Silkie chickens have a reputation for standing out due to their fluffy and puffy plumage! Some of you may be imagining a brown or black mess of feathers, but silkie chickens have style in spades compared to some of their cousins, like ISA browns and australorps. Silkies may be small in stature, only weighing approximately 1.5 to 2 kilos, but they always leave a big impression because of their discrete resemblance to celebrities like Lady Gaga, Jimmy Hendrix and Vivienne Westwood. Silkie chickens are such a remarkable breed that the great merchant and traveller Marco Polo, after encountering them in China, felt compelled to bring some back to the west with him. What would other visionaries like Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol and Coco Chanel have made of silkie chickens? One can only assume that they would have been humbled by the brilliance of these unique birds. Enough feathery thoughts about the majesty of these fabulously quirky friends, it’s time to get down to the nuts and bolts of why you should love silkie chickens.
1. Silkie Chickens are Masters of Zen
Silkie chickens are famous for their docile, sweet and nurturing temperament. Unlike most chickens that panic as soon as the gate is opened, the Silkie remains calm and collected. 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. A young Chicken Lady or Lad, dizzy with childhood joy, could spend hours playing with Silkie chooks and learning through observation the key to peace and serenity. Their docile natures make them suitable for smaller backyards or vast and wide acreages. No matter where you live a flock of silkie chickens will always hold their centre of calm and would seldom feel the need to wander too far. Like a statue of Buddha a silkie chicken can be your symbol of calm in an otherwise chaotic world.
2. A Chicken that Gives is a Creature that Cares
Silkies have a secret and they don’t want to be judged for it… they get a bit broody sometimes. But who can blame them! Silkie chickens are such a magnificent breed that of course they want to bring more of their own into the world. Their tendency towards broodiness is an effect of their hormones or from my perspective a testament to the fact that they have so much love to give. Broodiness is a habit that can be broken, which you can read about here. Silkie chickens make up for their occasionally broody behaviours by giving you plenty of kisses and cuddles. With love and patience a flock of silkie chickens would soon reward you with approximately 100-1 20 beautiful toasty brown eggs with delicious caramel coloured yolk centres per year.
3. Fabulous from their Feathers to their Toes
Silkies are simply a cut above the rest in the looks department with those frizzy, fluffy, puffy feathers that make them look like a cross between a feather boa and a teddy bear. Most animal lovers start to coo and cluck involuntarily when they lay their eyes upon a silkie chicken, “can I pat her - please, please, please?!” Even the most experienced animal keepers become unglued when they spot a serene and colourful silkie showcasing its beauty in the backyard, especially when their piercing gaze notices the secret beneath the feathers of their feet. That’s right, these gorgeous girls have five toes, just like you and me. Who knows why? Who cares!? Point is these beautiful and relaxed ladies are stylish from their feathers to their toes.
4. Girls Love it When you Play with Their Hair
Now, most chickens don’t require any regular grooming and truth be told neither do silkies, but, if you love to play dressups than these bubbly birds are the perfect pet for you. Some chicken lovers wash, style and even dye their silkie chicken’s plumage to create all kinds of striking and bizarre looks. Even if you like silkies just as they are a time will come when you’ll need to give these chickens a proper bath to clean their distinctive fur like feathers. With this in mind, silkie chickens don’t like to be wet, as it takes longer for them to dry off and stay warm. So, make sure you wring your ladies out - not literally of course - before you release them back into your garden paradise.
5. So Sweet and Oh-so Cuddly
Beauty may only be skin deep but silkie chickens are kind, gentle and warm spirits right down to the centre of their souls! These cute and quirky girls love nothing more than being tucked under your arm for a little bit of TLC. They are so calm and comfortable with humans. Many people think of them as little cats or dogs, just with more feathers and Liza Minnelli levels of pizzaz. At the end of the day most animal lovers want their backyard pets to be sweet, kind and loveable, and believe me, silkie chickens are the very definition of all things cute and gentle.
It’s so easy to fall head over heels in love with silkie chickens. From their five toed feet to the glorious quiffs and quaffs of their hairdos, these girls are stunning, stylish and so very sweet. Chickens with as much personality as silkies need a poultry pad with plenty of personality. Our range of coops that include the Taj Mahal, Penthouse and Mansion would be perfect for a fledgling flock of soft and silky silkies. Give yourself a gift that keeps giving and find out more about keeping chickens by just following the link here.
Not sure if the soft Silkies are right for you? Maybe the cute Cochins or rare Araucanas flutter your fancy? Deciding to become a chicken parent is the easy part. The hardest is deciding on your favourite breed! With so many options, it can be eggstremely overwhelming to find the perfect fit for you and your family. From looks, to traits to egg-laying talents - where should you begin?
Cluckily, our friends over at Chickenpedia have created an amazing Chicken Breeds Course. This extensive online course shares useful advice on choosing the right chickens for you as well as size & frequency of eggs laid. You will even learn about their individual personalities, and be able to use their family-friendly compatibility scale through this well-structured program. It really is a great way to find your perfect backyard buddies which is why I highly recommend them to all of my readers! The courses are beginner-friendly and filled with vital information to help you raise a happy, healthy flock.
As chicken keepers, we want to do an eggcellent job when caring for our feathered friends. Unfortunately, many of us struggle to handle chicken health or behaviour issues, especially in the first few years of having a flock. Chickenpedia have a full range of comprehensive online courses that cover everything you didn’t know you need to know and then some more! From healthcare to raising baby chicks to feeding and behavior, get the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your chickens like an eggspert!
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