APA Standard Of Perfection for Bearded Silkie

Used with Permission of the American Poultry Assn, for educational purposes only

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§         Comb: Male - Walnut - set firmly and evenly on head, almost circular in shape, preferably broader than longer, with a number of small prominences over it, a slight indentation or furrow, transversely across the middle, rising at a point just forward of the nostrils and extending backwards to a point parallel with the front of the eyes.
Female - Walnut, very small, well formed. Rest of the  description same as the male.

§         Beak:  Short and stout, curving to a point.

§         Face:  Surface smooth, skin fine and soft in texture.

§         Eyes:  Large, round and prominent.

§         Wattles:  Male - Non-Bearded: medium size, concave, nearly round, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.  Bearded - very small, concealed by beard., natural absence preferred. Female - Non-Bearded: small, concave, forming a half circle, fine texture, free from wrinkles or folds.  Bearded: small to nonexistent, concealed by beard.

§         Ear-Lobes:  Male - Non-Bearded:  small, oval, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.  Bearded:  very small, almost concealed by muffs.  Female: very small, rest of description the same as the male.

§         Crest:  Male - medium size, soft and full. as upright as comb will permit, having a few silky feathers streaming gracefully backwards from lower and back part of crest.  Female:  medium size, soft and full, globular, upright, well balanced.

§         Head:  Moderately small, short, carried so that a line drawn parallel with tip of the tail will bisect the comb.

§         Beard & Muffs:  Bearded varieties - thick, full, extending back of eyes and projecting from sides of face and composed of feathers turned horizontally backwards, from both sides of the beak, from the center, vertically downwards, the whole forming a collar of three ovals in a triangular group, giving a muffed effect.

§         Neck:  Short, gracefully arched, with a very full hackle flowing well over the shoulders.

§         Back: Male - short, broad from shoulders to saddle, quite rounded its entire length rising gradually from middle of the back towards tail.  Female - short, broad from shoulders to cushion, quite rounded its entire length, rising gradually from middle of back towards tail.

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    Disqualifications: 
     *  More or less than 5 toes
   *  Absence of beard or muffs.
     *  Shanks not feathered down outer sides
See APA Standard for Other DQs and cuts

§     Saddle:  Male - Rising from back at base of cape, very broad and round, plumage profuse and long, lower saddle feathers flowing over tips of wings and mingling with fluff.

§     Cushion:  Rising from back at base of cape, very broad and round, plumage abundant.

§     Tail:  Male - short, very shredded at ends, well spread at base, filled underneath with an abundance of soft feathers which are overlapped by coverts and lesser sickles, the whole forming a duplex curve with back and saddle.  Sickles, lesser sickles, and coverts - abundant, soft, well curved, without hard quills, concealing main tail feathers.  Female - short, very shredded at ends, well spread at base, filled underneath with an abundance of soft feathers which are overlapped by cushion and coverts, the whole forming a duplex curve with back and cushion.

§     Wings:  Medium size, closely folded, carried well back and nearly horizontal, well above the lower thighs ending short of stern.  Shoulders and fronts: concealed by hackles and breast feathers.  Bows and coverts:  Very well rounded.  Primaries:  medium length, well shredded, tapering convexly to stern, tips concealed by saddle feathers.

§     Breast:  Carried forward, very full, well rounded and of great depth and width.

§     Body And Fluff: Body of moderate length, broad, deep and well rounded from breast bone to stern and let down well between the legs.

§     Legs and Toes: Male - Legs short and stout, set well apart, straight when viewed from the front.  Lower thighs: short, stout at top, tapering to hocks, abundantly feathered.  Hocks: covered with soft and silky feathers curving inwards about the hocks.
Shanks:  rather short, stout in boner, well feathered on the outer sides with silky plumage, the upper part growing out from thigh plumage and continuing into foot feathering.  Spurs:  medium size and length, set just above the 5th toe.  Toes:  five, the three front straight, well and evenly spread, the hind toe double, the normal toe in natural position and the extra toe placed above, starting from close to the other toe, but well formed, longer than the other toes and curving upwards and backwards; the outer and middle toe well feathered.  Female - same as male except no spur.  (Bare middle toe a serious defect in either sex)

Color: Bearded White Silkie 

§     Male & Female:  COMB, FACE, WATTLES: deep mulberry, approaching black. 

§     BEAK: Leaden blue

§     EYES: black