The Silkie Standard
Classification: Light Breed - Egg Colour: Tinted to cream
Large Fowl Origin Asia
Silkie Fowl have been mentioned by authorities for several hundred years. Some think that they originated in India, whilst others favour China and Japan. The Silkie is regarded as a light breed, and as such it must be exhibited. Its persistent broodiness is a breed characteristic, and either pure or crossed, the breed provides reliable broodies for the eggs of large fowl or bantams.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:
MALE Carriage: Stylish, compact and lively Type: Body broad and stout looking. Back short, saddle silky and rising to the tail. Stern broad and abundantly covered with fine fluff, saddle hackles soft, abundant and flowing. Breast broad and full, shoulders stout, square, and fairly covered with neck hackle. Wings soft and fluffy at the shoulders, with the ends of the flights ragged and ‘Osprey plumage; (i.e. some strands of the flights hang loosely downwards). Tail short and very ragged at the end of the harder feathers of the tail proper. It should not be flowing, but forming a short round curve. Head: Short and neat, with good crest, soft and full, and as upright as the comb will permit, and having a six to twelve soft silky feathers streaming gracefully backwards from the lower back part of the crest to a length of 3.75cm (1½ ins). The crest proper should not show any hardness of feather. Beak short and broad at the base. Eyes brilliant black, and not too prominent. Comb almost circular in shape, preferably broader than long, with a number of small prominences over it, and having a slight indentation or furrow transversely across the middle. Face smooth. Wattles concave, nearly semi-circular, and not long or pendant. Ear lobes more oval than round. Neck short or medium length, broad and full at the base, with the hackles abundant and flowing.
Legs and feet: Free from scaliness. Thighs wide apart and legs short. No hard feathers on the hocks, but a profusion of soft silky plumage is permissible. Thighs covered with abundant fluff. The feathers on the legs should be moderate in quantity. Toes five in number, with the fifth toe diverging from the fourth. The middle and the outer toes feathered, but these feathers should not be too hard.
Plumage: Very silky and fluffy, with a profusion of hair like feathers
FEMALE:
The saddle broad and well cushioned, with the silkiest of plumage, which should nearly smother the small tail, the ragged ends alone protruding and inclined to be ‘Cochiny’ in appearance. The legs are particularly short in the female, and the under and thigh fluff should nearly meet the ground. The head crest is short and neat, like a powder puff, with no hard feathers, and the eye should not be hidden by the crest, which should stand up and out, not split be the comb. Ear lobes small and roundish. Wattles either absent, or very small and oval in shape. Comb small. Other characteristics are as in the male, allowing for sexual differences.
THE COLOUR STANDARD:
THE WHITE: Male and female plumage snow white.
THE BLACK: Male and female plumage black all over, with a green sheen in the male. A minimal amount of colour in the hackle is permissible, but not desirable.
THE BLUE: Male and female plumage an even shade of blue from head to tail.
THE GOLD: Male and female plumage a bright even shade of gold throughout, with darker feathers in the tail of both sexes permissible.
THE PARTRIDGE:
Male: Head and crest dark orange. Hackles orange/yellow, free from washiness, each feather having a clear black strip down the centre. Breast and fluff black. Back and shoulders dark orange. Wing bar solid black. Primaries black, free from any white. Secondaries, outer web dark orange, inner web black, the dark orange alone showing when the wing is closed. Tail and sickles black. Leg and foot feather black. Under colour slate grey, free from white.
Female: Neck and breast lemon striped black. Hackle feathers black centre with lemon edge. Chest, lemon and black mingling. Body, including wings and cushion, black barring on soft partridge brown. Undercolour slate grey. Leg and foot feather colour as body. Black permissible in the tail.
In all colours, with the exception of the black, the beak should be slaty blue. In the black, the beak should be dark slate. Eyes black. Comb, face and wattles mulberry. earlobes turquoise blue or mulberry, the former being preferable. Legs and feet lead, Nails blue white. Skin mulberry.
THE BEARDED SILKIE
As standard Silkie, but with clearly defined ear muff and beard
THE BANTAM SILKIE
A counterpart of the large fowl in all respects
WEIGHTS
LARGE FOWL: Male 1.8 1kg (4lbs) Female 1.36kg (3lbs)
BANTAM SILKIES: Male 600g (22ozs) Female 500g (l8ozs)
SCALE OF POINTS:
Type - 20
Head - 30
Legs - 10
Colour - 10
Plumage - 30
SERIOUS DEFECTS:
Hard feathers. Green beak or tip to the beak. Horns protruding from the comb, Ruddy comb wattles or face. Eye other than black. Incorrect colour in plumage or skin. Plumage not Silky. Want of crest ‘Polish’ or split crest - the crest should not hang over the eyes. Green soles to the feet. Any deformities, as listed in the Poultry Club Book of Standards, including crooked or turned toes and uneven wattles.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
Single comb. Toes other than five in number. Green legs. Featherless legs or feet. Vulture hocks.