Hennie Pennie

Hennie Pennie is a Silkie Bantam chicken.

Silkies have characteristics that set them apart from the other breeds of chickens; the texture of their feathers is almost fur or silk-like in appearance. Feathers have several parts to them. The quill grows from beneath the skin then tapers off up the center of the feather to become the shaft. From each side of the shaft comes the web: tiny strands held together by small hooks or barbicels. The barbicels are small hook-like structures on barbules that link adjoining barbules to form the rigid, interlocked structure of the feather vane, giving the feather its typical appearance. Silkie chickens lack the hooks on the ends of the tiny strands of the web, causing their feathers to fluff. They have topknots or crests on their heads and abundant feathers growing down their legs and middle toe.

Silkies are among a few breeds of chickens that have five toes instead of the usual four. They are the only chicken to have black or dark slate-blue skins. They come in many colors. Hennie Pennie is a beautiful white color with blue patches on her cheeks.

She loves strutting around the yard, always under my watchful eye in case the hawk is flying overhead. She lays 1 small egg a day, a soft brown color. Clucking and cooing, she constantly chats to herself. When frightened, she zigzags around looking for cover--usually found under my feet.

She is great fun to have around and brings many smiles to our faces. We are planning on getting a new friend for her in the spring. But in the meantime, she enjoys sitting on mine or Mike's knee, clucking, and thinking she is larger than she actually is.