When we talk about pets, cats and cute puppies usually come to mind. However, some famous people prefer to go out of the ordinary and end up opting for animals beyond exotic. It is the case with Tori Spelling.
This celebrity known for playing the character Donna Martin in the Beverly Hills series owns a pet pig named Wilbur. In addition, she has dogs, chickens and a sheep on her farm. Tori Spelling Chicken is an American silkier white chicken, named coco.
What is a silky chicken?
Silky is a breed of chicken without barbs on the feathers. Instead, she usually has very soft and smooth feathers. This breed takes longer to mature and therefore determining the difference between male and female chicks is difficult. The silky chickens are certainly different from other chicken breeds. Its different appearance with the feather shaped feathers attracts many people. The breed of origin is China, but found in American variant too.
There are some clues that indicate the sex of the animal.
Note the feathers on the puppy's head. Males tend to have feathers that stand upright and curl toward the back, while female head feathers tend to form a rounded tuft. Note the crest, which begins to develop within two to three weeks of the birth. The crest is a flap of tissue on top of the animal's head, and that of males is always larger than that of a female. Males are significantly larger than females and this is most evident a few days after birth.
It is not an accurate method of distinguishing the sexes, as it is possible to have a small male offspring and a large female. Pay attention to the sounds of the chicks. They start to lose their feathers around the fourth or fifth month. It is at this time that the male starts trying to sing. Note the feathers just before the tail and the down on the neck. They are long and sharp on the male and gently rounded on the female.
Colors of silky chickens
The accepted silk colors in the American standard are blue, black, white, gray, buff, splash and partridge. However, there are many other variations and colors like paint, lavender, red, salmon and many more. The identification of male and female is quite difficult, and begins to be possible after 2 or 3 months of life, with males presenting a larger crest and dewlap, in addition to a slimmer body shape and less pronounced forelock. Females have a more rounded tuft and body, and a very small crest.
How long does a silky chicken live?
Silky chickens can live from eight to ten years. However, it depends on the conditions of welfare, nutrition and ambience provided to the birds. The reproductive life of these animals is considerably shorter, with the hens laying in quantity and quality for four years, and the males reproducing well until that same age. It does not necessarily mean that chickens over four years old will not lay, but rather that the quality of the shell and other egg components drastically deteriorates.
