Black chicken dish. Chinese silk chicken

Chickens have long become an integral part of the lives of people of different nationalities on different continents. It is difficult to imagine the cuisine of any nation without dishes from chicken eggs and tender meat. There are many breeds of this poultry. Some lay eggs well, others produce meat. One of the most interesting breeds is the Chinese silky chicken. This unique bird surprises with its appearance: It seems that it is not covered with feathers, but with silky fur. And this is not its only feature.

This unique bird surprises with its appearance

The first thing that will immediately allow you to unmistakably recognize a Chinese silken chicken is its spectacular appearance:

These rather small (up to 1.5 kg) chickens have unusual feathers, which are a thin main shaft with long fibers. The resulting feathers are similar to down, which covers almost the entire body, including the legs and head. She is wearing a crest, similar to the cap that roosters have. larger size. A large crest on the head and a beard at the bottom of the neck are signs by which roosters and hens can be distinguished. The color of the plumage can be different, but it must be uniform, without inclusions and always silky.
These chickens have brown-blue skin, black bones and dark gray meat. This is due to a change in the endothelin-3 gene, which responds to the production of pigment. As a result of mutation of this pigment, so much is produced that the skin, bones, and internal organs. Their characteristic coloring is a sign of the breed.
Another feature is the five toes covered with feathers. Three face forward, two face backward.

The first thing that will immediately allow you to unmistakably recognize a Chinese silken chicken is its spectacular appearance.

If at least one of the signs is not met, the chicken is discarded.

A little history

How this breed appeared is not known for certain.

How this breed appeared is not known for certain. It has been bred in China since the 7th century. Already in the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote about it, talking about this eastern country. And it came to Europe thanks to him. Here about shaggy hens arose interesting myths. For example, that this little black bird- the result of crossing a chicken and a rabbit. The unusual breed was brought to Russia towards the end of the 18th century (but did not really take root due to the strange color of the skin and meat), and in America it was recognized a century later.

The Chinese silken chicken was originally bred as an ornamental breed and was also used for medicinal purposes. Now it is grown on farms, despite the fact that this breed will not replace ordinary chickens in terms of productivity. Although in Europe the attitude towards it still remains largely as an ornamental breed.

Eggs and meat of Chinese chickens

Black meat Chinese chicken

Why is Chinese silken chicken attractive to farmers? It turns out that meat, eggs, and soft feathers are in demand:

Meat. Despite its not very appetizing appearance for Europeans, the meat of silken chickens has delicate taste and great nutritional value. It is supplied to elite restaurants. And in China they believe that this meat can improve the health of the stomach, blood and lungs. It is also considered especially useful for women's health. Therefore, meat, rich in amino acids, vitamins (C, B, A, E) and globulin (necessary for strengthening muscles and bones), is still used for medicinal purposes. As a rule, broths and soups are made from Chinese silken chicken; it is rarely fried.

Egg. One fluffy hen brings up to 100 light brown eggs a year, sometimes with light spots, weighing an average of 35 grams. But they are expensive, because there are enough people willing to buy representatives of the ancient breed. The cost of hatching eggs and chicks is much higher than the price of regular chickens.

Pooh. Chinese silkies can be sheared like sheep and their down can be used like . About a month and a half after the haircut, new feathers grow.

Conditions and care of chickens

Keeping fluffy chickens is not particularly difficult.

The chicken coop should always be clean. This requirement is especially relevant due to the long silky feathers of Chinese chickens.
It is necessary to ensure high-quality feed and compliance with the regime. The diet must include grains, greens and vitamin supplements.
In general, this breed tolerates mild frosts well. But it’s still better to keep these chickens in a heated coop, avoiding sudden changes in temperature and high humidity. If chickens have enough warmth and light, they will lay eggs in winter.
Chinese silkies cannot fly. Therefore, there is no need to build a perch and you can make a good walk by enclosing it with a low fence. True, it is necessary to provide protection from possible attacks by predators. But these chickens can do without walking.

Complying with these requirements is generally not difficult. Apparently, this is why the popularity of the ancient breed in Russia is growing.

Of particular importance when raising chicks is temperature regime and completeness of the diet

But chickens require more serious attention. Of particular importance when raising chicks is the temperature regime and the completeness of the diet.

Because of small size Chicks (and they are approximately half the size of chicks of conventional breeds) should not be allowed to experience temperature changes. At first, the chickens should be kept in a room where the temperature is +30 C. Then, gradually, by the age of one month, the temperature should be increased to +18 degrees. You can reduce it by no more than 3 degrees per week. Otherwise, there is a high probability of illness and death of the young animals. The enemy of Chinese chickens is also excess humidity and rain.
Small chicks need to be fed quite often - every two hours. By the month, the interval between feedings can be increased to three hours.
For up to a month, chickens can be fed with mash of cottage cheese, ground eggs, and herbs. You also need vitamins. Then semolina and corn grits are added. After two months, grain should become the basis of the diet.
There must be access to clean water.

Purchasing Chinese breed chickens will not be cheap. There are two ways to raise these chickens:

Buy eggs for raising chicks in an incubator. Their cost reaches 250 rubles.
Buy young chicken, prices for which start from 300 rubles per chicken.

Since not all eggs will hatch into chickens, the second option is still more profitable. In addition, it is believed that it is best when the eggs are hatched by a chicken. After all, the fluffy silky mother is an excellent hen.

Many breeders note the docile nature of black chickens. They quickly get used to their owner, are not afraid of people, and are easy to handle, so there are no problems with haircuts. Beautiful and friendly Chinese silken hens make you want to get a pair. Now they are even kept in the house as pets.

In Russia, few people dare to try this ancient breed. High cost, low economic productivity, strange unusual color of skin and meat, of course, interfere. The decorative nature of the breed will not replace the profitability of production. However, there are more and more Chinese silk breeders. External attractiveness, undemandingness (in any case, they require little more care than native pieds), and, probably, an interest in everything unusual make it possible to see them in Russia.

Kur s Chinese silk breed

Chinese silk chickens have a history of thousands of years. Homeland China. The chickens were called snares. The feathers of silky chickens do not have hooks and therefore cannot be interlocked.

There is no juvenile molt in Chinese silky chickens. The chickens look woolly. They immediately attract attention with their attractive appearance. The normal structure of the feathers is characteristic only of part of the flight feathers of the wing and tail feathers.

In addition to silk plumage, the Chinese silk chicken has a characteristic blue coloration of the skin, periosteum, peritoneal integument, crest and meninges. In this regard, they received the name - blacks (negris).

Black chickens were brought to the Astrakhan province from Perm, to Siberia from China, and to St. Petersburg from England.

The Chinese silky chicken is a decorative light breed, quite large in size and quite agile. Has a dwarf shape.

Chinese Silk chickens have five toes. This trait is persistently transmitted to offspring. Legs and toes are feathered. The head has a crest, beard and sideburns. The comb is small, pink-shaped, without teeth. The rooster's crest is directed backwards. Plumage color: white, black, wild, blue. Skin – black. The lobes are turquoise, the beak and comb are blue.

The live weight of Chinese silk roosters is 1.5 kg, chickens are 1.0-1.1 kg.

Chinese silk chickens lay up to 80 light brown eggs weighing 40-41 g per year.

Chinese silk chickens have very tender and tasty meat, although the carcasses are not attractive in appearance due to their black color.

Nowadays, the Silki breed is bred by poultry lovers all over the world. There is information that silk chickens are used to obtain fluff, which is sheared from them like sheep. For 2 haircuts, 120–150 g of fluff is obtained from one chicken. After shearing, the feathers grow back in 30–40 days.

Chinese silk chickens were first mentioned in the four hundredth century BC by Aristotle. He describes them as “chickens with cat hair.” The Chinese Tang dynasty also left a memory of the “black Cochin chickens”, telling about them in chronicles.

In the 13th century, Marco Polo described domestic chickens as having black skin. These were Chinese downy chickens. This poultry appeared on Russian territory in the 18th century. At that time they met in Siberia, Astrakhan, and Persia. Many myths have been invented about this breed. Thus, Dutch breeders told customers that the breed was the result of crossing a rabbit and a chicken. Many believed that downy chickens had real mammal fur. But that's not true.

The breed is highly decorative. The feathers of silk chickens look so elegant due to the absence of hooks on them. Therefore, the feathers do not adhere to each other and appear downy. The breed is very beautiful. It is impossible to pass by such charm indifferently. Many people admire the breed of “Chinese silk chickens”; the photo conveys their similarity to small white poodles, but with wings and a beak.

This is exactly what those who saw this bird at the exhibition write about this breed. The crest on the head resembles the “cap” of a poodle. Chickens and roosters have beards and sideburns. Their comb is small, made in the shape of a rose without a tooth. In roosters, the crests are directed slightly back. The color of the plumage is very diverse: white, blue, black, yellow, gray. The lobes are turquoise in color, the beak and comb are blue. Interestingly, the skin color of this bird is always black. That's why they call her black.

These chickens, unlike other chickens, have 5 toes on their paws. Moreover, the fingers and toes are feathered. Their chest is covered with down and quite wide.

The Chinese use the meat of silk chickens to treat migraines, tuberculosis, kidney diseases, “women’s” and many other diseases. Oriental medicine places the meat and eggs of these birds on a par with ginseng. There are several recipes for preparing this medicinal delicacy.

The body shape is rounded on all sides, the back is wide and short, with prominent shoulders. The tail has large braids and tail feathers. Their feathered tibiae are short. I would just admire such beauty. But the meat of not only ordinary, but also decorative chickens is eaten, although the appearance of the carcass is not very attractive due to its black color. But the meat is very tender and tasty.

They get down from chickens, shearing it like sheep. After clipping, the birds' feathers grow back in about a month. Therefore, if someone dreams of buying a sheep, but has nowhere to keep it, he might as well buy a couple of these cute birds. Chinese downy chickens will produce 60-75 grams of fluff at one time, and in a month – the same amount. The profit is obvious. In addition to fluff and meat, chickens produce eggs. True, they are brownish in color, but they are very useful, like meat, oh healing power which is even legendary.

One of them says that a man who lived in China had an incurably ill mother. The son helped her get into the cart, and they went to look for a doctor to save the woman. We drove for a long time, but to no avail. They had no choice but to return home. On the way back, the family stopped with a peasant. The owner was hospitable and prepared black chicken for the guests - the most valuable thing he had in the house. And in the morning the woman felt better. The next day she walked briskly, and then completely recovered. That is why it is believed that the Chinese silk chicken, photos of which can be found, for example, on the Internet, heals many ailments.

If the Chinese downy hen does not want to hatch the babies herself, then the eggs can be placed under a regular hen. In order for her to accept the foundlings as her own, you don’t need to breathe on the eggs, but you need to handle them carefully with your hands wearing clean gloves.

Bonn zoologists who studied the composition of black meat found that it contains many amino acids, calcium, and vitamins; It contains phosphorus, nicotinic acid and substances that purify the blood and activate the functioning of the kidneys, spleen, and genitals.

IN Ancient China Silk chicken meat seasoned with white sauce was served at dinner parties. This was done so that the dark meat would contrast with the light gravy.

Japanese, Chinese, Kampuchean, Malaysian, korean cuisine They consider the meat of downy chickens to be delicious. Most often, broth is prepared from it or stewed. To give the dish greater medicinal properties, traditional Chinese medicine recommends adding ginseng, orange zest, ginger, and white yam to chicken (down) soup. This soup is given to weakened and sick people. It gives them strength and helps them recover from many diseases.

Previously, dark meat was not popular in American and European cuisine. But now the point of view of cooking in these regions has changed dramatically. Poultry of this breed began to be raised practically in industrial scale. Poultry farmers in many countries also purchased adult chickens for breeding on their farms. Caring for Chinese chickens is not difficult. They eat what regular chickens eat.

In addition to gastronomic, downy birds will also satisfy the aesthetic tastes of the owner. I want to admire these chickens every minute. In the summer you can build them a run and after work on personal plot admire such beauty. Selling eggs and chickens will be profitable. Now one Chinese down chick costs 200-250 rubles, so the business is profitable.

If everything is done correctly, then in 3 weeks funny chicks will hatch. They need to be surrounded with care, placed in a warm room, fed properly, and very soon the little ones will grow up and become gorgeous birds - the pride of their owner.

Hello, dear readers! Silk breed of chickens in our material. Today’s article will interest lovers of exotic things in their backyard. We will talk to you about the Chinese silken chicken - one of the most beautiful and... Let's look at the photos and videos of what the silk breed of chickens looks like.

Origin story.

The silky breed of chickens has a very rich history, because it has been known since ancient times. Modern humanity has already become accustomed to the fact that most interesting things come from China. This also applies to chickens. They have been known for about 1000 years. Ancient philosophers and travelers mentioned its existence in their works.

This exotic species was brought to Russia in the 18th century. It is still most common in Asia. Notes about it can be found even in the works of the famous traveler Marco Polo.

Over the entire period of its existence, the black clump has become overgrown with myths. Some claimed that it was completely game, while others said that the delicate plumage was the result of the “marriage” of rabbits to black whales. People are accustomed to finding some kind of supernatural explanation for what they do not understand, but often this does not have any scientific or even logical justification.

Among scientific theories origin of the species, so far none has found sufficient evidence to be recognized as the only true one. Some scientists are inclined to argue that snares are a consequence of involutionary genetic changes fixed by selection.

Others argue that it is a species of mountain Himalayan wild bird that has been domesticated and subjected to selective breeding.

External signs

The main feature is the presence of a flexible rod in the feathers, due to which the fur coat is so delicate and soft. A large amount of fluff. The fur coat is soft and pleasant to the touch - like cat fur. Because of this, they were called silk or snares (Silkie).
Asian women have 5 toes on their paws, which are colored blue-black. The paws are also dressed in feather pants.
Bones are colored black, skin and even muscle tissue have a dark gray tint - this is the work of a natural pigment called eumelanin.
The body is not large, has round shape, with a wide back and developed chest.
The neck is medium, the head is small and graceful.
On the head there is a fluffy feather cap, slightly thrown back. This mule owes its “aristocratic” appearance to its “tiara”.
The comb is warty and not too large - this is a common feature for the species.
The beak is elongated and curved, painted black with a blue tint.
The weight of the “lady” is up to 1 kg. larger - about 1.5 kg.
The fundamental difference is that the silk breed of chickens has a uniform color, and inclusions are considered a deviation from the standard. With the exception of the cuckoo and wild varieties.

There are several different coat color options. It can be white, blue, black, yellow, orange, etc. White color is considered to be the main color.

Silk character

These quonkas are not only unusual in their appearance, but also in their soul. They are very calm, friendly and helpful. They love affection and happily climb into their owner's arms to be petted. They get used to their owner very quickly.

They behave moderately active, even restrained - as befits aristocrats. The ladies are slightly clumsy, which makes them look even funnier.

Roosters are fierce defenders of their family, but will never attack without a real reason. But still, it is better to keep furry men separately - they can arrange duels among themselves for primacy and the attention of beautiful ladies.

If the chickens are frightened by something or someone, they huddle together and hug each other. And in their normal state, they value personal space and like to “relax” from each other in secluded corners of the poultry house.

The black meat of this bird is served in elite restaurants in Europe and the world as a rare delicacy. In some Asian restaurants, chefs use it to prepare their signature dishes with secret recipes.
In the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, snares are used to produce powerful stimulants, dietary supplements and others. medicines, the effectiveness of which has been scientifically proven. Even in ancient times, unique in its own way chemical composition the meat was used to heal the sick.

Growing up and first eggs

Puberty in furry beauties proceeds at a normal pace - they cannot be called either early or late. Full sexual maturity is reached at 6.5-7 months. During the same period, mature laying hens begin to lay small eggs - each weighing no more than 35 grams. The shell of these “crumbs” is light, delicately creamy in color.

In terms of productivity, Chinese dogs cannot compete with other breeds, but nevertheless, for decorative type 100 pieces a year is not such a bad result. These cute creatures fly for quite a long time - about 3-4 years.

Hatching instinct

Chinese dog owners are also lucky in that they have a well-developed maternal instinct. Like no other bird, the black Asian bird takes care of its chicks and also takes in foundlings.

They are invited to perform parental duties in breeding pheasants and other wild birds, and are also invited to incubate eggs of other breeds that have lost their maternal qualities in the process of breeding work.

If you want to breed Chinese hens, it is best to do this with the help of a hen, and not an incubator. Under the hen, they will always be in optimal temperature conditions, which is very important for unfeathered squeakers.

Fluffy chickens

Asian mothers incubate up to 85% of the eggs, and babies are born with high survival rates - up to 90%. Babies are born very tiny and need warmth. After drying, you can see a small fluff in the place of the future crest. Depending on the variety, they can be of different colors.

Already in day-old babies, the special round structure of the body, the color of the beak and metatarsus can be guessed. Closer to 1.5 months, it is already possible to distinguish boys from girls. Future leaders are larger and have a more developed crest.

Babies fledge for a long time, and during this time it is important to maintain optimal temperature levels so that they do not become hypothermic, because this will affect their health and vitality.

Children's belonging to exotic species does not affect diet and care in any way. They, like all other babies, need clean bedding, balanced nutrition, disease prevention and warmth. Here are some tips for caring for the younger generation.

For a week after birth, maintain the temperature in the room with the chicks at 30 degrees. With each subsequent one you can reduce it by 3 degrees.
Feeding is traditional, according to age. The diet of the 1st week includes eggs, greens, ground cereals. Next, add ground milk, vitamin supplements, fermented milk products and preferably some fish oil. This is good for the immunity and plumage of babies.
The water must be purified with the addition of potassium permanganate small quantity so as not to damage the gastrointestinal tract of babies.
Half of the young animals' daily diet should consist of greens and boiled vegetables.
Hygienic requirements do not differ from standard ones when raising chicks.
At a very early age, the cubs already need to carry out preventive measures to get protection from unwanted infections, to which young and fragile organisms are susceptible.

Adult silk chicken menu

Adult laying hens are unpretentious in their diet and happily consume the diet of traditional chicken cuisine. But, based on the breed characteristics, there are still several nuances. Here are the nutrition rules.

The menu should consist of 55% dry grain, it is better if there are several types. Wheat, rye, barley are an excellent basis for nutrition.
To maintain the beauty of the “fur coat” 2-3 times a week, give the laying hens seeds, sunflowers and cereals. Just don’t overdo it - these are fatty foods, and because of them, problems with your “figure” can begin, and then with your health and productivity.
The winter diet should be rich in dried (nettle, alfalfa), hay and vitamin supplements.
Fish, egg and shell flour - at least 4-5 times a week.
with the addition of boiled vegetables, served warm in winter, but only in small quantities - so that the food does not ferment.
In the summer, give laying hens the opportunity to forage during walks - pinch greens, eat bugs and other bird delicacies.

Features of keeping Chinese silk chickens

Unlike most decorative exotic breeds, Asian beauties are not at all picky, easily adapt to any climatic conditions, are frost-resistant and hardy. They can be kept in an unheated room only during mild winter conditions.

Chickens can easily tolerate frosts of up to 5 degrees, without illness or loss of productivity. Their comb and wattles are not affected by this temperature, but problems may arise at lower temperatures.

In addition, they will not be offended by their owners for keeping them in cages, and will also gratefully please them with their testicles. Although birds that have the opportunity to walk show a higher survival rate.

The chicken does not have a juvenile molt. But every year during the spring season she updates her beautiful clothes, like most of her relatives. Pronounced molting indicates the egg-laying qualities of laying hens. During this period, the owners are temporarily left without testicles.

But, after a month, the fur coat and egg laying are restored. This is a special period when black whales are most vulnerable and need human help. Do not rush to worry about drowsiness and lethargy of chickens - this is a normal state for them during the molting period. Just give them more vitamins so that this nightmare ends for them as soon as possible.

烏骨鷂 black Chinese chicken

Black chicken. Country of origin: China, where it is called wu gu ji (烏骨鷂)
"black bone chicken" or simply wu ji (烏鷂), this is one of the oldest breeds. The first European to describe it was Marco Polo. In the 13th century, while traveling in China, he mentioned chickens with fur-like plumage. The famous English naturalist V. Tegetmeyer writes about this breed: “Silk chickens are one of the most ancient breeds. The famous naturalist Gesner, who lived in the first half of the 16th century (from 1516 to 1565), in his “History of Birds” published various drawings, including a breed of chickens, which he called woolly. This bird is depicted without a tail, with a rose-shaped crest and bare legs. Aldrovandi, whose work was published in 1645, wrote: “In the east there are birds as white as snow, but instead of feathers, they are covered with wool like sheep.” One of the first mentions that these chickens are found on the territory of Russia dates back to 1768-1773. The German naturalist Pallas reports that “he saw a Chinese hen that had black skin and white plumage, between wool variety, which partially had 5 fingers. These chickens are also found in Siberia, Persia and Astrakhan.”

In Europe, this chicken is known as Silkie (silkie), this breed is considered decorative. The live weight of a rooster is approximately 1.8 kilograms, a chicken - 1.36. These animals are obedient, calm and friendly. Known for their strong brooding instincts, they are often used to care for the chicks of other poultry (including waterfowl - geese and ducks) and even game birds (quail and pheasant).
Silkies apparently came to the West due to the Great silk road. In 1874 the standard was officially recognized in North America. During the spread of the breed, many myths were created about it. For example, the first Dutch breeders told customers that it was a cross between a chicken and a rabbit. And many ordinary people believed that this was a chicken with real mammal fur.

Black chicken is considered a delicacy in China and Southeast Asia. This breed of chicken is distinguished by atypically fluffy silky feathers, dark gray skin, dark meat and black bones. Eumelanin, which in plants and animals usually determines the color of integuments and their derivatives (hair, feathers and scales in vertebrates, cuticle in insects, peel in fruits), in in this case penetrates into connective tissues. Chickens of this breed also have a blue beak, blue earlobes, similar to Walnut a comb, five toes on each foot (ordinary chickens, as you know, have four) and hair-like feathers (they are soft and silky due to the fragile shaft). There is also a bearded variety - with an additional muff of feathers under the beak. The color can also be different, except for white - gray, black, beige and all sorts of other shades.

In China, this chicken is also valued because its meat, unlike regular chicken, contains more proteins, vitamins, amino acids and minerals and less fat and cholesterol.
The nutritional value of black chicken is higher than regular chicken. It is distinguished by high culinary qualities - its meat is more tender than regular meat and is better digestible. It has medicinal properties, black chicken is called “medicinal bird” in China.
Vitamin content per 100 g of black chicken Vitamin A (mcg, RE) - none, Vitamin B1 (mg) 0.02, Vitamin B2 (mg) 0.1, Nicotinic acid (mg) 7.1, Vitamin C (mg) - no, Vitamin E (mg)1.77

Beneficial features. The content of serum globulin and γ-globulin in black chicken meat is higher than in regular chicken. By eating the meat of this chicken, you can prolong youth and strengthen muscles and bones. It has a noticeable effect for the prevention of osteoporosis, rickets, iron deficiency anemia in women, etc. For cancer patients, black chicken meat will help strengthen the body, improve immunity, and increase life expectancy. The medical treatise “Bencao Gangmu” (1578) says that black chicken helps with fatigue, treats digestion, relieves nausea, is useful for women who have given birth, treats uterine bleeding, leucorrhea, etc.

Indications. Black chicken meat can be eaten by everyone. It is especially suitable for anemia, problems with the liver, kidneys, spleen, and stomach.

Contraindications. When the temperature rises during a cold, cough with sputum, exacerbation of diarrhea.

Adviсe. Black chicken bone soup also has a tonic effect. The best way to stew chicken is to cook it slowly in a clay pot.
Black chickens are usually stewed, curried, made into soups and broths, but not fried, since the carcasses are usually very thin and much smaller in size than ordinary chickens. They are eaten with pleasure not only in China, but also in Malaysia, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. By the way, this chicken has 5 toes, not four. The meat, combined with ginger, wolfberry and Chinese herbs, has a very intense taste.

Chinese silky chickens are one of the oldest 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.

To this day, European breeders do not attach much importance to the productive qualities of Shelks (as this breed is called for short in Russia). 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 gladly accept 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. Medicinal properties meat, according to doctors, is the presence of a large amount of 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 method of completely artificial incubation is to keep the Chinese Silkie chicken in a cage.

Otherwise, most females become hens and then caring mothers. Some poultry farmers use this for their own purposes, breeding rare breeds of birds and even ducks under them (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. It is best to do this in the dark.

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.