Silkie Chickens: A Beginner’s Guide to the Fluffy “Fur” Chicken

A Silkie is a small, gentle chicken covered in soft, fluffy feathers that look like fur. Silkies are calm and easy to tame, but they lay fewer eggs than many other breeds.

What Makes a Silkie Different?

Fluffy feathers. Most chickens have smooth feathers. A Silkie's feathers are soft and downy, and they are missing the tiny hooks that hold normal feathers together. That trait is also why Silkies cannot fly.

Black skin. Under all that fluff, a Silkie's skin is black. Its beak is a dark bluish-black too.

Five toes. Most chickens have four toes on each foot. Silkies have five.

A puffy crest. Some Silkies have a pom-pom of feathers on top of the head. Some also have a beard.

Silkies come from Asia, most likely China or Japan. No one knows exactly where.

Are Silkies Good Pets?

For many people, yes. Silkies are docile and easy to hand-tame. They are often called a good pet for children. Because they cannot fly, a low fence can keep them in.

Eggs and Broody Hens

Silkies lay only a few eggs, and the shells are cream or lightly tinted. But they are famous for going broody. A broody hen wants to sit on eggs until they hatch.

A Silkie will even sit on another bird's eggs, including duck eggs. A broody hen may stop eating and drinking, so check on her and lift her off the nest now and then.

Size and Colors

In the United States, Silkies are bantams, which means small chickens. Common colors are black, blue, gold, partridge, and white.

Is a Silkie Right for You?

A Silkie is a great choice if you want a sweet, fluffy pet and a hen that loves to hatch eggs. If you want lots of eggs, look at other breeds.

Ready to find Silkie hatching eggs or chicks? Browse breeders on Hatching Egg Directory and ask each one which Silkie colors they raise.