“It’s just food colouring but it lasts a long time,” Chiltern Valley breeder Tania Craperi said.

“The kids go absolutely crazy over them. And they give you eggs, what a perfect pet.”

The top-to-toe makeover process is simple, but lengthy.

It starts with a mid-week salon appointment, of sorts.

The birds are bathed, and a few drops of food colouring are added to the water towards the end. Then the pampering starts.

Each bird is given a blow dry to help set its new blue rinse (or pink, purple, orange, green or yellow rinse).

They then spend time in a heated roosting room, which is a perfect place to be on chilly winter nights.

By Friday afternoon they are ready, literally, to strut their stuff.

The silkies are market regulars at Tocumwal, Violet Town, Benalla and Yarrawonga, where they are headed on Sunday.