Dumb question about bantams from a noob

[Rillion]

Okay, so bantams confuse me. I was thinking about getting a couple along with my regular flock, but Ideal only sells them as straight run. This worries me because I don't want any male chickens. My assumptions are that male bantams will:

a) crow,
b) mate with females, and
c) (obviously) not lay eggs

Am I wrong about the first two? If not, then doesn't it seem odd that Ideal would refuse to sex their bantam chicks-- or are they just impossible to sex that early so they can't do it? This seems unlikely to me as MyPetChicken will sell bantam pullets specifically, but I'd prefer to buy from Ideal since they're just a short distance south of me and I could actually go pick up the chicks myself.

I would really, really like to have a couple of sebrights or cochin bantams....but the risk of getting a male seems too great to try it. Am I missing something here?

 

[pinguin]

Quote:
All 3 of the above. No different than their full-sized brethern. Sexing chicks is labor intensive except for sex-links & a few other breeds that tend to have distinguishing characteristics like the head spots on Barred Rocks.

You may get lucky with straight run & have all pullets. But you may not. For example, out of 33 10-week-old chicks, about half are pullets, but only 4 out of 11 EEs. Last years RIRs were split evenly between pullets & cockerels.

We love our wee birds. Not much meat on those boys, but the girls lay good-size eggs for their size. And their food/housing requirements are much less than full-size fowl.

 

[SFF]

you may want to check out www.mypetchicken.com I know some people that have gotten sexed bantams from them. They offer sexed bantams with a low minimum order. They seemed to be decent pet quality birds.

 

[Rillion]

Quote:

This seems unlikely to me as MyPetChicken will sell bantam pullets specifically, but I'd prefer to buy from Ideal since they're just a short distance south of me and I could actually go pick up the chicks myself.​

 

[Zahboo]

Bantams are harder to sex and are too small to safely (quickly) vent sex, so most places don't sell them sexed. Mypetchicken.com has some pretty lil birds. You may be able to find some started birds in your local area though

 

[Bwaaak!]

Its a hard decision isnt it Rillion.

I also got straight run banties. ::drum roll:: Ohhh my god! I had about half of them turn out to be "crowers".

Thank goodness an elderly gentleman wanted the boys. I asked him what he was going to do with them and he said "It gives me a reason to get up in the morning". I know he said he had many pens; perhaps he will sell some. Eating them was not an option; too much work!

But I learned something that day. I will not be buying straight run. You fall in love with those boogers and it hurts to see them go.

Barb

 

[Rillion]

Bwaaak! :

Its a hard decision isnt it Rillion.

I also got straight run banties. ::drum roll:: Ohhh my god! I had about half of them turn out to be "crowers".

Thank goodness an elderly gentleman wanted the boys. I asked him what he was going to do with them and he said "It gives me a reason to get up in the morning". I know he said he had many pens; perhaps he will sell some. Eating them was not an option; too much work!

But I learned something that day. I will not be buying straight run. You fall in love with those boogers and it hurts to see them go.

Barb

Indeed! Seems like a lot of people here just shrug it off if they get roosters, because they know people who will take them or they live out in the country where having a rooster isn't a big deal. But in my neighborhood, it's pretty much a deal-breaker-- having a little crower out there would drive the neighbors crazy, not to mention my boyfriend!

Sigh. Now I guess I have to decide whether to buy from Ideal and not get any bantams, or order from MPC and have to deal with chicks-by-post. Decisions, decisions.......​

 

[City Gardener]

I got bantam brahmas from my pet chicken. They are 8 weeks now and I really really really think they are all hens. (don't know how to do crossed-finger emoticons, but you know what I mean)

 

[Punk-Rock_Chicken]

I just got an OEGB bantam roo this past Saturday. He's 1 yr. old and his crow is so quiet! The neighbors Chahuahua barks louder. Maybe the crowing won't be so bad? I did have to get rid of a RIR and BR roos this past weekend though, because of the crowing.

 

[cthrash1]

In my Ideal order last year I bought 2 Porcelain Dutch(both ended up girls), 1 BTB Dutch (male), 2 BTB Japs(ended up a pair). Had more but that was all the bantams.