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Silkie

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Silkie
A White Silkie hen, non-bearded
Other namesSilky
Country of originChina
Traits
Skin colorBlack
Egg colorCream
Comb typeWalnut
Classification
APAyes
ABAyes
For the mythical creature, see Selkie.

The Silkie (sometimes spelled Silky) is a breed of chicken named for its unique, fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as dark blue flesh and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot (most chickens only have four). They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and come in several colors.

In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm, friendly temperament. Among the most docile of poultry, Silkies are considered an ideal pet. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and make good mothers. Though they are fair layers themselves, only laying about three eggs a week. They are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species.

Silkies most likely originate in China, but other Southeast Asian countries are also sometimes proposed. The first written account of the breed comes from Marco Polo, who mentioned chickens with fur-like plumage in his Asian travelogues in the 13th century. The Renaissance author Ulisse Aldrovandi also spoke of chickens akin to Silkies. Today, the breed is recognized for exhibition, and is fairly common in the poultry world.

History

Silkies are one of the oldest breeds of chicken. It is unknown exactly where or when fowl with their singular combination of attributes first appeared, but the most well documented point of origin is China. Other places in Southeast Asia have been named as possibilities, such as India and Java.[1] The earliest surviving written account of Silkies comes from Marco Polo, who wrote of a furry chicken in the 13th century, during his travels in Asia.[2] In 1599, Ulisse Aldrovandi, a writer and naturalist at the university of Bologna, Italy published a comprehensive treatise on chickens which is still read and admired today. In it, he spoke on "wool-bearing chickens" and ones "clothed with hair like that of a black cat".[3]

A black Silkie hen and her chick. The breed is renowned for its broodiness and mothering abilities

Silkies most likely made their way to the West via the Silk Route and maritime trade. The breed was recognized officially in the North America via acceptance in to the Standard of Perfection in 1874 (the first year of publication).[4] Once Silkies became more common in the West, many myths were perpetuated about them. Early Dutch breeders told buyers they were the offspring of chickens and rabbits,[5] while sideshows promoted them as having actual mammalian fur.[6]

In the 21st century, Silkies are one of the most popular and ubiquitous ornamental breeds of chicken. They are often kept as ornamental or pet chickens by backyard keepers and in zoos, and are also often used to incubate and raise the offspring of other poultry (including waterfowl like ducks and geese) and game birds such as quail and pheasants.[7]

Characteristics

Silkies are often considered a bantam breed, but this varies according to region, and many breed standards class them officially as large fowl. Almost all North American strains of the breed are bantam sized, but in Europe the large is the original version. However, even "large" Silkies are relatively small chickens, with standard size males weighing only four pounds (1.8 kilos), and females weigh three pounds (1.36 kilos).[8] The American Standard of Perfection calls for males that are 36 ounces (1 kilo), and females that are 32 ounces (910 grams).[9]

Silkie plumage is unique among chicken breeds; Silkie-like feathering may appear as a recessive mutation in individuals of other varieties, but no other true breed has it. It has been compared to silk,[10] and to fur. Their feathers lack functioning barbicels, and are thus similar to down on other birds. The overall result is a soft, fluffy appearance.[11] Due to a lack of hard outer feathers, Silkies do poorly in extremes of temperature or inclement weather of any kind.[12]

Silkie hens are known for their docile temperament

Silkies appear in two distinct varieties: Bearded and Non-bearded. Bearded Silkies have an extra muff of feathers under the beak area that covers the earlobes. They also are separated according to color. Colors of Silkie recognized for competitive showing include Black, Blue, Buff, Gray, Partridge, Splash and White. Alternative hues, such as Cuckoo, Red, and Lavender, also exist. All Silkies have a small Walnut-type comb, dark wattles, and turquoise blue earlobes. In addition these defining characteristics, Silkies have five toes on each foot. Other breeds which exhibit this rare trait include the Dorking, Faverolles, and Sultan.[13]

All Silkies have black skin, bones and grayish-black meat; their Chinese language name is wu gu ji (烏骨鷂[14], literally "crow boned chicken"), meaning "black-boned chicken".[15] Melanism which extends beyond the skin into an animal's connective tissue is a rare trait, and the Silkie is one of only a handful of chickens to exhibit it. Disregarding color, the breed does not generally produce as much as the more common meat breeds of chicken.[16]

Silkies lay a fair number of cream-colored eggs, but production is often interrupted due to their extreme tendency to go broody; a hen will produce 100 eggs in an ideal year. Their capacity for incubation, which has been selectively bred out of most egg-laying fowl, is often exploited by poultry keepers by allowing Silkies to raise the offspring of other birds. In addition to being good mothers, Silkies are universally renowned for their calm, friendly temperament. They do well in confinement, and interact very well with children. This docility can cause Silkies to be bullied by more active or aggressive birds when kept in mixed flocks.[17]

In cuisine

Traditional Chinese soup made with Silkie

The black meat of a Silkie is generally considered an unusual or unpalatable attribute in European and American cuisines.[18] In contrast, several Asian cuisines consider Silkie meat a gourmet food. Chinese cuisine especially values the breed, but it is also a common ingredient in some Japanese, Cambodian and Korean dishes. Areas where Chinese cuisine has been a strong influence, such as Malaysia, may also cook Silkie. As early as the 7th century, traditional Chinese medicine has held that chicken soup made with Silkie meat is a curative food.[19] The usual methods of cooking include using Silkie to make broth, braising, and in curries. Traditional Chinese soup made with Silkie also uses ingredients such as wolfberries, Dioscorea opposita (white yam), orange peel, and fresh ginger.[20] A few fusion restaurants in metropolitan areas of the West have also cooked it as a part of traditional American or French cuisine, such as in confit.[21]

Footnotes

  1. ^ (Ekarius 2007, p. 158)
  2. ^ (Graham 2007, p. 130)
  3. ^ (Smith & Daniel 1975, p. 49)
  4. ^ (Ekarius 2007, p. 158)
  5. ^ (Graham 2006, p. 130)
  6. ^ (Percy 2002, p. 37)
  7. ^ (Ekarius 2007, p. 158)
  8. ^ (Graham 2006, p. 130)
  9. ^ (Ekarius 2007, p. 159)
  10. ^ (Louie 2007)
  11. ^ (Ekarius 2007, pp. 158–159)
  12. ^ (Ekarius 2007, p. 158)
  13. ^ (Graham 2006, p. 130)
  14. ^ Dunlop, Fuchsia (2003). Land of Plenty. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 236, 372. ISBN 0-393-05177-3.
  15. ^ (Louie 2007)
  16. ^ (Ekarius 2007, pp. 158–159)
  17. ^ (Graham 2006, p. 131)
  18. ^ (Louie 2007)
  19. ^ (Louie 2007)
  20. ^ "Recipe: Black-Skinned Chicken Soup". The New York Times. January 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  21. ^ (Louie 2007)

References

Further reading

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