Peloquin Homestead

History of the breed
Almost nothing is known about Silkie chicken. Scientists assume that it appeared in China about 1000 years ago.Among the hypotheses about the origin of the Chinese chicken, the most popular version is about the crossing of the bird with a rabbit. The reason for such assumptions was the silky down that covers the hens. It is more reminiscent of animal fur than bird feathers.

Description of the Chinese Silkie chicken breed: characteristics
The main feature of the Silkie is a soft cover, reminiscent of wool or fur. It consists of feathers that are devoid of hooks and have soft, but very flexible rods. Due to this, they are soft and silky to the touch.
The plumage is painted in a single color. It can be black, white, blue, red, yellow.
In rare cases, birds of different colors are allowed for breeding. Then the coloring of their chicks can consist of several shades. But due to the structure of the feathers, this pattern is poorly expressed.
Males are larger than females. The head and comb of hens are smaller, their neck, metatarsus and shins are also shorter. They even differ in coloring. Females are painted in calm tones, males are more colorful and bright.

Character
This is a calm and friendly chicken. It gets attached to its owner, so it loves affection and allows itself to be picked up. Thanks to its quick adaptation to a new place of residence, it becomes a welcome inhabitant of any contact zoo.

It does not conflict with representatives of its own species. But males are kept separately from females. They become aggressive in some situations:
protection of the family; fight for the attention of the female.
There is peace among the inhabitants of one poultry house, but they prefer to keep their distance from each other. However, in dangerous situations, the birds flock together to feel the support of their family.

Productive qualities
After 5 months, the hens reach sexual maturity and continue laying for about 4 years. The weight of the first eggs is 35 g. Over time, it will increase to 40 g. The annual amount is up to 100 pieces. The eggs are colored light beige.

The black meat of Chinese chicken has a high nutritional value. Doctors include it in the diet of people suffering from tuberculosis, migraines and having problems with the stomach.

Diet requirements
50% of the birds’ diet is grain. In the morning and evening, the snares are fed mixtures consisting of buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats and millet. At lunch, they are given a wet mash prepared with whey or broth (cooked concentrated feed).

Breeding the breed at home
There are 2 methods of breeding the breed used in the farm – natural (using a laying hen) and artificial (in an incubator). It is advisable to entrust the eggs to a hen, which will provide proper heating and subsequent care for the offspring. If this is not possible, they are placed in an incubator.