My favorite backyard chicken breed is bantam Cochin, but Silkie might be a close second.  Penguin along with three other hens at my friend’s house, went broody all at once last summer.  We drove out to Wes’s Pets and Feed in El Monte where she bought some fertile silkies eggs for the ladies to sit on.  Almost all of them hatched.  After that, Penguin came back to live with us, and we let her bring two little chicks with her. We kept the black chick, and she sure turned out cute. Although I am still partial to Bantam Cochins, Silkies are definitely fun to hold; her feathers feel and look like fur. We have not offically named her yet, but I have heard the kids call her The Fro-Chick, however, I like “Mink” better. According to my hubby, we shouldn’t be naming any of them, but it is hard not to.

 

The Silkie is as sweet and easy to hold as a Cochin, although still a little timid in comparison to the other hens. I am guessing she will get over that when she reaches point of lay.  After keeping this one, I can see why Silkies are very popular for families with kids.

I am surprised how pretty she turned out with her beard and top knot. She was one of many that hatched out of a dozen eggs from a local feed store, but probably the prettiest out of the girls.  There were a few really handsome boys K couldn’t keep once they started crowning. Wes’s kindly took back the porcelain and splash cockerels, and in exchange gave K a new waterer and a small bag of feed.   Apparently he has no problems finding buyers for such beautiful gentle roosters out that way.  We have yet to see our Silkie pullet’s first egg, but since it is the middle of winter, I think it will be a bit of a wait still.

This post is linking back to a Saturday link party over at Sunny Simple Life Blog and The Backyard Farming Connection