By Tania McGuire

Peers, Alberta, Canada

Yes! They do very well. I have to concentrate on this factor to spark Canadians' interest in the breed. Yes, you can eat the eggs they are no different, except they are smaller, two for your egg sandwich instead of one.

I have raised many breeds over the last twenty years and have found the Silkies to be the most cold tolerant, there were no Silkies lost in my flock of last year, due to frostbite. Even through a few ups and downs in the weather reaching down to -40 Celsius or so. I had one young hen that got chilled and needed assistance to lay an egg. Two days in my house, third day back out and no further problems. A healthy five hens that were in a camper trailer with no artificial light, or heat source until the last cold snap in March still managed quite well at popping out five eggs almost daily. In this trailer I had one barnyard chicken with a normal single typed comb amongst them, and this bird had caught really bad frostbite around on the face and comb. The bird was in severe pain and had to be put down, the damage was extensive.

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