Silkies are an ancient breed, considered to have begun in China during the Han Dynasty, in 200 B.C. Marco Polo mentioned a “furry chicken” breed as he recounted his travels through Asia in the 1400s, and the breed was officially recognized in North America in 1874.
 
There are some qualities that make Silkies a truly unique breed of chicken:
They have nearly black skin, face, comb, wattles and bones
Their feathers are hair-like in appearance and texture
They have five toes on each foot
They come in either bearded or non-bearded varieties
There is no large fowl version.