I've been dreaming of silkies for months and a few days ago I finally got two chicks for the outrageous price of 1200 pesos each, more than 50 USD. Silkies are a breed of chicken with special feathering, feet and they're actually black chickens meaning they have black skin and meat. They're known for being extremely sweet birds and have the extreme tendency to go broody, sitting on anything remotely egg shaped.

We've named the black one Pepper and the white one Salt. I left the light off in their area one night and they've developed a cold that they're fighting. Due to their young age the sickness is more than a little worrying but we're doing everything from giving them garlic and kombucha infused water to fresh air and sunshine, to chest rubs to help them breathe better.

Look at those cute feet. These are a chinese breed originally, not sure how they ended up with their interesting characteristics but I do like them.

They're known for the unique feathering, earning them nicknames like Puffbutts from enthusiasts. There are a lot of people out there that are a little obsessed with these birds, and I'll admit I kind of understand why.

Extra toes and furry feet.

The story behind getting these is cool. We mentioned to a friend that we wanted these special chickens but they were only found in places like Mexico City which is a far way away from here by our standards. He offered to get them for us while he was there this past week and he actually did, even driving two extra hours to see these two little guys. He delivered them that night and other than the fact that they are sick (which is likely my fault) I'm really happy with them.

So for now I take care of them and hopefully in a few days their cold clears up and they start getting healthy again. Their young age makes it so there's the chance they could die from it so we shall see. We aren't interested in giving them antibiotics, which is why they've been getting the garlic water.