Reviews by BantamLover21

I give these to all my birds, and every bird loves them! They might start out wary at first, but once they get a taste, they go crazy over the mealworms. Even sick birds seem to like the mealworms, and will often eat them if they aren't eating anything else. Not only do the mealworms apparently taste good, but they also offer a wonderful source of protein during molting season.

To feed, I usually just toss a handful on the ground, offer some in my hand, or let the birds eat out of the container.

The only disadvantage of this product is that it is somewhat expensive. Still, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to make their flock happy, train a skittish chicken, or encourage a sick bird to eat.

I used this incubator a few years ago after being given it by a friend. It was my first time incubating bantam chicken eggs, so I didn't start out with very high expectations. In the end, 2 chicks ended up hatching, giving me a little less than 50% hatch rate of fertile eggs.

I enjoyed the incubation, but this incubator does have a lot of flaws. The temperature is controlled by maneuvering aluminum foil around a small light bulb so that the heat reflects. This can keep the temperature high enough, but it is prone to fluctuations in temperature as external conditions change. Sometimes, the temperature in my incubator dropped, and other times it sharply spiked before I got it under control. Needless to say, it took some close monitoring to not freeze or cook the eggs.

Another disadvantage is the lack of humidity control. To change humidity levels, you fill the base of the incubator with water or suck some away (in my case, with an eye dropper). The incubator did a good job staying moist enough. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to check the humidity, since the incubator is rather small to fit a hygrometer in. Opening the lid to insert a hygrometer and then take it out cools the incubator and creates a risk of jarring the eggs or aluminum foil. Still, the incubator maintained adequate levels of moisture during most of my incubation.

One other slight flaw in the incubator is that it has no automatic egg turner. You have to hand turn the eggs 3-5 times daily, which runs the risk of accidentally messing up the temperature settings and humidity.

A last factor is the incubator's small size. That makes it great for a classroom or small-scale hatcher, but does limit the amount of eggs you can set. Since the incubator isn't the most reliable in terms of temperature and humidity, few eggs set means less chance of some hatching if something goes wrong.

Overall, I think the incubator performed as well as is possible given its design. Managing the temperature was time-intensive, but apparently didn't harm the chicks that hatch. Both chicks that hatched grew into fine, healthy birds with no deformities or other problems.

I used the Brinsea Mini Advance incubator this past spring to incubate Wyandotte bantam eggs. Overall, the incubator performed very well. The temperature remained steady and the automatic turner made daily maintenance relatively simple. No more worrying about hand turning the eggs several times a day! My hatch with the Mini Advance turned out pretty good, with 4 out of 5 fertile eggs hatching.

One point I would like to change about this incubator is its humidity control. In the center of the incubator, there is a small reservoir that you fill halfway with water during most of the incubation, and fill completely during the last three days. Supposedly, that makes the incubator have correct humidity. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell the humidity for sure. The incubator itself has no humidity monitor, and it is too small to place a separate humidity gauge in. You're left at the mercy of the incubator when it comes to keeping humidity correct.

Another point is the incubator's size. For small hatches (7 eggs or less), the incubator is a great investment. However, it does limit the number of eggs you can set at a time, which can be a disadvantage depending on how many chicks you want.

Still, I overall rate this incubator highly, and would recommend it for use by others.

I have one 2 1/2 year old Rhode Island Red hen from McMurray Hatchery. She lays about 6 eggs a week most of the year, and about 3 eggs a week in the winter. I've never had any frostbite problems with her single comb in the winter, and she has been disease-free. She is not particularly aggressive to other chickens or humans, though she pecks hard when she is eating from your hand. She is a calm leader of my flock. Her first molt occurred when she was nearly 2 years of age.

The only thing I don't like about my Rhode Island Red is her rather boring temperament. She isn't as affectionate as my other chickens, preferring to stay by herself. She does tolerate being held, though, and will come running to you for treats. Also, she is production in type, having been bred to lay eggs and not for show. This is a common problem with hatchery Rhode Island Reds; you can usually only get big, dark colored Rhode Island Reds from a breeder. Of course, this isn't a disadvantage to people who don't want to show poultry.

I use this feeder base, along with a 1-quart container, for all of my chicks. I really don't have anything bad to say about it--Its durable, showing no wear and tear after three years, simple to clean, and is easy for chicks to learn how to eat from. For about a dozen chicks that are 3-4 weeks of age, it holds enough feed for several days. In the case of the older chicks, a lot of the feed can get scratched out unless you raise it on a block of wood, but it still holds enough feed for at least a day. I've had no problems with chicks getting cut on any of the metal edges, and they soon learn how to eat from it. Overall, it is a great feeder, and I would recommend it to any chick-raiser.

This is the waterer that I use when raising chicks. In the three years that I've had the waterers (I have two of them), they've never cracked or faded much in color. The design of the waterer is such that cleaning is simple--just use a paper towel to wipe of the base and quart jar, and you're done. The red base ensures that chicks are attracted to the water, which helps them get used to drinking. Also, its nicely sized, supplying enough water for 1-2 days for about a dozen chicks. Of course, if it gets dirty, as is common, I end up replacing the water sooner.

The ease at which the waterer gets dirty is the main drawback of this waterer. It works great for the few 3 weeks or so, but older chicks soon start stuff it with wood shavings and feed. This can be slightly remedied by placing the waterer on a block of wood, but even that doesn't completely solve the problem. I usually end up changing the water 1-2 times a day when the chicks are older. Another, related problem pertains to the waterer leaking: If stuffed somewhat with shavings, or tipped at an angle, the water in the waterer sometimes gradually leaks out. This floods the bedding, creating a damp environment for the chicks, which isn't good. However, by the time the waterer is being pushed around, that usually means that it is time to switch to a larger adult chicken waterer.

My Easter Egger is one of the tamest, sweetest birds I have. Consequently, she is lowest in the pecking order, but she doesn't mind. She puts up with the other hens' bullying, and still lays plenty of beautiful blue-green eggs. While she isn't my best layer, my Easter Egger has always consistently laid large, well-formed eggs, and continues to lay in the wintertime. Even at 2 1/2 years of age, my EE is still laying like she did when she was younger.

At times, I've found Easter Eggers to be timid. However, if handled enough when young, this is not the case. My Easter Egger follows me around, and loves eating treats such as mealworms and grubs. She'll happily eat dandelion leaves, even the roots and stems of them, which is something that my other chickens don't do. She is a pretty good flier (also something that my other chickens are not), but does not try to escape using her abilities. My Easter Egger is alert, and has been known to chase away a hawk if it swoops down on her and a ranging flock. She is excellent at hunting insects, too.

The last thing that I find great about Easter Eggers is that they come in so many colors. In fact, they can come in any chicken color. My own Easter Egger is a beautiful partridge color. Her feathers are always in great condition, and are extremely soft and silky. She dust bathes often to keep herself free from parasites, but always preens well afterward.

Overall, the Easter Egger is a great breed of chicken for the small-flock owner. Their colorful feather patterns will make any flock more interesting, their eggs will make egg baskets more complete, and their temperaments will make them a delight for children to hold and care for.

Of the several breeds of chicken that I have. the Dutch Bantam is probably my favorite. The males, in particular, are very pretty, but even the females have beautiful, soft feathers and bright eyes. Often, they have "conversations" with you, making sweet chirring noises in response to your voice. Though great fliers, they rarely try to escape by flying, much preferring to sit still and be petted.

The cocks are always entertaining to watch when they are around the hens. They never give up trying to court the hens, and are always finding (supposedly) delicious dry grass, random insects, and fallen leaves that they think that their little females will like. The hens just look at the cocks disgustedly, as though saying "Really? I won't eat that!". But, despite the males' hopelessness, both sexes get along together. The males ensure that the females are always fertile, but they rarely rip out any feathers, and don't over-mate the hens.

Dutch Bantams, though not very common in the United States make great show-birds. The males always show themselves very nicely; however, the females can be a bit lazy, and not hold their tails right. They also make great showmanship birds for kids just getting started in raising and showing chickens. They tame very easily, learn how to pose quickly, and, once accustomed to being held, do not struggle. While some cocks may be aggressive, especially when guarding their hens, if handled enough, a little 21oz. cock poses a very small threat.

When purchasing Dutch Bantams for show, keep in mind, though, that a lot of Dutch Bantams in the United States, particularly those from hatcheries, have Old English Game Bantam crossed into them to improve the color. This destroys the type, makes the earlobes red instead of white (they should be white) and lightens up the leg color, which should be a nice dark blue slate. Show-quality Dutch Bantams can generally only be bought from breeders, not hatcheries. This may be difficult to do, as there are very few breeders with pure Dutch, but it pays off in the end. Over in Europe, there is quite a different story. There, where Dutch Bantams were first developed, the Dutch Bantam is highly standardized. European birds have great type and coloring, and are truly a magnificent sight to behold.

If kept under the right conditions, Dutch Bantams are very hardy, productive birds. They don't mind hot weather, and (at least the hens) can withstand cold weather well. Rain doesn't faze them, and they will happily go out in dewy grass. They are great hunters of grasshoppers and other insects. So far, I've never had any serious problems with disease in my Dutch Bantams. The hens are pretty good layers of small white or cream colored eggs, and, though they do go broody, are generally easily broken up. The males are amazingly fertile, with (under proper conditions), over 90% of the eggs I set hatching.

Basically the only major disadvantage of the Dutch Bantam is that the males' large combs are susceptible to frostbite in cold weather. This can be prevented by keeping the temperature in the coop above freezing by use of a heater or heat lamp, by rubbing Vaseline on the combs, or (though this can't be done to show-birds--only breeders), dubbing of the comb.


In conclusion, Dutch Bantams make excellent pets and show-birds. I would definitely recommend them to anyone interested in raising small, sweet birds with big personalities.

I raise and show White Wyandotte Bantams. I've found them to be enjoyable little birds, with neither the cocks nor the hens being aggressive to humans. Their fluffy looks make them an attraction at any poultry show. Because of their small, low rose combs, they do not get frostbite in cold weather; despite this small comb, they bear hot temperatures well, too. The hens make sweet cooing noises, which the cocks often answer with an enthusiastic rumbling purr. Immature males can be a bit rough to the hens, but as they mature, they become more gentlemanly.

The only problems that I've had with my Wyandottes is that my breeding male has not had good fertility. Out of three batches of eggs that I set last year, only one chick hatched. I saw the cock mating the hens, but he just wasn't fertile. However, I suspect that this infertility is related to the inbred line that he came from. Also, my hens haven't been particularly prolific layers, but, then again, they came from the same line as the male, so they might not be as vigorous as others.

Another thing with Wyandotte bantams is that you should check regularly for mites. The males in particular seem to always have some parasite crawling around on them. The hens, though, rarely have any problems.

Overall, I think the Wyandotte, and specifically, the Wyandotte bantam, is a good bird for someone who wants a sweet, beautiful chicken. They get along great with kids, and are enjoyed by everyone. Most are bred to a high standard of excellence, so they usually do well at shows, too.