at poultry shows. The bacterial disease usually affects young Silkies. Bantam Hybrid Chickens With good care, though, Silkies can live for approximately nine years or even more. Silkies are susceptible to many health problems like other types of chickens. We have heard it said that Silkies are like a "flock" of kittens but unlike your other pets, your chickens can actually provide your breakfast! While we provide information resources and canine education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. Breast: Carried forward, very full, well rounded and of great depth and width. Silkie chickens are among the most adorable and docile chicken breeds. Bearded Silkies have an extra beard, or muff, of feathers underneath their beak. 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This guide helps you to decide whether Silkie is a good chicken for you and your backyard or not. Besides the recognized breed standard, four additional colors are commonly found in Silkies, and these are no less beautiful than the APA standards. as upright as comb will permit, having a few silky feathers streaming gracefully backwards from lower and back part of crest. The other symptoms of Mareks disease include vision impairment and gray iris or abnormal pupils. Silkie chickens are also decent layers and meat producers. Diarrhea, infection in the combs and wattles, and nasal discharge are some of the symptoms of Avian Influenza in Silkies. Below: A Cuckoo Silkie. The silkies are quite popular these days as pets; however, they wouldnt lay many eggs. (Bare middle toe a serious defect in either sex). This year I am focusing on achieving the black breast on the males.Partridge Silkie colour genetics - eb/eb s+ Pg/Pg (Cha/Cha)The common fault of partridge silkies having a black crest can be attributed to the Cha (Charcoal) gene. The wings are a slightly darker shade of grey, and their undercoat is a smoky grey that is lighter than the overall top shade. There are many challenges with breeding this colour, but that is what makes it even more intriguing. Once a Silkie hen has decided to set her eggs, there is very little that will bring her from the nest until those eggs have hatched. Furthermore, Silkies require a coop with comfortable bedding since these birds also need warmth during cold months. I have only ever seen them in white. Black Silkies can be bred by breeding a blue and a splash Silkie, a blue and a black Silkie, and of course, two black Silkies. Silkies can get wet like other chickens since their feathers arent waterproof. Silkies need smaller cops since they arent as large as most chicken breeds. A post shared by Blacksmith Farm (@blacksmithfarm). Such birds are titled as Silkie primary along with their usually fluffy plumage (and is said to experience like silk). Wings: Medium size, closely folded, carried well back and nearly horizontal, well above the lower thighs ending short of stern. Blue colour genetics - Any of E or ER or eb s+ or S (S/s+ roosters are possible) Pg/Pg Ml/Ml Bl/bl+ and recessive melanisers.The hardest part about breeding blue Silkies is getting lighter (versus too dark) shades.My blues have the Andalusian gene. You can also feed your Silkie a mash from bran, carrots, a couple of vegetables, and grated fruits such as apples or tomatoes. Below are a couple of tips on taking proper care of your Silkie chickens. These chickens have fluffy plumage, making them look lovely. It is an autosomal, incompletely dominant gene.In America the partridge colour is based on gold, with the addition of Mh. The underscore indicates her short chromosome lacks the location of that gene.When a barred female (B,_) is crossed with a non-barred male, (b+, b+) results in all the male offspring being barred and the females are non-barred. A male with no barring is represented as (b+, b+). STANDARD eWh/eWh Pg/pg+ or pg+/pg+ Mh/Mh Db/Db and recessive blackI believe there are some people working on red Silkies in Australia. WebThey are the only chicken to have black, or more exactly, dark slate-blue skins. 14 Ways Cats Show Their Love, Cute Frogs: 9 Pictures That Will Make You Happy. Ear-Lobes: Male - Non-Bearded: small, oval, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds. Weight:, Female-32 oz., Male 36 oz. Learn more. Silkie roosters are relatively bigger than hens. Why do Chickens Abandon their Chicks Too Early? According to the American Poultry Association (APA), Silkies are only accepted in six colors: white, black, blue, buff, partridge, and splash. The female has one long chromosome and one short chromosome. I also have experience with other poultry too. Head: Moderately small, short, carried so that a line drawn parallel with tip of the tail will bisect the comb. Silkies will occasionally need to keep warm in the cold weather, and installing a heat lamp in your birds coop will provide your Silkies with enough heat to keep them warm. Alternative hues, such as cuckoo, lavender, red, and Approved ABA Varieties are known as; Bearded/Non-bearded White, Bearded/Non-bearded Black, Bearded/Non-bearded Buff, Bearded/Non-bearded They consist of 1 splash rooster and blue hens and 1 blue rooster and splash hens. Shoulders and fronts: concealed by hackles and breast feathers. They have small feet or wide colored gray. Grey Silkies are more silver than grey, with a sheen over their plumage when viewed in sunlight. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. The pure white Silkie is one of the most common Silkie variations available, and like all Silkies, they have a black face and skin. Non Bearded Silkie Chickens are full of character, they are sweet, docile birds. The Silkie of that time and the modern Silkie do not resemble each other in many other respects, being that the ancient Silkies evidently did not have leg feathering or any crest to speak of. The comb should not be a single type. This highly contagious viral disease claims many Silkies annually. If you want to breed Silkies, I recommend studying the breed closer and when you decide on a variety, focus on it specifically. Silkie chickens are easy to recognize. There are only 7 recognised colours of Silkies; buff, blue, black, splash, partridge, Gray, and of course white.If you like competition, raise the white variety.If you want to be different, raise the blue/black/splash varieties as these are the only colours that can be 'interbred. The exception is that not every colour is accepted as standard. Search our database of over 11517 posts with up-to-date information from our experts and veterinarians. Also, visit the American Silkie Bantam Club for lots of information and to find breeders. The white in this variation is caused by a recessive gene, and this can be easily lost with incorrect breeding selection. Chicks are born without any barring and are often mistaken for blues, but experienced breeders can tell from the chicks sheer-black beaks that lighten up after a few weeks that they will turn into a cuckoo variety. While these cute birds are pretty easy to care for, they still require plenty of water and food. Their striking colours and beautiful patterns are a sight to behold. Their crests are larger and the feathering down the legs is more abundant than seen previously. Virginia Rose is a woody perennial suckering shrub in the rose family native to eastern North America and grows 4-6 feet tall. So, just as a white and a black compete against each other, so do ones that are bearded and ones that are not. Male & Female: COMB, FACE, WATTLES: deep mulberry, approaching black. Alternatively, you can raise Silkie chickens for either eggs or meat. Large Hybrid Chickens, Blog Besides entertainment or affection, Silkies can offer tangible advantages to their owners, making it even more rewarding to keep Silkies as pets. We are not liable for any harm or losses caused because of our content. This combination will result in blue or splash offspringSilkie chickens blue breeding chart:Blue X Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black , 25% SplashBlue X Splash = 50% Blue , 50% SplashBlue X Black = 50% Blue, 50% BlackBlack X Black = 100% BlackSplash X Black = 100% BlueSplash X Splash = 100% Splash. Silkies are among the few other breeds of chickens that possess five toes instead of the usual four. Silkie chickens are extraordinary little chickens. Silkies are known for their black and delicious meat. From each side of the shaft comes the web which are tiny strands that are held together by small hooks or barbicels on the ends of the strands which gives the feather their typical appearance. It's too late to do anything about the placing, but we would like to know for next year. Silkie chickens are incredibly reasonably priced pets to own, particularly when they know the benefits of maintaining them, like availability of fresh eggs, pest management, or companionship. However when they are in their lay cycle, which seems to vary with each individual hen, they are very dependable layers. Since their introduction you can now find 4 types of Silkies including Showgirls and Sizzles. READ OUR FULL PRIVACY POLICY.DISCLAIMER - I MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE IS ACCURATE, MAINTAINED TO A HIGH STANDARD AND UP TO DATE. All color variants have black skin, the characteristic extra toe, and fluffy plumage down their legs all the way to their toes. But theyre great brooders or great for showing as well. Buy 15 for $5.15 ea. They can thrive in both warm and cold climates. Silkies have a good life expectancy. Reply Jun 13, 2012 #8 BuckNBark Farm Songster 9 Years May 4, 2010 1,576 61 178 Trenton, GA Looks like the bearded ones would blow them out of the water! The Silkie breed is known for their black skin, but paint Silkies often hatch with lighter or even pink skin. Because of their gentle and docile nature, they make wonderful pets and adapt quickly to attention and handling by people. Do you want to know all about Silkie Chicken? Splash has been recognised for silkies by both the ABA & APA for. The same thing which makes them fluffy is the same factor that causes one such issue-they have no barbs to hold it down their fur. Silkie recognized varieties are available in both Beared and Non-Beared only for bantam size fowl. Silkies also have a unique plumage that is more like fluff than feathers, giving them a silky feel that is far more cuddle-worthy than any other chicken breed. Male have two Z sex chromosomes and the female has one Z and one W sex chromosome. It is safe to assume that Silkies had been around quite a while before Marco Polo. There are separate descriptions for each of the different color varieties indicating what is accepted and what is not. The chronic disease affects nearly half of the Silkies across the globe. Backyard poultry farming has been our family business for the last 30 years. They can be bred by mixing blue and blue or blue and black varieties. Silkie chickens are some of the hardiest and most resilient domestic birds. Featured Image Credit: Olga Salt, Shutterstock, 13 Types of Angelfish for Freshwater Aquariums (With Pictures), Goldfish Aquaponics 101: Feeding, Stocking, & Care Guide, How Do Cats Show Affection? The disease can affect your Silkie chickens nervous, digestive, and respiratory systems. Terms and conditions - The keeping of chickens and other poultry is a subjective experience which varies across the world and in different environments. I think my duck doesn't have enough niacin in her body and she cant walk now, what do I do?? Colors, Size, and Appearance of Silkie Chicken, 2. Silkies come in a delightful array of colors: black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, self-blue, splash, and white. A coop, food, and water supplied to Silkies must be retained as fresh as possible to make sure the birds remain fit or content. These Silkies are a uniform light grey-lavender across their plumage. Since the American Silkie is a bantam (small breed) the eggs are not huge - about medium in size ranging in colors from white to light brown. I think my duck doesn't have enough niacin in her body and she cant walk now, what do I do?? However, wild Silkies have a shorter lifespan than domestic Silkie chickens. It is also essential for egg development. Install wire mesh on one side of the coop to allow fresh air in the coop and give your birds enough light. They are popular furry chickens with lovely shaded colors. These products being sold are live chicks or eggs. Because of their frequent inclination towards broodiness, they are not prolific layers as such breeds as Leghorns or Rhode Island Reds, as chickens do not lay while in the broody cycle. 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