Ogie black chicken farm

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10/11/2011

The Silkie has a very long history. They where first seen in China by Marco Polo on his expeditions there. The Chinese used them to hatch pheasant eggs and to raise chicks of other types of poultry. Silkies are one of the oldest breeds known; even though they are very different from the ones Marco Polo saw in China. Our Silkies now have bigger crests, leg feathering, and they now come in different colors other than white. The colors recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association) and the ABA (American Bantam Association) are white, partridge, gray, splash, black, blue, and buff. They also come in bearded and non-bearded types. Silkies are shown in the feather legged class in shows.

Silkies are good setters. They go broody whether there is an egg to sit on or not. That is the reason the Chinese chose them to raise chicks. It is a terrible thing to happen to your show birds because you cannot stop them from being broody. But a good point about it is that if you have them hatch some eggs of a flighty and unfriendly bird the babies tend to be nicer when they grow up.

Silkies are unusual because they have a fifth toe that most other breeds do not have, but some poultry in the continental class also have the extra toe feature. Silkies also have black skin and black bones. The Chinese think that ground up bones have special healing powers and other sorts of powers. But I would never eat some ground up Silkie bones.

Silkies have walnut combs that are black to deep mulberry in color and the comb is almost circular in shape on the males while on the females the combs are very small and well formed. Their beaks are leaden blue, short, and stout while the face is smooth and fine. They should be broad and well rounded in the breast and body. One problem many Silkies seem to have is with their wing, the wing sticks out at the bottom when folded up. Another wing problem that seems common is the not so full wing on Silkies. They should have a nice full wing with as few gaps in it as possible.

A thing that many people over look is eye color. I never really thought about it until this year. They should have dark dark brown to black in eye color. But, black is what I prefer. Silkies should also be able to see. Some times their crest grows so big that they cannot see. When this happens I pluck some feathers in front of their eye, toward the beak. Some people like to cut the feathers more, but I pluck them because it looks natural. A Silkie's crest should be round and full, but not too full so the crest gets too big.

10/11/2011

Appearance
Silkie chickens have what is called "walnut combs." This is the name of the chicken comb that results when a "pea" comb chicken and a "rose" comb chicken are bred together. Their feathers resemble furry down, and this is likely how Silkie chickens got their name. A typical male Silkie chicken grows to be approximately 4 lbs. and a typical female Silkie chicken is approximately 3 lbs.

Behavior
Silkie chickens are not skilled fliers. For this reason, owners need not clip their wings. Silkie chickens tolerate being confined quite well. Because of their timid nature and lack of flying ability, they are at risk from predators. Silkie chickens live long lives as long as they are kept safe from predators.

Roosting
Silkie chickens prefer roosts that are no higher than 4 feet from the ground. This is at least partly because of their lack of flying ability.

Temperament
Silkie chickens are quiet, friendly and easy to approach. They are an excellent choice for a family pet. These chickens are calm and bond readily with people. They are considered suitable for people beginning to raise chickens.

Silkie Mothers
Silkie chickens are excellent nest sitters. Silkie hens are known for steadfastly guarding a nest full of eggs and are also very protective mothers of young chicks. In the face of danger, a Silkie hen often challenges the danger and attempts to intimidate the predator.

10/11/2011

History of the Chinese Silkie Chicken
The Silkie (sometimes spelled Silky) is a breed of chicken named for its unique, fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as dark blue flesh and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot (most chickens only have four). (1)
The Silkie chicken could very well be the oldest pure breed in existence today and there have been several references to them in old text books. References even further than the first century as the breed was mentioned in writings as early as AD 1555 in a book called “Animal Book-Section Birds”, written by the Swiss Professor Konrad Gessner. (2)
Chinese Silkies are believed to have originated in Asia, although despite the name, it is unclear whether it was in China, Japan or India. Amongst his many other exploits, Marco Polo is believed to have introduced this bird to the western world sometime between 1254 and 1324.
The bantam Silkie is a recognized poultry standard in America, England and Australia. A recognized officially in the North America via acceptance in to the Standard of Perfection in 1874 (the first year of publication] Today, the breed is recognized for exhibition, and is fairly common in the poultry world.[i]
Silkies are often considered a bantam breed, but this varies according to region, and many breed standards class them officially as large fowl. In the 21st century, Silkies are one of the most popular and ubiquitous ornamental breeds of chicken. (1)
Interesting Silkie Facts
1. Silkies were used In Chinese medicine where it was thought that they had curative propertied, However the Japanese have had great success making the Silkie one of their best exports.

2. Silkies do not have usual feathers, and they cannot fly at all, thus making them easily contained, and they won’t venture very far if kept in a yard
3. The Silkie is great layers of fairly large sized bantam eggs, and will lay well into winter, when other breeds of chickens have quit.

4. Silkie bantam chickens are the best sitters in the world. A Silkie mother will never abandon her eggs, and will be a protective guardian of her babies.

5. Silkies are a long-lived chicken, and stay beautiful, even when older

6. They are quite gentle and adapt well to human handling.

7. The males often possess many maternal instincts as well.

8. A Silkies average lifespan is between 12 and 14 years, so long as they are allowed to graze and lead a happy life, show birds are expected to have a shorter life span

9. Silkies cannot swim and water does not run off their back, so they can easily drown in swimming pools and other bodies of water.
10. Chinese Silkies come in two different types - bearded and non-bearded.

10/11/2011

How to make Black Chicken with Black Bean Soup

Blanch chicken and chicken bones.
Boil a pot of water.
Add all ingredients except salt and boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
Add salt to taste.
Note:
This is a great confinement soup!
I did not add ginger here because my kids didn't like it. But ginger is great to get rid of wind in the body.
The extra chicken bones makes the soup extra sweet. Since I'm brewing the soup for 3 - 4 hours I didn't use broth but bones instead.
For a healthier choice, remove chicken skin.

10/11/2011

How to make Black Chicken with Angelica Sinensis Soup

Blanch chicken.
Place all ingredients except wine and salt in a pot.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 3 hours.
Add wine and salt to taste.
Serve immediately.

Note:
A better way to cook this will be double-boiling which ensure the essences from all the ingredients are not loss through cooking but it will take much longer to cook. Expect at least 5 hours! And you have to keep check on the water.