Nankin Bantams

I have Nankin hens and roosters. They stay close to the coop and don't seem to want to range far away. Even though they can fly over the fence, they tend to stay inside the fence since it is a large fenced area.

I get about 3 tiny white eggs a week from our one hen that has started to lay (she is older than the others). I am going to let them breed and brood their own young. 

The reason I love them SO much is that the roosters are very nice to me. No aggression noted at all, and they get along with each other fairly well, too, even though there is the usual rivalry over mating. I want to keep all the boys and not send them away because of their gender. This seems to be a breed that I will be able to do this with (although I may need a rooster pen someday).

They are very flighty and do panic when I catch them to dust them at first. But I have noticed that the older Nankins are much calmer, and the hen who is laying will simply hold still when I grab her with the fishnet in the coop. She is perfectly calm as I dust her with Poultry Dust. The roosters and pullets are very flighty when I hold them for procedures.

They are brave and at the top of the pecking order over my d'Uccles. When confronted with a large fowl, they do try to be brave but after a Nankin pullet almost got squashed by a Buff Orpington hen (I heard horrible cries although she wasn't apparently injured) I decided to keep them in the bantam pen.

This is the second time that I have had Nankins. I missed them so much after selling them the first time around that I went to the breeder and bought more. 

Having the Nankins and d'Uccles together in the same pen works well, as they are both good fliers, good personalities, and about the same size! 

Edited to add: I ended up giving away the roosters as their crowing at 4 am wasn't to my liking. I did keep the hens and may buy more roosters in the future if I downsize on the other roosters that I have. I think the crowing was due to 5 other roosters being in the coop with them (crowing contests). I still love this breed and am seriously considering trying again with more roos. They were the most docile roos that I have ever had. Even more docile than the d'Uccles.

  I will post a picture as soon as I can and update my review as time goes on and I learn more about these little birds.

My birds are hatchery birds so I do not know how well they do or do not conform to the standards.  My interests are purely for enjoying new and interesting birds.  I don't show.  I raise for eggs to eat .  I also like to raise eggs under broody hens so I like to find good mama birds.

So far my Nankins have been adorable little chicks.  They are by far the most docile chicks I have ever had and that includes my silkies.  They are always anxious to see me when I walk into to the room and will fly up the the edge of their brooder.  They will climb into my hands and seem to enjoy being coddled.  They are always curious about what is going on around them.  They are in with 5 mystery bantams I picked up at a feed store and 4 Russian Orloffs, all the same age.  Only one little chick seems a bit nervous but she has something wrong with one of her eyes and I don't know if here vision may be impaired.

They started flying well early.  This may be a draw back when it comes to keeping them safely housed.  So far however, they seem content to roost on the edge of their brooder and if they do come down for a walk about the room, they return to their flock of their own accord.

I think I am going to enjoy these little birds.  I do hope any roosters remain docile.