What a happy picture, a wonderful settling in story, and a feet trade for all involved! Love it. Book- aren't they nasty!? I just haven been able to bring myself to hatching any this year. Eww!! Sure you can add their poop to your pile, only thing is it's kind of a part OF the shavings when they finish and some don't want actual shavings in their pile from what I understand.Well I got my two bantam hens yesterday! They are both quite tame. They strutted in and took over the coop in less than 20 minutes (other birds are three 9 week old standard chicks and a 7 month old OEG bantam hen). Very pleased with them! No fighting, the other birds were a bit taken back by these two. The red banded one quickly decided to go in the coop and check it out, the chicks briefly tried to stop her from going in THEIR coop but she told them to "Get out of her way so no one gets hurt" and they sure did. She went right into one of the nest boxes and laid an egg about 15 minutes later. Also it is a good thing I got them, the breeder said I was doing him a favor by taking them as they are about 4 years old and and would have been sold by a friend of his at the Gainesville auction for a couple of bucks otherwise. He didn't charge me but I wanted to give him something in return, didn't know what would be a good thank you gift for a stranger and then I realized there is one thing all good ole' redneck boys like -- ammunition! So I gave him 60 rounds of .223 and he was very pleased.