Meet Topaz & Shade!

 Today we trekked up to Mequon, WI to meet one of the few Silkie breeders in the state, and as we found out, this part of the U.S.  We ended up with a pair one female and one... we'll see.  Due to the nature of the breed they can be difficult to sex when they are young.  They are both 2 months old and adorable. 

The breeder is the state representative for the American Silkie Bantam Club, incredibly active in 4H and was happy to give Sid some tips for showing. She also let Sidney know that her birds always show well and, any show they have been entered in have yielded 1st or 2nd place ribbons.  We learned a couple of new things right away....Silkie's have 5 toes!  Crazy to see, especially since we are so used to our little three toed flock.  Also, we learned that the roosters are very broody! 

So the little ones have been settled in, had their first baths (yes these are birds that need to be groomed) and are happily nestled in the basement.  Sidney has also already drawn templates into her 4H journal to use as introduction cards for them when they are shown. A new adventure has begun!