Bantams chickens for sale| keeping bantam chickens – Small but mighty, makes great poultry
Bantams are small, cute, and come in all different breeds and colors! They are a fun addition to any backyard flock and their small size means they eat less, poop less, and require less space than a standard size chicken. However, it’s best to learn all about raising and caring for these mini chickens before deciding to add them to your backyard flock.
Bantam Eggs
Many bantam chickens are excellent layers, although their eggs are, predictably, small. One friend prefers her bantam eggs to large fowl eggs. She finds one large fowl egg not enough, and two too many. But like Goldilocks and her porridge, two bantam eggs are “just right.”
Bantam eggs weigh only 1 to 1-1/4 ounces. A large chicken egg weighs 2 ounces, the usual ingredient in recipes. A small egg weighs 1-1/2 ounces; extra-large ones weigh 2-1/4 ounces, and jumbos weigh 2-1/2 ounces. Figure accordingly for cooking and baking. Weight isn’t the sole consideration: the proportion of yolk to white is higher in bantam eggs, which may affect some delicate gourmet recipes. If in doubt, give yourself time to try using bantam eggs in the dish before preparing it for a special occasion!
Some information about my bantam breeds
In 1900 a poultry breeder called Oskar Vorwek began to create a medium sized fowl. It is said that he liked this plumage as it didn’t show the dirt. The chicks start off with the plumage colours in reverse.
In 1966 an American man called Wilmer Vorwerk developed an interest in the breed and he created the bantam version. This version is now the recognised version in America.
They are good layers of cream coloured eggs. They are hardy, adaptable, alert and active. They have a single comb and white earlobes.
Bantam silver and gold laced wyndottes
The wyndotte is named from a native tribe in New York State. It is one of the original American breeds developed in the 1800’s along with domeniques, plymouth rocks and rhode island reds.
The original wyndotte was the silver laced variety developed in New York in 1865. There are numerous different colours now.
Bantam wyndottes are docile, hardy and good egg layers. They have a flat rose comb and sturdy legs.
Overall condition
Certain breeds of smaller hens make the perfect show birds and if you are interested in taking part in hen shows then keeping your bantams in perfect condition will stand them in good stead.
A well-balanced nutritious diet is crucial to keep your bantam flock happy, healthy and looking their best. Negative behaviours such as feather pecking can be caused by too little protein in a bird’s diet, as feathers contain protein. At the same time, too much protein can lead to problems such as digestive upsets and grouchy behaviour. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your birds are gaining the correct nutritional balance every day for their long-term health and overall condition.
Bantam (poultry)
A bantam is any small variety of fowl, usually of chicken or duck. Most large chicken breeds and several breeds of duck have a bantam counterpart, which is much smaller than the standard-sized fowl, but otherwise similar in most or all respects. A true bantam chicken is naturally small and has no large counterpart.
What are bantam chickens?
Bantams simply refer to the size of the chicken, not the breed. Bantams are available in many breeds, just like standard chickens. In fact, many standard breeds have a bantam equivalent — kind of like some breeds have miniature equivalents. There are also a few breeds that were developed as bantams and have no larger counterpart, such as the Sebright and the Silkie chicken.
What do bantam chickens weigh?
It’s typically said that bantams weigh about one-fourth as much as standard chickens. While weights of standard breed chickens are reported in pounds, weights of bantams are usually reported in ounces because most are less than two pounds.
Can you eat bantam chickens?
Yes! We love bantam chicken meat! When they reach three to four months of age, we pick the nicest and prettiest roosters for breeding, then we butcher the rest of the males.
One bantam cockerel makes a perfect meal for two people. We cut along each side of the spine to remove it, then we cut down the middle of the breast bone. Each serving includes a leg, thigh, breast, and wing. I love to marinate them in a lemon-garlic wine marinade for a few hours and then grill outside.
Florida Reptiles Home offers a variety of Bantam chickens for sale February through August of each year. Bantams are considered a miniature chicken. Cornish Bantams · Black Silkie Bantams · Splash Silkie Bantams · Buff Silkie Bantam
Bantam Chickens Make Great Broodies
Bantam chickens can make a wonderful small flock. Keeping three or four bantam hens increases self-sufficiency for anyone engaged in small-time poultry-keeping. Bantam hens, notorious for setting and brooding, make excellent surrogate mothers for many species of domestic poultry, including chickens, ducks, pheasants and turkeys.
They make perfect birds for those living on the grid, as well as anyone wanting to live off the grid. They are nature’s perfect incubator, egg turner and chick brooder, all built into one convenient, dependable unit. Best of all, they require no utilities or power to operate. They are one of the most convenient and trouble-free ways for a homesteader to increase their small production or laying flocks. Fertile eggs, from the best-producing birds in another flock, can be set under bantam broodies as a low-cost and highly successful way to increase the flock.
Bantam Chickens are most suitable for small backyards where space is premium.
Miniturised bantams
In Australia, miniaturized (bantam) varieties of most common chicken breeds are available, from popular breeds like Australis’s, Leghorns, Sussex and Rhode Island Reds, through to rarer breeds like Welsummers and Araucanas.
Generally speaking, miniturised bantams have similar characteristics to their standard breed counterparts. A breed that is known for egg production, such as Australorps and Leghorns, will generally produce well even in a bantam variety although the eggs will be smaller.
You can easily fit two bantams into the space required by one standard bird, and since they like to fly, building up will accommodate them well.
They may be small, but they are bursting with personality and happiness – of course, I may be biased since I have a small flock of Barbu D’Uccles!
The article below will explain the different types of bantams, care for them, their egg-laying ability, and much more.
Bantams vs standard chickens – which is best?
Why do people keep bantam chickens? If egg production is your goal, then a standard-sized chicken is often more productive. But there are many other reasons why people prefer bantams.
Why would you want a small chicken?
There are many benefits to keeping bantam chickens. But when comparing bantams versus standard chickens, there are a few aspects to consider including space, personality, egg laying, feed and breed
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
Bantams chickens
