“Oh… Its a Silkie” I thought, looking at the ad on Craigslist.
Tiny fluffball bird. “Why would anyone want one of those?” I thought. Why take up space in the coop when you could fill it with a big egg layer or a good size meat bird. I’ll admit it, I had made up my mind in advance. But, the bird was “free to a good home” and seemed to be on the losing end of a pecking order issue its current owners didn’t know how to address. It was a mercy acquisition. Thus my introduction to the Silkie breed began.
I’ve noticed a certain dismissiveness of the ornamental breeds amongst people who like to talk chickens. Favored breeds are typically the substantial egg layers, or the “meat birds”, still others argue for “compromise” or “dual-purpose” breeds. But there are other qualities in chickens we consider, or otherwise we would have backyards full of industrial breeds. We like esthetic, color, and demeanor as well. Particularly those of us who live in more urban settings. We have our chickens up close and personal. We don’t just want productive birds, we want birds we enjoy sharing our back yard with. Friendly birds, Interesting looking birds, entertaining birds. Its in the department of esthetic and demeanor that the “ornamental” breeds start to shine.
Most of us with small flocks have chickens because of our values. Competing on a price point with the industry is difficult. Especially if you factor in your time. We have chickens because we *like* them. We like watching them.. We like their antics. We like the idea of producing our own eggs more than we actually care about getting the maximum number of eggs, or our feed conversion ratios. For many of us, its more about enjoyment than efficiency. In my opinion, thats a good view to take on life generally. After all, a lot of us are interested in chickens as part of a goal of “leaving the rat race”, we should endeavor to not bring it along with us.
The silkie is a great bird for the back yard in this “enjoyment quotient”. They are certainly the most docile of the breeds I’ve ever encountered. Their roosters are almost hen-like in their demeanor; in terms of aggression, and “petability”. They seem to crow less, and quieter than other breeds as well. And the hens are all that much moreso “hen-like”; very gentle birds.
This makes them fantastic birds to start kids on. Gentle, placid, small, cute, fuzzy, entertaining.. Perfect traits for introducing children to chickens. But why stop there? Perfect for introducing skeptical, or even phobic adults to. Maybe you’ve got half a dozen or more larger, aggressive, less tame birds in the back yard, and you want to show guests your chickens.. A silkie is the perfect emissary of Chickendom. Better to meet a gentle silkie that tolerates or even loves being held than a high strung giant bird that won’t stop trying to squirm and thrash its way out of your hands! First impressions are important, and a committed lap chicken makes a great impression.
One of the best, most rewarding experiences you can have with chickens is letting them hatch out eggs. The broody hen is a chicken Icon and silkies are fantastic brooders. I’ve had several that are serial nesters; as soon as one clutch is independent, they start on another nest.
After hatching out two clutches, I began discouraging one of my hens from nesting. She responded by disappearing shortly after. I didn’t find her again until she had succeeded in hiding and hatching out a new clutch of eggs.. Unstoppable!
Which reminds me of THIS hen in the movie “The Natural History of The Chicken”. A very entertaining “Chicken Flick”. This particular scene is about a hen that goes to great lengths to brood, hatch and protect a flock. But in the same movie, A silkie also appears as a very pampered house pet. Both very tame, and still very dedicated to doing its chicken duty, no wonder so many people choose the silkie!
Of course, an active nest is a fantastic experience to have at the home, a wonderful experience. The beauty of it is, your silkie will take over where your other breeds may fall short, and you can slip the eggs of your other chickens under your silkie, and she’ll hatch them for you. If you want to hatch out a breed that doesn’t brood well, get a silkie!
And of course… They do also lay eggs, and you can even eat the meat. Yes, they’re small on both counts. But, particularly with the eggs…Do you care? I’ve usually found that just a few chickens produce surplus eggs that I find I don’t care if a few of them are smaller. In fact, I’ve found that when selling eggs, non-uniformity is preferred. And “A couple smaller ones” makes things interesting and fun for the customer.
The silkie is a breed not to be overlooked. One that offers unique traits, particularly to small backyard flocks and flocks that are self-reproducing. It is an ideal bird for children, reluctant partners and those timid around birds and livestock. They are relatively easy to manage, attractive, and a great conversation starter. They are a fantastic “emissary bird” that you can use to introduce to people to your flock and chickens generally. Consider giving them a try, I know I’m glad I did.
-Shannon