Silkies

Silkies preparing for Easter?
Food coloring is used to do this

Bantam White Silkies, from the UK, with a Modern Game bantam hen for size comparison
Photo courtesy of Frances A. Bassom

From the UK, bantam and large fowl Silkies, males in the right photo
Photos courtesy of Sue Flude

And here, from Germany, are bantam and large Silkie males
In the US, our Silkies are all considered bantams, but they are actually intermediate in size between the European bantams and large fowl
The bantam belongs to Friedel Schwager and the large fowl to Herman-Josef Gerling
Photo courtesy of Sue Flude

And here are the European bantam and large fowl females
The bantam belongs to Friedel Schwager and the large fowl to Herman-Josef Gerling
Photo courtesy of Sue Flude

Silkie heads: Bearded Black female and Non-bearded White pair, male on right
Photos courtesy of Senia Phillips

And here's the head of a Bearded White Silkie bantam cock from Denmark
Photo courtesy of Ivan Petersen

"Charlie," a Black Silkie cockerel
Photo courtesy of Megan Brown

A pair of White Silkies, male on the left

A Blue Silkie pullet, Ginger Red cockerel and Partridge hen
Photos courtesy of Kris Kraeuter, Brushyrun Heritage Poultry

Silkies are best known for their excellent qualities as broodies. Here's a White Silkie hen raising her own chick
Photo courtesy of Daniel Lee Heller

"Poof," my friend Margo's Silver-grey rooster

A Bearded Silver Silkie hen from Germany
Photo courtesy of Friedel Schwager

This is "Izzy," a Splash Silkie pullet
Photo courtesy of Michele Burns

A nice pair of Buff Silkies
Photo courtesy of Heather Langdon

"Castor," a Buff Silkie cock
Photo of "Castor" courtesy of Bill and Sue Tivol

A pair of Splash Silkies
Photo courtesy of Laura Phillips

Non-bearded Black Silkies from the UK
Photos courtesy of Lou Hidden

Another Buff Silkie rooster
Photo courtesy of Randy Ellis

"Trilby," Shahbazin's Black Silkie hen
Photo of "Trilby" courtesy of Shahbazin

A Buff Silkie female

"Disco," A Partridge Silkie pullet
Photo courtesy of Tina Anderson

A dark Blue Silkie hen

Paint Silkies
Photos courtesy of Aad Rijs

Paint (on left) vs. Splash Silkies
Photos courtesy of J. Ringnalda

A Cuckoo Silkie
Photo courtesy of Keith Harrell

Here's a lighter Blue Silkie female
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Punola

A White Non-bearded Silkie female that was a winner in a UK show in 1998
Photo courtesy of Tony Phillips

Bobby Hilderbrand's pair of Partridge Silkies "Rojho" and "Daryl"
Photos courtesy of Bobby Hilderbrand

White Silkie pullet (left) and hen
Photos courtesy of Michele Burns

Some White Silkies in Japan
Photo courtesy of Tyabo

A Splash Silkie pullet
Photo courtesy of Kris Kraeuter, Brushyrun Heritage Poultry

A Cuckoo Silkie hen and her head
Photos courtesy of Helena Gardner

A Black Silkie rooster in Japan
Photo courtesy of Tyabo

A nice pair of White Silkies
Photo courtesy of Parker

Another Bearded Black Silkie hen
Photo courtesy of Val Kelly

Another Splash Silkie cockerel
Photo courtesy of Charles Sutherland

Four-month-old Silkies
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Punola

"Booblit," Jenny's "lap Silkie"; Silkies do make great pets
Photo courtesy of Jenny

A pair of "Yangtze Silkies"
Someone was displaying these birds at the '98 Ohio Nationals. They are described as true-breeding for "clear skin & flesh and single comb." I have to admit that to me they just look like all the things one tries to avoid when breeding Silkies. If you produce a bird with light skin or a single comb you wonder what you are doing wrong and cull it! If anyone has any more real knowledge about these oddities, I'd appreciate hearing from you. You see, I read in one place that these Yangtzes were brought in from China. I don't believe it! Then I saw another note someone had written a while ago, mentioning the person "credited" with these birds and saying that he had been trying to develop them as a breed. A much more likely origin, in my opinion.

A pair of Red Cochin bantams with Silkie feathering that spontaneouly appeared in a closed flock of pure Red Cochins
Photo courtesy of Daniel Powell

And here's a couple Silkie-feathered Serama roosters
Left photo courtesy of H. S. Wong; right photo courtesy of Julie's Parrotdise