We got out first chickens in January of this year. The local feed store wouldn’t have their chicks until March so my sister, who was visiting one weekend, found a local farm that had silkie chicks. We got ALL of them! They were just so cute!
Just a few months later and I know so much more now about breeds and raising chickens, but Silkies remain my most favorite breed. Let me tell you why!
1. Kid Friendly
Their non aggressive demeanor make them great for kids. (While no two chickens are the same, in general, this breed is one of the most docile)
Our resident Chicken whisperer.
Maude getting her nails done by Jojo at the CottenPatch Salon.
2. Born to Brood
They are good mammas and tend to go broody more often than some other breeds. (We haven’t had the chance to have them raise chicks yet, but when we introduced them to some younger chicks, they took them right in and accepted them without trouble.)
A small bantam silkie and her chicks. (Stock photo courtesy Adobe)
3.They’re clean (ish)
Believe it or not, they don’t make as big of a mess as other breeds. (I’m not kidding, we had our 10 silkies in the run and yeah, they made a mess – they’re chickens, they poo. But we added 6 more Orpington who were just 6 weeks old and the mess quadrupled! Silkies are just more respectful of their living quarters.)
4.Have you seen a fluffier butt??? I mean seriously! 
5. They snuggle
They’re friendly! (My silkies took a little while to warm up, but now they follow me around. I’m head treat giver so they don’t mind giving a cuddle in exchange for snacks.)
This one is taking a nap on my lap while we lounge by an evening campfire.
Beware…toes may be mistaken for snacks.
6. Ground Bound
They won’t fly away. (Silkies can’t fly very high, mostly they climb on stuff and then fall off with some wing flapping. This is also helpful because you won’t ever find them on your outside table, or pooping on the backs of your chairs – they just can’t get up there. The highest mine can get is on the kid’s picnic table.)
This Silkie is “flying” off the child-sized picnic table.
7. Birds of a Feather
They stick together. (Most chickens stay together, but I’ve noticed my silkies are a tight-knit group and love to stick close together.)
That’s Todd, a young rooster.
8. Total Clowns
They have such funny personalities. And those pom-pom heads are the funniest! (I can’t help but giggle every time I look at them.)
Maude letting me know we are out of mealworms and she is NOT pleased.
Parker, another little roo, checking out the view from “above”.
9. Knights in feathered Armor
The roosters are very protective. (Our oldest silkie, Dave, is an awesome dad. He makes sure everyone stays in line, and we laugh when we see him chasing one of the girls who’s wondered a little too far for his liking.)
This is Dave, head roo – letting out his famous crow. He looks different because he doesn’t have a full beard. The full beard gives them that Pom-Pom look.
Dave wants to know what I’m doing with that big camera around his flock. He stands guard while they munch.
10. They’re not camera-shy
They love to take selfies!
Both of these are Maude, taken just a month apart. I like what she did with her hair.
There are a couple of cons to having silkies, which I should mention in case you’re thinking of picking this breed. They do lay eggs, but they are smaller than the average egg. The fully bearded ones don’t see all that well, so if you live in an area with a lot of predators, you’ll want to take precautions to keep them safe. They are smaller and very docile so they tend to get picked on by larger birds. We had our silkies first, so adding more birds of other breeds hasn’t been a problem for us.
Thinking of getting your own backyard chickens? Check out my post about how we built our first brooder box for the chickie babes HERE
Comment below with your favorite breed.
I love them to, for all the reasons you stated! 😀 They are so fluffy, funny, sweet and quiet!!
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