From The American Standard of Perfection 2010
©American Poultry Association, Inc.
Permission to make quotations from the test of this book is granted solely
for the purpose of dissemination of knowledge, provided proper credit is cited.

DISQUALIFICATIONS

Bright red comb, face and wattles. Shanks not feathered down outer sides. Feathers not truly silky (except in primaries, secondaries, leg, toe and main tail feathers). Vulture hocks.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock ……. 36 oz.       Hen……  32 oz.

Cockeral ……. 32 oz.    Pullet ……. 28 oz.

SHAPE – MALE AND FEMALE

COMB:   Male – Walnut – set firmly and evenly on head, almost circular in shape, preferably broader than longer, with a number of small prominences over it, a slight indentation or furrow, transversely across the middle, rising to a point just forward of the nostrils and extending backwards to a point parallel with the front of the eyes.

                   Female – Walnut – very small, well formed. Rest of the description same as the male.

BEAK:  Short and stout, curving to point.

FACE:  Surface smooth, skin fine and soft in texture.

EYES: Large, round, prominent.

WATTLES:  Male – Non-bearded: medium size, concave, nearly round, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.  Bearded: very small, concealed by beard.  Female – Non-beaded: small, concave, forming a half circle, fine texture, free from wrinkles or folds.  Bearded: small to nonexistent, concealed by beard.

EAR LOBES:  Male – Non-bearded: small, oval, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.  Bearded: very small, almost concealed by muffs.  Female – Non-bearded: very small. Rest of the description same as male.

CREST:  Male – medium size, soft and full, as upright as comb will permit, having a few silky feathers streaming gracefully backwards from lower and back part of crest.   Female – medium size, soft and full, globular, upright and well balanced.

HEAD:  Moderately small, short, carried so that a line drawn parallel with tip of the tail will bisect the comb.

BEARD AND MUFFS:  Bearded varieties: Thick, full, extending back of eyes and projecting from sides of face and composed of feathers turned horizontally backwards from both sides of the beak, from the center, vertically downwards, the whole forming a collar of three ovals in a triangular group, giving a muffed effect.

NECK:  Short, gracefully arched, with very full hackle flowing well over the shoulders.

BACK:  Male – Short, broad from shoulders to saddle, quite rounded its entire length rising gradually from middle of back towards tail.  Female – Short, broad from shoulders to cushion, quite rounded its entire length, rising gradually from middle of back towards tail.

SADDLE:  Male – Rising from back at base of cape, very broad and round, plumage profuse and long, lower saddle feathers flowing over tips of wings and mingling with fluff.

CUSHION:  Rising from back at base of cape, very broad and round, plumage abundant.

TAIL:  Male – short, very shredded at ends, well spread at base, filled underneath with an abundance of soft feathers which are overlapped by coverts and lesser sickles, the whole forming a duplex curve with back and saddle.  Sickles, lesser sickles, and coverts – abundant, soft, well curved, without hard quills, concealing main tail feathers.   Female – filled underneath with an abundance of soft feathers which are overlapped by cushion and coverts, the whole forming a duplex curve with back and cushion.

WINGS:  Medium size, closely folded, carried well back and nearly horizontal, well above lower thighs ending short of stern.  Shoulders and fronts: concealed by hackle and breast feathers.  Bows and coverts: very well rounded.  Primaries: medium length, well shredded, concealed by secondaries.  Secondaries:  medium length, well shredded, tapering convexly to stern, tips concealed by saddle feathers.

BREAST:  Carried forward, very full, well rounded and of great depth and width.

BODY AND FLUFF:  Body of moderate length, broad, deep and well rounded from breast bone to stern and let down well between the legs.

LEGS AND TOES:  Male – Legs: short, stout, set well apart, straight when viewed from front.  Lower thighs: short, stout at top, tapering to hocks, abundantly feathered.   Hocks: covered with soft and silky feathers curving inwards about the hocks.  Shanks:  rather short, stout in bone, well feathered on outer sides with silky plumage, the upper part growing out from under thigh plumage and continuing into foot feathering.  Spurs:  medium size and length, set just above fifth toe.  Toes: five, the three front straight, well and evenly spread, the hind toe double, the normal toe in natural position and the extra toe placed above, starting from close tot he other toe, but well formed, longer than the other toes and curving upwards and backwards;  the outer and middle toe well feathered.   Female – same as male except no spur. (Bare middle toe a serious defect in either sex.)

APPEARANCE:  Male – Active, bold, silky and fluffy.  Female – Active, sedate, silky and fluffy.

SILKIE COLOR STANDARDS

Black

White

Buff

Blue

Partridge

Splash

Gray