The Silkie Club used the Ballymena Show as a venue for one of its regional shows. Numbers were maybe not huge, but the quality was top class. Three local members were exhibiting on the day and the judge was Cheryl Donaldson.
James Weatherup had a commendable third with a white bantam rooster.
Chris and Laura Moore had a great day with Best Large Light and Reserve Champion Silkie; 3rd Large white female; 1st White bantam rooster; 3rd White bantam female; 2nd White bantam female; 3rd Black bantam female; and 2nd Black bantam male.
Kiera McGarry had the Champion Silkie and Best Bantam; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd AOC Female; 1st and 2nd AOC male; and 3rd White Male.
These are classed as Large Light and can also be bantam.
They are unusual because they have five toes – the fifth diverges from the fourth toe.
The plumage is abundantly silky/fluffy with an excellent depth and quality of silk.
Standard colours are white, black, blue, gold and partridge.
Silkies are, of course, well known for their part in the breeding of gold tops – a silkie rooster onto a Light Sussex female. These offspring make first class broodie hens.
The Silkie fowl is an ancient breed having been mentioned in the memoirs of the Italian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled throughout Asia in the 13th century during the rule of the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan, who created the Yuan dynasty in China.
The breed were described as looking like it had fur instead of feathers. Today, hundreds of years later, the Silkie is a very popular breed and with its docile nature it can be kept by any age range of poultry keeper.
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