Reminiscing a little here:
I believe I have always loved chickens. There are some people who may think it pretty strange but for me it was very natural. When I was a little girl my maternal Grandmother Tillie had a backyard flock.  Oh my, how she loved those chickens!  Occasionally, my sister & I would go over to her house after school & we would be permitted to feed her chickens but not until we were given a full set of instructions of the "do's" & "don'ts" of feeding her chickens!   We thought we were doing her a favor but in her mind she was doing us the favor by allowing us to feed them.  I not only learned a lot about poultry but that Grandma really loved her birds!

I always dreamed of someday having my very own flock determined to care for them just like Grandma did. That dream came true for me in 1996 when I retired and moved to Florida. Most of us retirees move to a Retirement Community, but not ME. My son, Andy and I bought a 5 acre ranch just north of Disney and my poultry dream began to come true.

My dream lasted for 5 years and it was fun while it lasted. I'm am now back in Ohio, no longer able to tend a flock but my love for my birds and my memories are what I share with you here.

If you're a poultry person you already have a favorite breed or maybe a few favorite breeds of poultry. My favorite breed happens to be:   SILKIES.  So this page is primarily devoted to them:   What they are! What they look like!   Is there a breed club?   Is there a chat group?   Where can I see some pictures?  and Can I visit more web sites?   Keep going; the answers to these questions & much more are below.

What are Silkies ?
I frequently describe them as "animated powder-puffs" but . . . "
here's what they say about Silkies in the l998 APA Standard of Perfection.

"Silkie bantams are one of the oddities of the poultry world with their nearly black skin, face, comb, wattles, and bones as well as their hair-like plummage. The plummage condition is the result of their feathers lacking the small hooks on the barbs so that the normal web does not appear but rather the barbs lay individually and look somewhat like hair. They are further distinguished by 5 toes on each foot, a crest and they come in both bearded and non-bearded varieties.

Silkies are an old breed having been referred to by many early writers and mentioned by Marco Polo. They are credited with having originated in Japan although it may be sufficient to say the Far East as some historians credit them to China." .....
APA l998 Standard of Perfection

What do they look like ?

They look like me! I call this little white pullet, Sweetie. She belongs to a lucky lady named, Pat, who inherited my flock of Silkies when I moved from Florida back to Ohio. I live in a retirement community now and am not able to tend my own flock but my love for this breed will never end. This picture came to me in January 2002. Her crest is perfectly round and full. Her feet are fully feathered and her confirmation looks just about perfect. I'm sure this little lady went on to be a winner at the local poultry shows. Silkies have several varieties including: black, blue, splash, gray & red. You can visit Pat at Patty's Greene Acres HERE. She would love to have you visit.

Is there a breed club ? YES !!
Please visit the "American Silkie Bantam Club" HERE.

Is there a chat group ? YES !!
You can visit the ASBC chat group ~ * ~ HERE ~ * ~

Can I visit more Silkie sites ?
There are many, many more Silkie sites; far too many to list here. I've picked out 3 that have lots of pictures & useful information. Click on the links below to visit them !