Summary

The author, Marla Bishop, is fascinated by her friend's silkie chickens and considers getting some herself after learning about their unique appearance, history, and the joy they bring.

Abstract

Marla Bishop, a London-based writer, discusses her recent intrigue with silkie chickens after a conversation with her friend who owns them. These fluffy, five-toed chickens with black skin and blue earlobes, originating from China, have become the center of attention in her friend's countryside life. Despite her urban lifestyle, Bishop is charmed by the idea of keeping silkies, reminiscent of her rural Nigerian childhood. She appreciates the creamy-colored eggs they lay and is considering a countryside visit to interact with them once the pandemic subsides. Although she acknowledges her dependency on city conveniences, the author is drawn to the rustic appeal of raising silkies.

Opinions

The author finds silkie chickens captivating and endearing, comparing them to a mix between chickens and rabbits.
Bishop is impressed by the silkies' unique physical traits, such as their variety of colors, fluffy feathers, and unusual features like five toes and black skin.
The article conveys a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler, more rural way of life, contrasting the quiet countryside with the bustling city.
The author humorously reflects on her urban needs, such as 24-hour shops, indicating a lighthearted attachment to the conveniences of city living.
There is an appreciation for the silkies' egg-laying capabilities, with the author mentioning their creamy-colored eggs and large yolks, despite not being prolific layers.
The pandemic has sparked a renewed interest in self-sufficiency and rural activities, as the author contemplates a future visit to the countryside to engage with the silkies.
Bishop values the connection with nature and animals, considering the idea of swapping her dog for silkies, albeit humorously suggesting she might send her dog to her neighbor to accommodate the chickens.

I’m Coveting My Friend’s Silkies

Though I’d never heard of them before today

A silkie named Adeline / picture by owner

I was talking to one of my bestie’s today, about how she and her family are coping in suburban isolation. They used to live in London but moved to the countryside some years ago.

Things had been pretty quiet, she admitted, up until they took delivery of their four silkie chickens.

What’s a silkie chicken when it’s at home, I wanted to know.

Sort of a cross between a chicken and a rabbit, she explained.

This I had to see.

So she sent me photos.

I’d never seen anything like them.

They’re like fluffy Easter chicks, only bigger. And not yellow.

Silkies come in an array of amazing colours, including red, silver, lavender, black, white, and speckled gold. Their faces (what little you can see of them) are also covered in satiny fur. Unusually for a chicken, they have five toes, as well as black skin and blue earlobes.

Front to back: Muffin, Adeline & Zazou/picture by owner

They are thought to have originated in China where there’s mention of them from about 205BC. Marco Polo wrote about them in the thirteenth century, and they first appeared in Europe in the 1800s, where they were believed to be a cross between rabbits and chickens.

They’re not, but they look like they could be. I tried virtually stroking them over WhatsApp video but couldn’t get a feel for them.

My friend and her family had spent five days putting in a chicken run and building a coop. Apparently, badgers are the biggest danger, as they can dig underground, so chicken wire had to be placed into the ground.

It all sounded so rustic. I had a sudden impulse to leave the Big Smoke behind and join my friend in the countryside, where I too could keep silkies, and perhaps a goat or two. It remained me of my childhood in rural Nigeria, where we also kept chickens once.

Of course, I know deep down I wouldn’t last five minutes outside London.

Even though we’ve been in isolation for nearly three weeks, we still get to walk to and around five different parks and commons, have numerous shops on our doorsteps to trawl for toilet paper and, in the worst-case scenario, three different hospitals within walking distance.

I also couldn’t live in a place that didn’t have twenty-four hour shops open in case a desperate need for a bar of chocolate arises in me at 3 am. Or, more likely at this time of year, a chocolate egg.

(Vegans, look away now.)

Speaking of eggs, silkies apparently lay lovely, creamy-coloured eggs from the age of about twelve weeks, with delicious and large yoiks. But they’re not big-time layers — averaging about three eggs each a week.

As soon as this pandemic is over, I’m hightailing it to the countryside so I too can pet a furry chicken.

Meanwhile, my friend has promised to send me regular updates on how Adeline, Peppa, Zazou, and Muffin are doing in their new home.

And if I get really attached, I always have the option of sending my dog to my neighbour so I can get some silkies myself.

Marla Bishop is a writer and relationship coach specialising in helping others live lives they totally love. She lives in London UK with her husband and youngest two children. You can read more of her writings here: Lilith