A little background. DH and I owned and ran a training kennel for 20+ years. The property was 12 acres and we lived on site. We also kept chickens for fun and eggs for many years. I had a coop for bantys and a separate coop for the big girls. A neighbors dogs got all of our flock and we didn‘t replace the flock so we were without for a few years. We sold our place and moved into semi-retirement last year. Anyway in a fit of boredom I took a part-time job at the local Tractor Supply. By default I became the go-to chicken expert in the store. I spend quite a bit of time taking care of the chicks, their food, water and bedding is always clean and fresh. As well as I’m usually the person who gets paged when newbies have questions about starting their own flock. I really enjoy this part of the job. I, of course, have started a flock of my own again so am pretty immersed in chicken keeping again.
So yesterday I was in the chicken pen and was helping a young family with getting started. The little boy was enamored with the bantam chicks. Like usual I asked them what their goal was in getting chickens, do they want them for eggs, meat, for pets, etc. They said they wanted to start out with about 6 chicks and their main need was eggs. I pointed out the Leghorns, the Isa browns and the Comet girls, all pullets. I told them that the bantams weren’t really known for being great egg producers and also their eggs were naturally smaller. By this point the little boy was so excited by any of them they decided to forego any bantams. I got them all the stuff they needed and they went happily on their way. Later in the day one of the other store managers came to me to tell me a customer had pulled her aside to tell her I was misinforming customers and that bantams were absolutely egg layers. I told the manager that I didn’t say they didn’t lay eggs (duh) but that wasn’t what they were generally kept for. So have things changed that much in the few years I was out and there are now bantams that are known for egg production? Keep in mind that the bantams we get at TSC are always a mixed bag and as I’m not as knowledgeable about them I never claim to be able to correctly identify the breeds. I can generally pick out the silkies, the Cochin, and the Polish, but even then I tell the customer that I’m guessing.
So yesterday I was in the chicken pen and was helping a young family with getting started. The little boy was enamored with the bantam chicks. Like usual I asked them what their goal was in getting chickens, do they want them for eggs, meat, for pets, etc. They said they wanted to start out with about 6 chicks and their main need was eggs. I pointed out the Leghorns, the Isa browns and the Comet girls, all pullets. I told them that the bantams weren’t really known for being great egg producers and also their eggs were naturally smaller. By this point the little boy was so excited by any of them they decided to forego any bantams. I got them all the stuff they needed and they went happily on their way. Later in the day one of the other store managers came to me to tell me a customer had pulled her aside to tell her I was misinforming customers and that bantams were absolutely egg layers. I told the manager that I didn’t say they didn’t lay eggs (duh) but that wasn’t what they were generally kept for. So have things changed that much in the few years I was out and there are now bantams that are known for egg production? Keep in mind that the bantams we get at TSC are always a mixed bag and as I’m not as knowledgeable about them I never claim to be able to correctly identify the breeds. I can generally pick out the silkies, the Cochin, and the Polish, but even then I tell the customer that I’m guessing.
