Breed Ledger
001. Breed guide.

Silkie

Gallus gallus domesticus

Ornamental Asian breed with uniquely silky, fur-like plumage and black skin. APA All Other Standard Breeds. Exceptionally broody, docile, and popular for hatching eggs of other poultry.

Breed referenceSilkie on Breed Ledger
001Overview002Breed clubs003Personality004Traits005Breeders
001. Breed guide

The shape of the breed,
in plain English.

Ornamental Asian breed with uniquely silky, fur-like plumage and black skin. APA All Other Standard Breeds. Exceptionally broody, docile, and popular for hatching eggs of other poultry.

002. Breed clubs

Official breed clubs
for Silkie.

Parent clubs and official breed organizations help buyers verify registry context before contacting a breeder.

American Silkie Bantam Club

Primary

US

003. Personality profile

Owner-experience
across 7 dimensions.

Each bar is a 1 to 5 score from breed-knowledgeable owners. Read the bar labels for the trade-off the dimension captures.

Temperament

Friendliness with handlers
Aloof. Avoids handling; flighty around humans.Friendly. Approaches handlers; tolerates lap and arm carry.
Broodiness
Rarely broody. Maintains laying through the season.Very broody. Reliably hatches and raises chicks; interrupts laying.
Foraging drive
Limited foragers. Stay near coop and feed bins.Active foragers. Cover wide ranges in search of insects and vegetation.
Noise level
Quiet hens. Egg songs and alarm calls are subdued.Loud hens. Frequent egg songs and chatter audible at distance.

Coat and maintenance

Cold hardiness
Cold-sensitive. Single comb frostbite risk; requires heated shelter below 20 F.Cold-hardy. Tolerates winter cold without supplemental heat in most climates.
Heat tolerance
Heat-sensitive. Drops laying and risks heat stress above 85 F.Heat-tolerant. Maintains laying and activity above 90 F with shade and water.
Flight tendency
Stays grounded. Heavy build limits flight.Strong flyer. Readily clears 5+ ft fences.
004. Trait profiles

Heritable traits
in Silkie.

Each row is one heritable trait. The frequency label tells you how often it appears across the breed.

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