Huntsman, they ARE chickens. What are you worried about? Addiction? Too late!
You deal with them the same as with large fowl, but you use up less space, less feed, and there's less poo to clean up. Three banty eggs equals two large eggs.
On the hard side, they fly like kites, and they can get out of a smaller hole in the fence.
My Dad used to tell us that their was nothing more protective than a Banty Hen. I saw it once when my cousin's Banty adopted some baby geese and she was an excellent mother to those geese. They are also good at ridding the yard of snakes, I understand, according to my father. I think they are really cute and I can see that maybe for a meat farmer maybe same work less product or small eggs for someone looking for big eggs.
I say this! If you think they are cute and you want some - why not. You may just find that they have a purpose. Like Short people have a purpose, I just can't figure out what it is!!! (Totally tongue and cheek comment there! I grew up an Amazon in California and all my friends were petite!)
I enjoy my bantam EE/silkie eggs the most, taste wise. They lay almost as well as my Reds but not quite. Well, not when they're broody of coarse but then you get baby chicks. I've got a broody hatch'n eggs as I write, I can hear one chirp'n, more babies very soon!!! You get full character in half the size, I love having the bantam's in my flock!
Kitty- my banty's have stood up extremely well with the cold weather we just had in FL, 20's but compare to some places that's warm. I did notice the 20-30 degree weather virtually had no effect on them what so ever, I think they liked it.