Need expert info - Silkies as Meat Birds

[weaveagarden]

OK... So Silkies are a delicacy in the Orient. And I don't know if it was here or on a TV show I heard that in France they soak them in Cognac and then cook and eat. I need details.

For instance.

1. What weight do they dress out at and at what age.
2. Do those who eat them eat their skin as well?
3. Are they predominantly light or dark meat?
4. Are there any special considerations for feed or during processing that I need to know about?
5. How does the meat compare to other chicken or other meats in general?

Any other information would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[nicalandia]

are you trying to raise black skin chickens for special market? just the meat or the entire chicken? if selling black skin broilers is what you want, then its better to breed the black skin gen FM(FibroMelanosis) to a strain of broiler rather than raising slow growing and small chickens(silky)...to me silkies taste like regular chicken, the FM gene wont alter the taste...then why people want them? well its more of a cultural thing that a tast thing,....SO how do you go about breeding a FM broiler? its not hard at all...1st you have to raise about 10 silky chicks, and 10 broiler chicks(please don´t give them broiler feed, keep them fed with layer type of feed, for about 8 hours and 10 hours of light)...after 12 weeks keep the largest silky rooster and the healthiest looking broiler hens...cull the rest

as soon as you start getting eggs, put them in the incubator,(you don´t need alot of them about 10)....of this cross all the males will have light skin color and light colored shanks, but the Females will have Dark skin color and Dark colored shanks...WHY? because the males are Heterozigous for FM/fm ID/id+ and the Females are Heterozigous FM/fm id+/- you see the Dominat sex-linked Inhibitor dermal melanin ID will mask the presence of FM FibroMelanosis..then Why the Hens show Dark skin? because hens get their only id+ sex linked gene from their dad.....

well pic the bigest and fastest growing roo and hen and mate them together(NOW you need to hatch alot of them, 50 if you can), this cross F2 will give you 25% light skin roosters and 25% light skin hens, CULL those ones, the rest of rooster and hens will all have Dark skin and Dark shanks..keep them, Now you have your breeding pen........GOOD LUCK

 

[weaveagarden]

Thanks that is great information. I am actually just thinking of raising a silkie for meat to see if I like the meat. In the 'Best tasting chicken breed' topic someone mentioned that they had tasted and do like silkie chicken meat best.
I hadn't even known that there were dark skinned chickens until coming onto this site. I was wondering if there were taste differences that were significant.
But the information that you have given is fascinating. I love to learn, and the information about combs elsewhere on the site is interesting, but this shows me a little bit about the breeding process. I am intrigued, and will explore more.
I am not sure if I will ever breed anything, but you did an excellent job of explaining it, and I appreciate that very much.

 

[nicalandia]

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to me all chickens tast the same...but then again here in nicaragua we eat lizards, iguanas, possums, gators, and just about anything that moves,...

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No prob...

 

[weaveagarden]

And you have the absolutely best tasting coffee in the world IMHO to go with your lizard and whatever else. I buy green Organic Nicaraguan 5 deJuno free trade from Seven Bridges and roast it myself to a nice city roast. French Press it next day to a deep dark coffee (like espresso). It will be great with my nice fresh eggs this coming winter (I hope). Until then I enjoy it poured over icecream...... Next to heaven!

Is 5 deJuno something you know about there at all?

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Well, in the particular asian demographics I am from....

1. The silkies are usually about 1lb at the market, but a live 3 lb bird will dress out at 1.5 but cost more to raise.
2. We use them for medicinal soup so the soup is drank and the bird is pretty much a mush at the bottom of the pot.
3. The light/dark meat ratio is the same as regular chickens, that said, the "black" is just pigment in the connective tissue which occures in skin, bones, and within the meat.
4. Treat them just like regular chicken unless there is some special presentation that is required. Many asians want head and feet on along with innards if not alive.
5. It's just like any other chicken other than pigment. Just as bony as any other bantie you try to eat.

 

[weaveagarden]

Thank you. Interesting that it is used for soup. Sounds like it is so small it would hardly be worth the effort. Mostly I was just curious. I think I will stick with my plans to use something more meaty for my meat chickens. I may decide to raise a silkie... But it will likely be as a pet instead.

Ah, so many plans, so many chicken breeds, and so very little time and space to raise them in.

 

[saddina]

The french dish I suspect you're thinking of is Coq au vin, made with wine and a splash of congnac.

Silkie roos taste fine.

 

[weaveagarden]

Quote:
It may be what they meant.... But it didn't sound like it. I think it was an english program, and they would certainly already be aware of Coq au vin I think. And that isn't specifically Silkie is it. I must admit I have never had the dish. But they were talking about Cognac exclusively as the marinade, not wine.

 

[nicalandia]

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..YES we have the best coffee in the world.....