Heritage Bantam Thread

[gootziecat]

I'll probably be tarred and feathered for saying this, but one breed I think could be an outstanding utility chicken is the Silkie. They have been made into fru-fru chickens that can barely see to take care of themselves and some are pampered worse than a royal poodle. The SOP calls for a chicken that should have good meat qualities, and it has been my experience the hens can lay quite well until they go broody. Leghorns they aren't and it isn't expected. They are geared to reproduce and set, so one needs to accept that as bred into the breed. The dark meat may bother some but it is fine grained, tasty and it does contain more carnosine than white or yellow skinned chickens. The orientials knew what they were doing. Of the 3 pictures, note picture 3 with the partridge in the middle as he was the one I was aiming for.





A breed that has an outstanding breast development and very good layers their first year are the Cornish bantams. So far, they are hard to beat in the bantam meat department. Also, a picture of a few Cornish bantam eggs with a random medium store egg (taken directly from the carton), and a quarter, to give you perspective of size. That doesn't mean there aren't others that can't be excellent choices for dual purpose as the Cornish are something of a flash-in-the-pan as to dual purpose, unless managed properly.

 

[catdaddyfro]

• gootziecat

I'll probably be tarred and feathered for saying this, but one breed I think could be an outstanding utility chicken is the Silkie.


Well I'd say they fit right in here even though I'm not into them an all that good stuff but they are about as Heritage as one could get they are way older breed than most anything else posted on here and they for sure are Bantams so I say A+

no tar here, feathers yeah!

I have quite a few broodys here that have traces of Silkie in their backgrounds they sure put the set in setting/setters.LOL

Jeff

 

[AletaG]

I have mostly bantams and enjoy them very much. I got into bantams for several reasons. I'm an older woman and don't want to wrestle with a bigger bird. I also live alone and like to cook a bird that fits in my crockpot, and appreciate a bird that lays a large egg for its size. Bantams are practical, if you pay attention to what you're doing. For instance, don't have high ultility expectations for a modern game. Heritage bantams certainly have their place and more people should recognize what a great package they present. Maybe I should say could present. I have been surprised how few take bantams seriously for meat and eggs. If they are to be replicas of the LF SOP birds, why shouldn't they be utility birds in smaller packages?

Good point, Ms. Gootziecat. I intend to keep trying to encourage the OEGB and Nankin thread peeps to come on over here... perhaps there is already a lot of breed-specific threads like that? Hard to get peeps peeled away at first (Don't give up, Bob!)

Let me peel the mycelium off my fingers and slowly get back involved here (47hour mushroom cultivation course last week.)

 

[gootziecat]

Thank you both for your contribution and support.

I have an old SOP, but the description for the Silkie reads: "BREAST: Carried torward, very full, well rounded and of great depth and width." If no one told you, you might be thinking Orpington or Wyandotte was being described. The Wyandotte description pales in comparison, saying "broad, deep, round". I am not necessarily a Silkie supporter( although I do have a soft spot for them) simply because of what many are clammering to breed. That goes for many breeds. But I do believe there are a lot of bantam breeds that could be bred to be the best they can be. There isn't anything wrong with wanting to breed pets or have a lawn ornament; I'm guilty of it myself. But there shouldn't be any reason why a person is forced to raise 10# turkey sized chickens when all they need is a 1-3 pounder or maybe they only have a postage sized yard. If one looked, other dual purpose breeds could easily be pointed out.

 

[fowlman01]

Some oegb's






w.

 

[gootziecat]

Those oegb are beauties.

 

[AletaG]

So is the standard for adult male OEGB still 22oz? I mean, people eat quail, which are tinier still...

I'm trying hard to picture a useful Silkie. I've considered having them for broodiness, but if they could be eaten? Hmmm. Just never thought about it.

 

[fowlman01]

Silkies are eaten on a regular basis by Asians. Don't tell anyone I have these.

w.

 

[fowlman01]

So is the standard for adult male OEGB still 22oz? I mean, people eat quail, which are tinier still...

I'm trying hard to picture a useful Silkie. I've considered having them for broodiness, but if they could be eaten? Hmmm. Just never thought about it.

The weights in the APA/ABA are: C-24oz, H-22oz.

W.

 

[AletaG]

Silkies are eaten on a regular basis by Asians.

w.

Of course not... so, um, what show did you photograph them at? And is there a good breeder or two you'd recommend to someone to start off with good stock? And, under all that fluff, what on earth is a good 'type' for a silkie?

This thread *will* be edumacational, yeah?