Mechelse Orloff
CCP
The various phenotypes show characteristics of the thirteen different chicken breeds that were crossed into this generation of the Cosmopolitan Chicken Project / recognisable traits from Belgium, France, Great Britain, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, Turkey, Cuba, Italy and Russia.
Silky
China
Perhaps originated in Southeast Asia / chicken breed with many atypical characteristics, such as particularly fluffy (silk-like) black plumage, dark blue meat and bones, blue earlobes, five toes on each leg (instead of four) / Marco Polo was the first Westerner who saw a Silky.
Expedition
Originally invited to China for speaking engagements, Vanmechelen used his time in the country to scour local markets in search of the Silky. A few specimens of the Silky were displayed at the exhibition he produced for the Zendai Museum.
Birthplace of the first chicks
Meeuwen-Gruitrode, on Koen Vanmechelen's home farm
First showing
14th Generation – Mechelse Silky
Zendai Museum (Himalayas Center), Pudong Shanghai (CN), 2010
The unexpected, the appeal of the chicken
Serendipity at work...
The Silky is a small but strong chicken breed. It is of great importance for scientific research on immunity, in the context of the CCRP.
