Silkie as quail and pheasants. Silkies are considered a bantam breed in some countries, but this varies according to region and many breed standards class them officially as large fowl; the bantam Silkie is actually a separate variety most of the time. Almost all North American strains of the breed are bantam-sized, but in Europe the standard-sized is the original version. However, even standard Silkies are relatively small chickens, with the males weighing only four pounds (1.8 kg), and females weighing three pounds (1.36 kg). The American Standard of Perfection calls for males that are 36 ounces (1 kg), and females
Silkie oz) (12in)and for the female, 907 g (32 oz)(10in). The "Australian Poultry Standard" and "British Poultry Standard" call for Silkie bantams much smaller; in the Australian, the standard weights are 680 g (25 oz) for males and 570 g (20 oz) for females. The British standard weight for bantam Silkies is 600 g (22 oz) for males, and 500 g for females (18 oz). Silkies are also known for their polydactyly, usually manifesting as an additional 1-2 digits in the foot. The genetic cause of this extra digit formation has been shown to be a SNP in a regulator of