Bantam Care?

[Allie Grace Sanders]

I think I will be getting bantam silkie's to show in 4H. Do bantams have any special needs as babies? I have only raised standard sizers.

 

[Cyprus]

The only difference I've ever noted is that bantam chicks are extremely easy to accidentally drown....

I use quail waterers until they are 1 month old because every banty I tried a normal chick waterer on drowned in it for no reason.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Silkies are pretty near standard size. They are the largest bantam. No need to worry, methinks.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

What certain bantam breeds can you show?

 

[sylviethecochin]

What certain bantam breeds can you show?

Sorry, I don't understand the question.

 

[Kessel23]

I brood silkie chicks the same as I brood any other breed of chicken. They are tiny though so I guess you could kinda treat them like quail with marble waters. My adult silkies do have trouble in the winter with water freezing to their feathers so watch out for that. They have trouble free ranging because of their crests, I trim mine but that's only if you plan on free ranging them. Also, I have heard that feathers around the vent can cause some issues when poop gets stuck to them, I have only really experienced this with sick birds. Other than those things they are pretty much like a normal chicken breed. Some people think they are extremely dumb compared to other breeds and they have no survival instincts but in my experience that's again just due to their crest blocking their view. If a bird can't see then it will act pretty dumb in most situations.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Sorry, I don't understand the question.

I mean, are there certain bantams that are not recognized to show? Sorry, im a beginner with showing...

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Would you recommend a different breed for show?

 

[ChickNanny13]

The only difference I've ever noted is that bantam chicks are extremely easy to accidentally drown.... I use quail waterers until they are 1 month old because every banty I tried a normal chick waterer on drowned in it for no reason.

I've used the quail waterers also for bantams, ended up putting marbles/pebbles in them when I got a batch of "micro" Seramas. They were so cute & tiny ...

 

[Cyprus]

What certain bantam breeds can you show?

Any ABA recognized breed can be shown.

Specifically, bantam breeds that can't be shown include: Crossbreeds and Easter Eggers, Cream Legbars and bantam Marans if they exist, bantam SATIN silkies, bantam Australorp (?)