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
Bird ringing often shared throughout North American banding operations. This way information on retrapped birds is more readily available and easy to access. When deciding on bird banding equipment one must decide what species of bird they'd like to focus on. Many of the supplies used during an operation are determined by how big a bird is. The essential equipment includes a bird identification guide, mist nets, banding pliers, leg gauge, wing ruler, and a digital scale. However, before starting a bird banding operation a permit is necessary to purchase all of the equipment. This will then be taken into consideration that