The Silkie is a most unusual breed of Bantam Chicken originally from Asia. Its plumage is more like silky fur than feathers,
it has feathered feet, bright blue ears and black rather than white flesh.
Outside of Asia it is not bred to eat, since westerners are reluctant to eat blue-black fleshed chicken.
Silkies are particularly good mothers, including brooders and foster mothers for other breeds such as Polish Chickens which are not good sitters or mothers.
Silkies come in other colours in addition to the usual white, including buff, red, grey, black and "partridge".
Another unusual trait of this friendly and attractive breed is that it has five toes on each foot instead of four.
The face is usually black but can be white as above.
"Partridge" Silkie
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