Silkie

The Silkie (sometimes alternatively spelled Silky) is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and appear in various colors.

In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm, friendly temperament. Among the most docile of poultry, Silkies are considered an ideal pet. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and make good mothers. Though they are fair layers themselves, laying about three eggs a week, they are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species.

History

It is unknown exactly where or when fowl with their singular combination of attributes first appeared, but the most well documented point of origin is ancient China (hence another occasionally encountered name for the bird, Chinese silk chicken). Other places in Southeast Asia have been named as possibilities, such as India and Java. The earliest surviving written account of Silkies comes from Marco Polo, who wrote of a furry chicken in the 13th century, during his travels in Asia. In 1598, Ulisse Aldrovandi, a writer and naturalist at the University of Bologna, Italy, published a comprehensive treatise on chickens which is still read and admired today. In it, he spoke on "wool-bearing chickens" and ones "clothed with hair like that of a black cat".

Silkie (disambiguation)

A Silkie is a breed of domestic chicken. Silkie also may refer to:

See also

List of Teen Titans characters

This is a list of the major and minor characters featured in and/or created specifically for the Cartoon Network and Kids' WB animated series Teen Titans and related properties.

Original Titans

Beast Boy

A former member of the Doom Patrol, Beast Boy leaves the group in an effort to become a solo superhero; by sheer happenstance stemming from Lord Trogaar's pursuit of Starfire, he finds himself joining a new team of heroes: the Teen Titans. His early training under the tutelage of the Doom Patrol is highly disciplined and militarized, leading him to address more experienced heroes as "Sir" in the beginning. As time wears on, he would become less serious and acts as the merry prankster and comic relief of the Teen Titans. In the two-part episode "Homecoming," his real name is revealed to be "Garfield," as in Garfield Logan.

As his name suggests, Beast Boy is able to mutate his human DNA in order to take the forms and abilities of virtually any beast of the animal kingdom, ranging from a microscopic amoeba to the largest of the ancient dinosaurs. Through this mutation, his skin, eyes, hair, and even his animal forms are a deep shade of green. His ears are protracted making them appear elfin, and one of his lower canine teeth is elongated into a fang that often can be seen jutting out from his mouth. Even as a Teen Titan, he still wears his purple-and-black Doom Patrol uniform (sans a mask he wore with the group) which is able to morph in accordance with his animal forms. It is implied in a handful of episodes that this power evolves as Beast Boy ages, later allowing his transformations to become more complex. He eventually developed the uncontrollable ability to transform into a ferocious and violent werewolf form.