Silkie 430984 224029589 2008-07-07T00:20:34Z Gary King 118799 /* In cuisine */ plural {{Infobox Chickenbreed | name = Silkie | image = Silky bantam.jpg | image_caption = A White Silkie hen, non-bearded | altname = Silky | country = China | apa = yes | apagroup = Asiatic | aba = yes | abagroup = Feather Legged | maleweight = | femaleweight = | skincolor = Black | eggcolor = Cream | comb = Walnut }} {{for|the mythical creature|Selkie}} The '''Silkie''' (sometimes spelled ''Silky'') is a [[breed]] of [[chicken]] named for its unique [[plumage]], which is said to feel like [[silk]]. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black 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 poor layers themselves, 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== [[Image:Partridge Silkie hen.jpg|thumb|A bearded Patridge Silkie hen]] 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]].<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|p=158}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{harv|Graham|2007|p=130}}</ref> In 1599, Ulisse Aldrovandi, a writer and [[naturalist]] at the university of [[Bologna, Italy]] a published 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".<ref>{{harv|Smith & Daniel|1975|p=49}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|p=158}}</ref> 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 [[Domestic rabbit|rabbits]],<ref>{{harv|Graham|2006|p=130}}</ref> while [[sideshow]]s promoted them as having actual mammalian [[fur]].<ref>{{harv|Percy|2002|p=37}}</ref> 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 [[Domestic duck|ducks]] and [[Domestic goose|geese]]) and [[game birds]] such as [[quail]] and [[pheasants]].<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|p=158}}</ref> ==Characteristics== Silkies are often considered a [[bantam (chicken)|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).<ref>{{harv|Graham|2006|p=130}}</ref> The [[American Standard of Perfection]] calls for males that are 36 ounces (1 kilo), and females that are 32 ounces (910 grams).<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|p=159}}</ref> [[Image:A fuzzy baby chicken and its mom.jpg|thumb|220px|A Black Silkie hen and a chick]] Silkie plumage is unique among [[List of chicken breeds|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,<ref>{{harv|Louie|2007}}</ref> and to fur. Their feathers lack functioning [[Barbule|barbicels]], and are thus similar to [[Down feathers|down]] on other birds. The overall result is a soft, fluffy appearance.<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|pp=158–159}}</ref> Due to a lack of hard outer feathers, Silkies do poorly in extremes of temperature or inclement weather of any kind.<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|p=158}}</ref> 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 and Red, also exist. All Silkies have a small Walnut-type [[Comb (anatomy)|comb]], dark [[Wattle (anatomy)|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 (chicken)|Dorking]], [[Faverolles (chicken)|Faverolles]], and [[Sultan (chicken)|Sultan]].<ref>{{harv|Graham|2006|p=130}}</ref> All Silkies have black skin, bones and grayish-black meat; their [[Chinese language]] name is ''wu gu ji'', meaning "black-boned chicken".<ref>{{harv|Louie|2007}}</ref> Melanonsis which extends in to an animal's [[connective tissue]] beyond the skin 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.<ref>{{harv|Ekarius|2007|pp=158–159}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{harv|Graham|2006|p=131}}</ref> ==In cuisine== [[Image:Silkies butchered.jpg|thumb|Two Silkies, sold whole]] The black meat of a Silkie is generally considered an unusual or unpalatable attribute in European and American cuisines.<ref>{{harv|Louie|2007}}</ref> In contrast, several Asian cuisines consider Silkie meat a gourmet food. [[Chinese cuisine]] especially values the breed, but 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 [[Chinese food therapy|curative food]].<ref>{{harv|Louie|2007}}</ref> The usual methods of cooking include using Silkie to make [[broth]], [[braising]], and in [[curry|curries]]. Traditional Chinese soup made with Silkie also uses ingredients such as [[Wolfberry|wolfberries]], [[white yam]], [[orange peel]], and fresh [[ginger]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/dining/174rex.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |title=Recipe: Black-Skinned Chicken Soup |work=The New York Times |date=January 17, 2007 |accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> A few [[Fusion cuisine|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]].<ref>{{harv|Louie|2007}}</ref> ==Footnotes== {{reflist|2}} ==References== * {{cite book |title=Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds |last=Ekarius |first=Carol |year=2007 |publisher=Storey Publishing |location=210 MAS MoCA Way, North Adams MA 01247 |isbn=978-1-58017-667-5 }} * {{cite book |title=Choosing and Keeping Chickens |last=Graham |first=Chris |year=2006 |publisher=Octopus Publishing |location=2-4 Heron Quays London E14 4JP |isbn=9780793806010 }} * {{cite book |title=How To Raise Chickens |last=Heinrichs |first=Christine |year=2007 |publisher=Voyageur Press |isbn=9780793806010 }} * {{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/dining/17blac.html?ref=dining |title=Now, a Chicken in Black |last=Louie |first=Elaine |date=January 17, 2007 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessate=2008-06-23 }} * {{cite book |title=The Chicken Book |last=Smith |first=Page |coauthors=Charles Daniel |year=1975 |publisher=Little, Brown & Company |isbn=0316801578 }} * {{cite book |last=Staples |first=Tamara |year=2001 |title=The Fairest Fowl |publisher=Chronicle Books |location=85 Second St. San Francisco, CA 94105 |isbn=081183137X }} ==Further reading== * {{cite journal |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/77004101/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 |title=Hyperpigmentation in the Silkie fowl correlates with abnormal migration of fate-restricted melanoblasts and loss of environmental barrier molecules |volume=220 |issue=3 |year= 2001 |pages=212-225 |journal=Developmental Dynamics }} == External links == {{Commonscat|Silkie}} * [http://feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Silkies/BRKSilkies.html Silkies] at FeatherSite.com * [http://www.mypetchicken.com/White_Silkie-B100.aspx Silkies] at MyPetChicken.com [[de:Seidenhuhn]] [[nl:Zijdehoen]] [[ja:烏骨鶏]] [[nn:Silkehøns]] [[pl:Kura jedwabista]] [[zh:烏骨雞]]