What is a Showgirl chicken?

A Showgirl is a **Silkie carrying the naked-neck (Na) gene** — the same breed with a bare neck topped by a Silkie crest. It keeps every Silkie trait (five toes, black skin, walnut comb, silkied plumage) and lays the same small cream egg. It is not a separate APA-recognized breed.

Is a Showgirl just a Silkie?

Essentially, yes — it's a Silkie plus one gene. The Naked Neck (Na) gene bares the neck; everything else is Silkie. A Silkie is na/na (full neck), a Bowtie is Na/na (bare neck with a throat tuft), and a True Showgirl is Na/Na (fully bare neck).

Can you show a Showgirl?

Not in recognized-breed classes. The **Silkie is APA-recognized** and can compete in the Feather Legged Bantam class, but the **Showgirl is not recognized** and has no Standard of Perfection, so it's limited to novelty/ornamental or non-recognized classes. To compete in a recognized class, exhibit the feathered Silkies from the same lines.

What's the difference between a Showgirl and a Bowtie?

It's the number of copies of the naked-neck gene. A **Bowtie** is Na/na (one copy) — bare neck plus a small feathered tuft at the throat. A **True Showgirl** is Na/Na (two copies) — a fully bare neck with no tuft. Both keep full Silkie traits.

Do Silkies and Showgirls lay different eggs?

No. Both lay a small **cream to lightly tinted** egg at about the same modest rate (roughly 100–120 a year), with frequent broody breaks. The naked-neck gene changes neck feathering, not shell color, so the eggs are indistinguishable.

Which is better for a beginner?

Either — they have the same gentle temperament, broodiness, and care needs. Choose a Silkie if you might want to show in recognized classes or want a pen that breeds true; choose a Showgirl if you simply love the naked-neck look. Both are heavily feathered elsewhere, so give both shade and clean, dry bedding.

Silkie vs Showgirl

Verified September 2026

The short version

A Showgirl is a Silkie carrying the incompletely dominant Naked Neck (Na) gene — genetically the same bird, just with a bare neck (and, in the single-copy 'Bowtie' form, a small feathered tuft at the throat) topped by the usual Silkie crest. Everything else is identical: five toes, black skin and bones, a walnut comb, silkied plumage, and strong broodiness, plus the same small cream/tinted egg. The one difference that matters for exhibitors is recognition: the Silkie is APA-recognized (Feather Legged Bantam class) and can win in a recognized-breed class, while the Showgirl is not recognized and has no Standard of Perfection. Pick the Silkie if you want a showable breed; pick the Showgirl if you want the same bird with the naked-neck look and don't need recognized-class eligibility.

Attribute	Silkie	Showgirl
Neck feathering	Fully feathered, fluffy neck	Bare neck; single-copy 'Bowtie' keeps a small feathered tuft at the throat
APA recognition	Yes — Feather Legged Bantam class	No — not recognized, no Standard of Perfection
Genetics	na/na (no naked-neck gene)	Silkie + Naked Neck (Na) gene; Bowtie = Na/na, True Showgirl = Na/Na
Shared Silkie traits	Five toes, black skin/bones, silkied feathering, walnut comb	Same — five toes, black skin/bones, silkied feathering, walnut comb
Broodiness	Very broody — the hobby's go-to natural incubator	Very broody — inherits the same Silkie broodiness
Egg color & rate	Small cream/tinted, ~100–120/yr	Same small cream/tinted, same modest rate
Show eligibility	Recognized-breed classes at APA/ABA shows	Novelty / ornamental / non-recognized classes only
Breeding predictability	Silkie × Silkie breeds true	Bowtie × Bowtie throws ~25% fully feathered Silkie chicks
Heat tolerance	Heavily feathered — less heat-tolerant	Bare neck sheds a little more heat, but crest/body feathering still limits it

The verdict

Choose the **Silkie** if you want a bird you can enter in recognized APA/ABA breed classes, or if you want your breeding pen to run true generation after generation. Choose the **Showgirl** if you love the naked-neck look and want the same Silkie temperament, broodiness, and traits without needing recognized-class eligibility — just know that pairing two Bowties will still produce a share of ordinary feathered Silkie chicks. For most keepers it isn't really 'which breed' but 'which look': they're one gene apart, so many breeders keep both out of the same lines.

One gene apart

The whole difference between a Silkie and a Showgirl is the Naked Neck (Na) gene. A regular Silkie is na/na with a full, fluffy neck. A Bowtie carries one copy (Na/na): the neck is mostly bare, but a small cluster of feathers hangs on at the throat like a bowtie. A True Showgirl carries two copies (Na/Na): the neck is completely bare, with no bowtie tuft. Because the gene is only incompletely dominant, a single copy is already enough to bare the neck — which is why even a one-copy Bowtie reads as a Showgirl.

Everything below the neck is pure Silkie. Both birds should show five toes, black (mulberry) skin and bones from fibromelanosis, a walnut comb, and complete silkied — hookless — feathering, and both come in Bearded and Non-Bearded lines across the Silkie colors. A Showgirl is best thought of as a Silkie in a different collar, not a separate breed.

Showing and recognition

This is where the two part ways. The Silkie is an APA (and ABA) recognized breed, exhibited in the Feather Legged Bantam class and judged by color and beard status. A well-groomed Silkie can win in a recognized-breed class at a sanctioned show.

The Showgirl has no Standard of Perfection and is not recognized, so it cannot be entered as an APA breed. Where a show offers them, Showgirls are exhibited in novelty, ornamental, or 'any other variety / non-recognized' classes. Breeders who want to compete in recognized classes simply exhibit the fully feathered Silkies that come out of the same program.

Breeding: what each pen produces

A Silkie pen breeds true — Silkie × Silkie gives Silkies. A Showgirl pen is less predictable because of gene dosage. Bowtie × Bowtie (Na/na × Na/na) yields roughly 25% True Showgirl (Na/Na), 50% Bowtie (Na/na), and 25% fully feathered regular Silkie (na/na), so naked-necked parents routinely throw ordinary Silkie chicks. Breeding to a True Showgirl (Na/Na) raises the share of naked-necked offspring. Either way, select hard for full Silkie type — five toes, walnut comb, black skin, and silkied feathering — and cull the single combs, four toes, yellow skin, or hard feathering that leak in from the Naked Neck side of the original cross.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Showgirl chicken?: A Showgirl is a Silkie carrying the naked-neck (Na) gene — the same breed with a bare neck topped by a Silkie crest. It keeps every Silkie trait (five toes, black skin, walnut comb, silkied plumage) and lays the same small cream egg. It is not a separate APA-recognized breed.
Is a Showgirl just a Silkie?: Essentially, yes — it's a Silkie plus one gene. The Naked Neck (Na) gene bares the neck; everything else is Silkie. A Silkie is na/na (full neck), a Bowtie is Na/na (bare neck with a throat tuft), and a True Showgirl is Na/Na (fully bare neck).
Can you show a Showgirl?: Not in recognized-breed classes. The Silkie is APA-recognized and can compete in the Feather Legged Bantam class, but the Showgirl is not recognized and has no Standard of Perfection, so it's limited to novelty/ornamental or non-recognized classes. To compete in a recognized class, exhibit the feathered Silkies from the same lines.
What's the difference between a Showgirl and a Bowtie?: It's the number of copies of the naked-neck gene. A Bowtie is Na/na (one copy) — bare neck plus a small feathered tuft at the throat. A True Showgirl is Na/Na (two copies) — a fully bare neck with no tuft. Both keep full Silkie traits.
Do Silkies and Showgirls lay different eggs?: No. Both lay a small cream to lightly tinted egg at about the same modest rate (roughly 100–120 a year), with frequent broody breaks. The naked-neck gene changes neck feathering, not shell color, so the eggs are indistinguishable.
Which is better for a beginner?: Either — they have the same gentle temperament, broodiness, and care needs. Choose a Silkie if you might want to show in recognized classes or want a pen that breeds true; choose a Showgirl if you simply love the naked-neck look. Both are heavily feathered elsewhere, so give both shade and clean, dry bedding.

Sources

About Silkies (type, colors, walnut comb, five toes, black skin, bearded/non-bearded) — American Silkie Bantam Club (Breed club)
Silkie, Showgirl & Bowtie Genetics (Na gene, Silkie vs Bowtie vs True Showgirl) — Pip & Grow (Reference)
What is a Showgirl Chicken? (Silkie × Naked Neck overview, traits, temperament) — My Pet Chicken (Hatchery)