Silkie SOUP!?

While we think our Silkies are too cute to eat, these black skinned birds have been venerated in Chinese traditional medicine for more than 1,000 years. Culturally, soups and stews made from Silkies have been used to restore health and strength.

Silkies, with their black skin, meat, and bones, have proven to be good for what ails you. 

“As a kind of folk invigorant and a source of traditional Chinese medicine, the Silkie meat is used to reinforce body immunity and protect from emaciation and feebleness,” stated the Tian, researcher from the Ministry of Education at Nanchang University. It also treats diabetes, anemia, menstrual cramps, and postpartum disorders, according to Tian. 

These research scientists believe that the naturally occurring peptide carnosine might be giving chicken soup medicinal value. Carnosine is an anti-glycating agent, preventing the chemical process of glycation and formation of advanced glycation end-products,. I know! What the heck does that mean? It means it cleans out and helps prevent junk getting stuck in our body like old rust in a car. Those AGEs may play a role in aging, so people take carnosine pills to get those effects.  

Carnosine is used to slow down aging and progressive disorders such as diabetes. None of that has been proven by research yet. Just 1000 years of use! To me THAT IS research but....

When researchers compared the meat of White Plymouth Rocks and Black Silkies, they found the Silkie meat had TWICE as much carnosine. If carnosine can help restore health, Silkie chicken soup is a great way to get it. 

Chinese medicine practitioner William Ceurvels stated that "the attributes in their meat make Silkie foods helpful in treating insomnia, lung deficiencies, and diseases such as tuberculosis. They have also shown to be helpful to build up strength in those who are in some way depleted. It’s recommended especially for women’s disorders, such as menstrual problems, menopause discomforts, and hot flashes." “As a folk remedy, it’s helpful after an illness, when the patient is still groggy and tired, when the body’s defenses are weakened,” he said. 

Chicken medicinals can also be prepared as a concentrate, boiling down the essence of 30-40 chickens along with herbs into a hyperconcentrated chicken broth. It can also be mixed with honey or dried and powdered into capsules. 

So, there you have it! Take two Silkies and call your doctor in the morning! 

Keep your sunny side up,

 Nancy

Info from an article by Christine Heinrichs in BackYard Poultry