Silkie (烏骨雞), meaning 'black-boned chicken'. Melanism which extends beyond the skin into an animal's connective tissue is a rare trait, and in chickens it is caused by fibromelanosis, which is a rare mutation believed to have begun in Asia. The Silkie and several other breeds descended from Asian stock possess the mutation. Disregarding color, the breed does not generally produce as much as the more common meat breeds of chicken. Silkies lay a fair number of eggs, of a cream color, but production is often interrupted due to their extreme tendency to go broody; a hen will produce 100 eggs in
The Silkie tour was subsequently cancelled. Two further singles released in 1966 failed to make either the UK or the US charts, and in the autumn the original Silkie lineup subsequently split. Mike Ramsden and Sylvie Tatler had married in January 1966, and they subsequently continued to perform as a duo version of The Silkie for a further 35 years (sometimes with their children) and often appeared at their local pub, The Cott Inn at Dartington, Devon. Ramsden also guested as a vocalist on the album "Western Flier", alongside the 20-year-old keyboard player Mike Batt, recorded in 1969 by the proto-psychedelic folk