Silkies are delightful quirky little cartoonish birds, with a pom-pom head.  They are well known for their calm friendly temperaments and make excellent pet birds, following you around and talking to you. Being docile, Silkies don’t do well if put in with more aggressive hens,  especially as they can’t fly out of danger. In a mixed hen house they may need a smaller, safe,  place to get into if they are being bullied.  They do like to hop on and off perches.  

Because of the silky feathers they are not waterproof. They can tolerate cold fairly well but are vulnerable to sudden changes of cold and damp and need to be housed accordingly. Occasional wetting does no harm as long as they can safely dry out again. With Silkies being very fluffy they can be a target for mites and lice so take care to check them regularly. 

They have several unusual qualities - black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. They can be traced back to ancient China.

They lay maybe 3 small to medium sized eggs a week and are intensely broody.