Silk chicken. Chinese silky chicken: an ordinary miracle. What are the most common diseases?

Withdrawn different breeds poultry, including chickens, found in many backyards. It would seem that it is no longer possible to surprise the fastidious farm owner with anything. But when you see Chinese silk chickens, you feel a sense of surprise and bewilderment: is it a chicken? And is it possible to grow such an “exotic miracle” on your own? summer cottage or on a small farm?

The origins of the Chinese silk breed of chickens go back to ancient times. Even in the ancient writings of the Tang Dynasty there is a mention of Silks, who were called “snares”. And Aristotle wrote that their feathers resemble the fur of felines. The great traveler Marco Paul was amazed by this breed, and he described them in detail in his notes.

The fur of Chinese silky chickens resembles cat fur.

In the homeland of chickens, in China, they were bred for decorative and medicinal purposes. Chinese aristocrats believed that unusual birds with “silk”, weightless feathers must walk in their gardens. The meat of this breed was considered healing and was used to improve the health of weakened people. In addition, they treated:

• Women's ailments using dry viscera balls;
• Anemia with broth prepared in a special way;
• Tuberculosis with meat boiled in spices.

The Chinese silken chicken came to Europe only in the 18th century, then it appeared in Russia, where it took root in rich farmsteads in the lower reaches of the Volga and in the Siberian expanses. In the 20th century, the breed lost its former popularity, and after the revolution and wars it practically disappeared from the territory of our country. And only today its breeding is being revived.

Representatives of the Chinese silk breed

Breeders who raised Chinese chickens in Europe claimed that they were obtained by crossing rabbits and chickens and sold them in pairs.

Features: Appearance and Performance

The appearance of the “Asian” is so unusual that it is not difficult to distinguish it from other breeds. They are characterized by a strong and dense physique and abundant plumage. When describing the breed of Chinese silk chickens, the following features are distinguished:

• The body is lean, but strong and dense;
• Chest raised;
• Legs of medium length with feathered metatarsals;
• Delicate plumage due to the absence of a hard core and the adhesion of feather threads to each other;
• The short tail is hidden under the back feather;
• On the head there is a “cap”-tuft, sometimes covering the eyes (in roosters the tuft is moved back);
• If the crest is absent, it is replaced by the presence of a beard and sideburns;
• Earrings are gray or turquoise;
• Dark brown or black eye color;
• Chickens do not have a comb; in roosters it is underdeveloped and nut-shaped;
• The presence of five toes on the feet, covered with feathers (other birds have only four).

The breed is characterized by its small size: a rooster weighs up to 2.5 kg, a chicken – 2.1 kg. There are dwarf varieties, and the native Chinese silk chicken breed is larger in size. Feathers can be colored different colors. But most importantly hallmark It is not the color that determines the breed, but the silkiness of the feathers.

Chinese chickens are easy to distinguish from other representatives of numerous breeds

The eggs are medium-sized, up to 35 g; a chicken produces 80-180 eggs per year. eggs, starting to lay them at 5-6 months. Meat and eggs are excellent taste qualities. The carcass is lean, covered with thick skin.

The unique features of the breed include bones that are painted black. Skin and muscle mass also have dark, almost black shades. This is due to the presence of a special pigment in the musculoskeletal tissue - eumelanin.

Silks are not only beautiful, but also very productive.

If we talk about the economic value of Silks, it should be noted:

• Tender and tasty meat that contains many useful substances and has medicinal properties;
• Down feathers, which can be used in the same way as sheep's wool (two shears give 150 g of fluff from each hen);
• Average egg production.

Chinese chickens are indeed very decorative, given their color and delicate feather cover, so they can be kept in the backyard instead of peacocks.

Advantages and disadvantages

Exotic chickens have a friendly and calm disposition. They can be found in petting zoos, and even in their homeland as pets. They make contact with people, love to sit on laps, and respond to petting. Silks are flexible and not capricious.

Silks are very friendly and calm

Their undoubted advantages include:

• External attractiveness and decorativeness
• Easy to care for
• Ability to withstand frost
• Developed instinct to reproduce
• Nutritional value of meat and eggs

The disadvantages are insignificant productivity and high cost of an individual (the price of an adult bird is approximately 50 USD).

Thanks to their calm and flexible nature, they hatch their eggs in the most conscientious manner, rarely leaving the nest. Their owners take advantage of this by feeding the chickens eggs from other breeds of chickens or ducks.

Varieties

The varieties of Silks are related to their colors. The native or productive line that I raise for meat is white in color. And for lovers of decorative breeds, blue, silver, brown, yellow, and black varieties have been created. They can also be used to collect fluff, obtain eggs, and as a meat delicacy. But they are smaller and lay small eggs.

Features of maintenance and care

The Chinese breed of chickens are kept on deep and loose litter or in cages. There should be sawdust or hay on the floor, otherwise the birds' plumage will become dirty. Mesh flooring is only acceptable in heated chicken coops.

To maintain the cleanliness of bird plumage, it is necessary to use sawdust

This species of birds does not fly, so the perch should be at a low height or with a ladder. The nests are also placed low and spacious, since their incubation instinct is very developed.

Representatives of Chinese silkies have a very developed instinct for incubating eggs.

Drinkers and feeders are well secured and washed periodically to keep the birds clean. In addition, if water is poured onto the bedding, the plumage of the “Chinese” gets wet, which has a bad effect on their condition. Otherwise, the care requirements are the same as for other chickens:

• The food must be fresh and of good quality;
• In winter, light and warmth are important so that egg production does not decrease;
• Ventilate the chicken coop, but avoid drafts;
• Arrange a walking area protected by a chain-link mesh.

Chinese chickens tolerate well low temperatures during hardening procedures. In winter, they can be kept in a cool room if the goal is not to obtain eggs. It is advisable to keep them separately from other breeds: they can be aggressive towards their relatives. Sometimes their crests are trimmed for better visibility.

If the bird is sick, it is isolated and shown to a veterinarian, who makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment. But this breed rarely gets sick.

Features of feeding

The feeding diet includes foods that are balanced in composition, including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. You can include industrial feed in your diet: concentrate feed, which is ground, pressed grain and complete feed containing all the necessary components.

Garden feeding silk

If Silks are kept in a summer cottage, then waste from the garden, vegetable garden, and kitchen will do. They can be used to make excellent food, for example:

1. Potatoes and their peelings: give 50-100 g of potatoes per chicken;
2. Soaked bread. Use stale or dried peels;
3. Kitchen waste: leftover meat and fish dishes, offal;
4. Green and succulent fodder in the form of tops is used in mash;
5. Protein feed obtained from milk processing: buttermilk, yogurt, whey. Chickens are given earthworms, various beetles and small amphibians as protein food.

Feeding should be rationed: overfeeding or underfeeding has an adverse effect on the health of birds. Therefore, you need to weigh the approximate daily intake and divide it into three parts.

Green food is as beneficial for birds as compound feed

For example, on average for meat-egg breeds, the amount of combined feed is 120 g, plus products of animal and plant origin are added. Feeding is three times a day and is carried out at a certain time. IN winter time the norm increases by 20-50g.

Breeding Features

To breed Chinese silk chickens, one rooster per 7-10 females is enough, since it is active. If there are several varieties on the farm, then they need to be planted in different cages according to color. Laying hens up to 5 years old are used. Chickens are excellent hens and mothers, so there are no problems with caring for their offspring. You can add other chickens to them (preferably at night) and they will also carefully look after them.

Forming families among Silks is quite difficult, since they can only be distinguished by secondary sexual characteristics. Individuals become sexually mature at 4 months, after which the differences between a chicken and a rooster are visible.

Silks are excellent hens and mothers, even for other people's chicks.

Chickens at good conditions contents have high survival rate and strong immunity. At birth, their cerebral fontanelle is open, which gradually closes. In order for the chicken to grow healthy, it is important to observe:

1. Favorable conditions in the poultry house: after the chicks hatch, t = +30C, then it needs to be gradually reduced and at one month of age they feel great at +18C;
2. Feeding regimen: small chickens are fed after 2 hours, monthly ones - after 3. Gradually, with age-related changes, this interval increases;
3. A varied menu: foods such as boiled yolk, millet, cottage cheese, grated eggshells, meat broth, fish oil, and vitamin mixtures are gradually introduced into the diet.

The diet should include 50-60% grains and green food, and boiled vegetables are required on the menu.

Video: Chinese silk chickens

The characteristics and properties of this breed of chickens and the characteristics of Chinese chickens allow them to be raised in different climatic zones. Decorative breed Chinese birds remain at the peak of popularity in many countries and this is not surprising. They are beautiful in appearance, have delicate and soft plumage, and a good-natured disposition. Healthy and tasty meat complements these advantages. And their unpretentiousness to living conditions allows them to be raised in the same way as any breed of chicken.

In addition to the familiar broilers and egg-laying chickens, there are many very exotic breeds that can be safely classified as decorative. Among them, the Chinese silken chicken stands out, which is usually bred simply to decorate the yard. Exactly about this beautiful bird will be discussed later in the article.

How did the silk breed of chickens appear?

The Chinese silken chicken has been around for a very long time. China is considered its homeland. There is no exact date of breeding, but already in the 13th century the traveler Marco Polo, who visited China, wrote about it. He described in detail amazing bird, which gives every reason to believe that in the 13th century the bird was already bred by the Chinese for decorative and medicinal purposes, as Marco wrote.

It was brought to Russia approximately late XVIII century. Before this, the bird spread throughout Astrakhan and Siberia. And already in late XIX centuries, it was officially recognized in America and throughout the world, establishing a clear standard for the breed.

Because of the beauty and interesting qualities of the bird, which the ancient Chinese attributed to it, many legends were made about it in Europe, but they have no factual basis or scientific evidence.

Description of Chinese silk chicken

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The appearance of the Chinese silken chicken is so beautiful and unusual that it is impossible to confuse it with other breeds.

The physique is dense. The back is wide, not straight. The neck is short and proud. Roosters have a small head, a short, bluish beak, and a pink comb. The crest on the head is thrown back. The eyes are black-brown and may be hidden under a mass of feathers. Earrings are red-blue, sometimes underdeveloped. The tail is short and very fluffy, like a ball.

Hens are smaller than roosters, but due to their plumage the difference is almost unnoticeable. Their body is slightly tilted forward, while roosters lean back proudly when walking. Females have even smaller heads than roosters.

The plumage is abundant, silky - the body and even the head and legs are completely covered with soft feathers and down. From the outside, the bird resembles a lump of feathers with a beak. It is worth noting that there are several varieties of Chinese silken chicken. They differ in the color of their plumage: yellow, blue, white, black, red, etc.

The unique features include several important points.

1. Their skin is brown-black and their bones are black.
2. The feet have 5 distinct toes.
3. They can't fly.
4. Due to the fragility of the feather shaft, the plumage resembles the fur of fur-bearing animals both in appearance and to the touch.

Interesting!

The peculiarity of the breed is also in its character. These birds are very friendly and happily go into the hands of their owners, like rabbits or cats, so that they can be petted or stroked.

Productivity of the Chinese silk breed

The productive qualities of this breed of chickens are far from ideal. Moreover, sometimes breeders complain that they breed them at a loss. But it is precisely for this reason that the breed is classified as decorative. A Chinese silk chicken can be the best decoration for a farmstead; it brings joy and aesthetic pleasure.

• The bird's weight is small. Roosters grow up to 1.5 kg, and females up to 0.8-1.1 kg. After slaughter, the weight, of course, will further decrease, so meat sales are very unprofitable in terms of weight. However, in foreign countries Poultry meat is highly valued because of the color of its skin. It is believed that they are very tasty, and in addition, their meat contains a lot of useful and even rare amino acids and elements. So if you know where to sell, you can get double the price for meat.
• A laying hen produces up to 100 eggs per year. Their eggs are small, light beige, up to 35 g, but very healthy.
• Down and feathers can be sold profitably if you establish distribution channels for your products. The silky skin of poultry is highly valued in various industries. To get fluff, you don’t have to slaughter the bird, you can simply cut it. From 2 haircuts you get approximately 150 g of fluff. And a bird can be shorn about 12 times a year.
• You can make a lot of money selling this bird. Because of her unusual looking There may be a lot of buyers, but this is painstaking work, so not every breeder undertakes it.

Interesting!

Medicines are made from the meat of Chinese silk chicken.

What are the breed's disadvantages?

Considering the beauty of the chicken, many young breeders are simply in no hurry to pay attention to the shortcomings and, as a result, greatly regret it over time. Before buying a Chinese silken chicken, you should pay attention to all its aspects of breeding, and not just the positive ones. Of the shortcomings, only two points mainly stand out.

1. Productivity is low. If you don’t be smart and don’t work on finding places to sell your products, you can end up at a loss. But if you get down to business seriously, the benefits will be obvious a year after the start of breeding.
2. The cost of chickens and roosters is high. One hatching egg will cost 4-7 dollars. A young specimen will cost at least $50.

The Chinese silken chicken is unpretentious in keeping. But, of course, her appearance requires certain standards, without which it will simply lose its beauty.

Are there any difficulties in breeding?

Breeding the breed is usually not difficult. These are easy to care for birds and reproduce quickly if the breeder needs it. The Chinese silkie chicken has a strong egg incubation instinct. Therefore, it can be bred without an incubator. They are distinguished by their abundance of care for their offspring; they can raise not only their own chicks, but also foundlings.

Interesting!

Since ancient times, the Chinese have used the breed to hatch quail and pheasant eggs.

The chickens of this breed are very small, about 2 times smaller than the chicks of a simple laying hen. In the first days of their life, it is very important to monitor their temperature. It should be no lower than +30 degrees Celsius. Only after a week they begin to reduce it. At one month of age, young animals can already be at a temperature of +18 degrees and do not freeze. Feeding chickens by the hour. At first every 2 hours, then reduced to once every 3 hours.

In order not to worry too much about warmth or feeding, it is better to give young Chinese silky chickens to a hen. They monitor the warmth and food themselves, feed and warm them on time with their thick down.

Chinese silk chickens are one of the ancient breeds in the world. Chickens with black skin and amazing plumage have been known since early Middle Ages, from the moment Europeans reached China.

In the land of the rising sun, the breed was bred as a decorative and production breed. However, traditional Europe and America, where birds arrived in the 18th and 19th centuries, for a long time They considered the bird specifically as a decorative, exhibition bird and developed it in this direction.

And to this day, the productive qualities of Shelks (as this breed is called for short in Russia) by European breeders special significance don't give it. Meanwhile, in their homeland, chickens are kept in factories and used to produce eggs and meat.

This division led to the branching of two lines, one of which (productive) is called aboriginal. The second is kept mainly for its decorative qualities in Europe and America.

Description

The Chinese silk is formed according to the egg type of chickens - lean, but strong and dense body, well-raised chest. The legs are of medium length, the metatarsals are feathered. The neck is short.

The main difference in the description of the Silk chicken breed is the color and structure of the feathers and skin. The plumage is silky, long soft feathers do not have a rough shaft or down. The tail is short and almost completely hidden under the back feather.

They have a pompom-shaped crest on their head, sometimes covering their eyes. Roosters have prominent braids and the crest is thrown back. There may be a beard and sideburns (in this case there is no tuft).

The skin, bones, metatarsals, beak, crest are bluish-black, gray in color. Any shades of red, crimson and pink are unacceptable. Earrings are gray or gray with a white sparkle, turquoise.

Eyes – black or dark brown. The comb in chickens is practically absent, while in roosters it is nut-shaped, with underdeveloped processes. Sometimes it has a clear horizontal division into two lobes.

Farmers describe Silk chickens as small birds. A rooster reaches 2.5 kg in weight, a chicken – 2.1 kg. There are dwarf Silkies that match the characteristics of bantams. But the native bird is, as a rule, larger.

The eggs are small, on average 35 g, egg production 80-180 pcs. per year, the beginning of ovipositor is from 5-6 months. The meat and egg, according to reviews, are tasty, although they look unusual. The carcass is lean, slightly different from poultry with a thicker skin.

Acceptable colors

There are many colors of Chinese silk chickens. Most popular:

• black;
• silver;
• blue;
• lavender;
• red;
• wild;
• yellow, etc.

The basic "native" variety is white.

Content Features

The main feature of the appearance of Silk chickens is their plumage, which dictates the characteristics and “whims” of this breed. The best housing for them is in cages or on deep and loose bedding (preferably sawdust or hay), otherwise the plumage will become very dirty.

There is conflicting information about the heat-loving nature of birds. Some poultry farmers try to keep them in warmer conditions than other breeds. Others say that when hardened from childhood, birds are no different from ordinary chickens. But it needs to be protected from drafts.

On dry winter days they enjoy sunbathing (photo from the farm of Kirill Mostryakov, Novgorod region)

Birds do not fly, so a low perch is arranged for them, or one that can be reached by a ladder. The same is taken into account when arranging nests. Otherwise, the family will spend the night on the floor.

It is preferable to make feeders remote so that the birds do not have the opportunity to get dirty. Nipple drinkers are installed for the same purpose.

Free range is allowed only in dry areas, and the foragers from them are not very good.

Sometimes Silks have to trim their tufts, which impairs their vision (especially for chickens). It is better to keep them separately from others, and when keeping them on the floor, be sure to install nests with a reserve, since hens are very prone to incubation.

The bird has a good, calm character, but can be aggressive towards other birds, especially when competing for food. It quickly gets used to its owner and becomes almost tame.

Photo of black carcasses against the background of regular broilers.

Productivity

The meat and eggs of Chinese silk are considered delicious and medicinal in their homeland. The medicinal properties of meat, according to doctors, lie in the presence large quantity eumelanin, which is an effective antioxidant, enterosorbent, and microflora regulator.

The carcasses of purebred birds are small, but well muscled. At seven months, the net weight of the males reaches 0.7-0.8 kg.

If you plan to use eggs for food, it is worth considering that the number of hens per rooster needs to be reduced, then the probability that the hen will sit on the nest is less. When kept in cages, egg production increases by 20-30% compared to floor housing.

On the left in the photo is an egg of a silken chicken against the background of a tape measure, on the right - in comparison with a regular meat and egg breed to estimate the size.

Nuances of breeding

The first thing you should pay attention to is the tendency to incubate. The only way completely artificial incubation - keeping the Chinese silken chicken in a cage.

Otherwise, most females become hens and then caring mothers. Some poultry farmers use this to their advantage by breeding under them rare breeds birds and even ducks (in the latter case, the eggs need to be sprayed).

For breeding, birds are kept separately from the rest, separated by color. Roosters are very active, so it is not recommended to keep more than one male (and one spare) for every 7-10 females. The spare one with the main male needs to be replaced after 1-2 months.

Silk hens can be used for up to five years. At the same time, egg production decreases, but the fertilization percentage does not. Males are culled earlier, after 2-3 years of work.

Forming families is quite difficult, since the sex of a bird can only be reliably distinguished by secondary characteristics. They develop at the time of puberty, most often after 4 months.

Caring for offspring is in the blood of these chickens.

Incubator-bred Chinese Silk hen chicks can be placed with a hen who has recently hatched her own chicks, and she will care for and protect them. This is best done in dark time days.

The survival rate of chickens depends on the conditions of detention, but most often the Silk babies are tenacious and active, with good immunity. When hatching, crested birds have a visible fontanelle (cerebral hernia) on their head, which heals over time.

From the early age chickens need large grains of sand for digestion, feeding with bifidobacteria and age-appropriate high-quality feed. Greens can be introduced into the diet starting from the second week.

There is a funny video with silken chickens on our channel:

Selection

The results of crossing the Chinese Silk with other breeds deserve special mention. Often this allows you to save dark color meat and skin, but increase weight and egg production.

In addition, in this way, breeders avoid inbreeding using the absorption crossbreeding method when there is a lack of livestock. In this case, the generation of the first crossing is subsequently crossed only with Silks, which restores the typical feather cover.

Crossing options

• with Brahms, Orpingtons (weight gain);
• Yurlovsky, Leghorn, Rhode Island (egg weight increases);
• Araucanami (the egg is larger and green);
• Sussex (autosex chickens).

Many poultry farmers, when keeping Chinese silk chickens, are guided by curiosity. However, the bird is so good, affectionate to its owner and original that it fully justifies this choice.

An ancient breed appeared in eastern Asia in the 13th century. Initially, silk chickens were bred as ornamental animals. Gradually the birds gained popularity in Europe. They were brought to Russia in the 18th century. Silk chickens have an unusual appearance. They are bred for decorative and economic purposes. Meat and eggs are eaten. In Asia, these products are considered a delicacy. The birds are unpretentious and adapted to living in the Russian climate.

Breed Features

Chinese silk chickens received their description several centuries ago. The bird has a muscular small body and head, a short neck, raised chest, short legs with five separate toes - three in front and two in back. The eyes are black or brown, sometimes covered by a downy crest located on the head.

The skin is dense, has a dark blue, purple or black tint, the muscles are gray, the bones are bright black. Chickens are often called the bird with crow bones. This color explains big amount melanin in the body.

The feathers are soft and silky, more like fur. They do not have a rigid core, fall apart easily, and cover the entire body, paws and head. There is a fluffy crest on the head. In the rooster it is thrown back, it also has sideburns, a comb (poorly developed) and a beard. The color of the feathers is black, red, gray, bluish or white. Chickens can have a single color or a mixed color. Males are larger than females. Average weight rooster – 1.5-2 kg, chicken – up to 1.5 kg. There are dwarf breeds; they differ from ordinary silk chickens in their compact size. Their meat and eggs can be eaten.

Eggs are small and have high nutritional value. The shell is light brown, weight – 35 grams. One female is capable of laying 7-12 eggs per month (60-130 eggs per year). The meat is considered a delicacy - dark in color, lean. The soft feathers can be sheared once a month and used to make featherbeds for pillows and yarn for needlework.

The individual begins to hatch chicks from the age of 5-6 months. Chickens are wonderful, caring hens. They can incubate their own eggs and those laid by other poultry. They are friendly, not afraid of people, easy to handle. They are often raised in petting zoos. Get along well with other pets and birds. Many people buy Chinese chickens to hatch quails, pheasants, ducks, geese, and other breeds of chickens.

The animals are unpretentious and do not require special living conditions. The plumage allows them to withstand winter well.

Many breeders consider these birds to be unproductive. The disadvantages are the high price of hatching eggs and chicks, low egg production, and small ears.

General requirements for keeping chickens

When properly maintained, the birds will look beautiful, lay eggs regularly, and produce offspring. They can be kept in chicken coops and cages.

Basic content requirements:

1. 1. Nutritious feed, pure water. The diet should contain grains, cereals, grass, boiled vegetables, fruits, vitamin supplements, crushed eggshells, and fish oil. The fluid needs to be changed every day. The drinking bowl is positioned so that the bird does not wet its feathers.
2. 2. Keeping the chicken coop clean. A spacious and bright space is needed. Cleaning is carried out regularly, otherwise the plumage will look untidy. For bedding, poultry farmers advise using straw and sawdust. Dirt in the chicken coop becomes an environment for the development of harmful microorganisms and diseases.
3. 3. If the room is heated in winter, the female will lay eggs all year round.
4. 4. Nests are built on the ground or at a low altitude; ladders must be made. Birds don't fly. They will not be able to reach a high perch and will sit on the floor.
5. 5. If it is not possible to organize walking outside, there should be enough sunlight in the chicken coop.
6. 6. The walking area is fenced with a mesh fence to protect against predators. The pen is equipped with a roof. Finding animals on fresh air will increase their immunity.

Birds are afraid of drafts and high humidity. Feathers get very wet from rain and take a long time to dry.

Breeding and caring for chickens

The chicks are smaller than regular chickens. They are sensitive to temperature changes and need careful care.

Usually they buy one rooster for every 7-10 females. Experienced housewives have a spare male and change them every 2-3 months. Males are renewed every 2-3 years, females every 5 years. For breeding chickens different colors kept separately. Chicks can be hatched naturally or in an incubator. Hatching with a hen is easier. It will be able to provide enough heat and take care of the chickens.

Newborns are kept at a temperature of +30. Every week it is reduced by three degrees. Birds that have reached the age of one month can live comfortably at +18 degrees.

From birth, chicks are fed every two hours. Gradually the interval is increased by 10-15 minutes. When they are a month old, feeding is done every three hours. The diet includes corn, semolina, millet, boiled vegetables, kefir, cottage cheese, eggshells, boiled eggs, special vitamin complexes, herbs.

It is possible to distinguish a hen from a rooster only at the age of four months. Young individuals need to be gradually hardened so that in the future they can easily withstand cold weather. It is important to vaccinate chicks against the most common diseases. To do this, you should contact a specialist.

Common diseases

Silk chickens are hardy; diseases can occur from poor nutrition and improper care.

If the bird’s health has become noticeably worse, it should be isolated to prevent the entire poultry house from becoming infected. It is important to provide timely treatment, otherwise the individual will die.

At exhibitions of purebred poultry, especially many visitors gather around enclosures with unusually attractive birds, which are not immediately recognizable as an ordinary chicken. Fluffy, like miniature poodles or rabbits, small, graceful birds behave surprisingly calmly, not frightened by extraneous noises and bright lights. The unique characteristics of Chinese silken chicken have an ancient and interesting history covered in legends.

An amazingly beautiful breed, the Chinese silken chicken, has been known for a very long time. Aristotle also mentioned the soft, cat-like fur of unusual birds. In China, the breed was cultivated for a specific purpose: local doctors considered the meat of these birds to be healing for weakened and convalescent people.

Women's ailments were treated with balls made from the dry entrails of chickens, and anemia was successfully cured after taking a specially prepared broth. Black Cochin chickens were mentioned in the annals of the Tang Dynasty.

A description of the breed of black chickens is found in the notes of the traveler Mark Polo in the thirteenth century, and five centuries later, elegant chickens were taken from China to Europe and Russia. Siberia and the lower reaches of the Volga were centers for breeding an unusual breed, which was considered the pride of rich farmsteads.

Interestingly, European breeders supported a persistent legend that silk chickens are a product of crossing rabbits and poultry, and persistently convinced those wishing to purchase a pair for their farm.

Doctors considered Chinese silk meat to be healing for weakened and convalescent people.

With the advent of the twentieth century, the breed ceased to be popular, and wars and revolutions almost destroyed the bird population in Russia. But with the advent of hobbyists wanting to purchase a new breed, the number of Chinese silk chickens has increased significantly.

Chinese silky chickens have a distinctive appearance due to their unusual plumage. The feathers of birds of this breed are not smooth, like most birds, but fluffy, since there are no hooks at the ends of the feathers with which the villi adhere to each other.

The breed is not an egg-laying breed, since a chicken, on average, lays up to one hundred eggs per year. The weight of one egg is approximately forty grams, the shell is light brown or darker in color.

General appearance: round, stocky, short in stature and small in size. Roosters are larger (weighing up to one kilogram) and better dressed than hens.

In the photo there are two Chinese silk chickens

Beautiful chicken Chinese silk breed

The following features are described in birds of this breed:

• Frame. Wide, reminiscent of a cube in its structure. The neck is short and strong, the back is short, fairly wide, and rises smoothly to the lower back. The loin is profusely feathered and ends in a short, high-set, full tail. The tail feathers are poorly developed. The chest is round, full, deep, extending into a full belly.
• Limbs. The wings are wide, short, loose, loose. The lower legs are short, heavily feathered, the metatarsals are dark blue, short, the back side is covered with feathers. The paws have well-developed five toes.
• Head. Small and round in shape, with a black-blue face and a bluish strong beak. The lobes are small, bluish in color, the earrings are round, and in bearded chickens they are underdeveloped. There is a crest on the head, the feathers of which grow in a backward direction. The comb is short, pink-shaped, warty, blue-red. The eyes are dark brown.
• Plumage. Soft, silky, the structure resembles animal fur or hair.

The Chinese Silk is a round, stocky, short and small bird.

The following colors are allowed for Chinese silk chickens:

• White, slight yellowness is allowed, the presence of feathers of a different shade is unacceptable.
• Black. A reddish or brown tint is considered a defect.
• Uniformly blue tint, the rooster has a slightly darker loin and mane.
• The wild coloring is different between the rooster and the hens; the rooster has a black-brown head, back, crest and shoulders, second row flight feathers, dark golden loin and mane. The chest, belly, legs, tail feathers of the first row, as well as the feathering of the toes and metatarsals are black. The chicken is almost all dark brown, with a small inclusion of chestnut color on the chest and head.
• Red. Only a uniform shade of red is allowed.
• Yellow color is allowed only in the bearded variety of Chinese silkies.

The colors allowed by the standard are: black, white, blue, red, yellow, wild.,

All colors must be pure, without inclusions of feathers of a different color.

Differences between Chinese silk chickens and roosters

Like many other breeds, the Chinese silk chicken differs from the rooster in its smaller body and head, more neat, small comb and earrings. The chicken's body has a more rounded format, the legs and metatarsals are shorter, and the neck is not so long.

The plumage of a chicken is highly developed in the region of the lower back and legs, while the rooster has developed flight feathers of the tail and wings, and a mane. The color of the chicken is calm and mostly monochromatic, without obvious shades of one color. Roosters are more elegant, especially in blue and wild colors.

Silk inside Chinese breed There are two subspecies: standard and bearded.

There are two subspecies of Chinese silk chickens: bearded and standard.

Bearded silk chickens are practically no different in appearance from the standard variety, except for some features of the structure of the head and color. The yellow, elegant color is characteristic only of bearded individuals, and their beard is lush, turning into fluffy sideburns, almost completely covering the lobes.

The earrings are only slightly marked.

The Chinese silk breed can be distinguished from any other by the following distinctive features:

• Fluffy plumage, similar to animal fur.
• Compact body structure.
• Five toes on the paws, with three toes located in front and two behind.
• Black skin color.
• Blueish beak color.
• Black face and paws.

Chinese silkies have fluffy plumage similar to animal fur.

The special structure of the feathers of Chinese silk chickens makes these birds vulnerable to moisture. Water, rolling down the smooth feathers of an ordinary chicken, penetrates the fluff of a silk one. That is why this breed needs a dry room for keeping and walking, if possible protected from rain.

Experienced owners of birds of this breed give their pets a haircut about once a month., using soft feathers as raw material for yarn or making down items.

It is advisable not to allow Chinese silk chickens and chickens to be kept together. waterfowl, since in this case there is always a presence in the poultry house high humidity, and the litter gets wet and dirty very quickly.

Experienced owners of birds of this breed give their pets a haircut about once a month.

Silk chickens live amicably with chickens of other breeds, without trying to enter into conflicts. However, if a rooster of another breed “tramples” hens too actively and at the same time has a large mass, then he should be removed. The soft and lush plumage of Chinese silk chickens wrinkles very quickly and the bird loses its attractive, unusual appearance.

When kept in isolation, one family, which includes one rooster and five to six hens, requires a small space. The bird of this breed is very calm and friendly; it does not require a large walk or a spacious enclosure.

Neat chickens feel great in a dry poultry house, where the construction of perches is not required. The chicken coop should have fine mesh on the walls and roof, and the floor should be concreted with a loose bedding of straw or shavings on top.

The paddock and poultry house are covered with chain-link mesh.

Important. It is imperative to provide complete protection of the poultry house from rodents and predators, since at night a silky chicken can become easy prey for a large rat or ferret.

Chinese silky chickens have a charming appearance and are very funny. To preserve the entire population of young animals, it is necessary to provide them with adequate feeding.

At the owner’s choice, you can feed the babies either ready-made feed containing various additives ( powdered milk, vitamins and antibiotics), or natural food.

Dry feed of various brands are ranked according to the age of the chickens: from the first days the most nutritious, high-protein feed is given, after a month the young animals can be switched to feed for grown-up chickens.

Chinese silky chickens are fed both dry and succulent feed.

Natural nutrition for day-old Chinese silkie chicks should consist of:

• Finely chopped boiled chicken egg.
• A small amount of boiled millet or corn.
• Finely chopped green onions.

From the third day, crumbly low-fat cottage cheese and corn grits are introduced into the diet. Gradually quantity boiled eggs reduced, replacing them with crumbly porridges in fish or meat broth, fish and meat waste, boiled until soft. Be sure to add chopped dandelion and nettle greens and green onions to the mash.

An adult bird being fed natural products, you can add boiled potatoes and pumpkin, chopped and scalded greens as an additive to whole grains of wheat and corn. You can prepare mash from crushed grains, with the addition of vegetable waste and meat and bone meal, fish and meat waste.

Boiled vegetables can be added to the diet of adult birds.

During the molting period, it is very good to add sunflower seeds to the diet to improve the quality of the feathers.

Breeding Chinese silk chickens is simple and exciting. Chickens of this breed are excellent hens, they enjoy incubating eggs and look after the hatched chickens well.

To obtain healthy livestock, inbreeding should not be used in breeding. The rooster must be from a different nest, then congenital deformities and mortality are not observed in chickens.

Chickens of this breed are excellent hens, they enjoy incubating eggs and look after the hatched chickens well.

After the chickens grow up, the hen can be released into the common yard.