Bantam chickens.. a friendly discussion about all pure and mixed breeds.

[Arbutus Peregrine]

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WOW! Really beautiful birds! My Dutch girls don't have the bigger combs that I see on the show birds. Or is that first photo not a Dutch? The Rosecomb is incredible!

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

The emojis are so funny. I don't know how you all do that!
There's a breed for everyone... you don't have to like them all, right? I'm afraid they all grow on me... just like dog breeds, cat breeds, horses, goats...etc. They all have their strengths and their attractive qualities!

 

[Fueron]

WOW! Really beautiful birds! My Dutch girls don't have the bigger combs that I see on the show birds. Or is that first photo not a Dutch? The Rosecomb is incredible!

Thanks! It’s a Dutch Bantam. She’s about a year and a half old, so her comb is really nice.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

ROOSTER QUESTIONS! (or wonders)
I've got two boys in with my 16 girls--all hatched together from the same hatchery, various breeds. I'm trying to keep these boys in my city (they are actually illegal to have in the city). All of my neighbors are supportive and one of my neighbors thinks I should keep ALL the boys(!). I don't think that neighbor has a clue what that will be like in the Spring when they open their windows and hear ten roosters at 3am!!
Anyhow... trying to keep the two and finding homes for the eight other sweet boys.
But I have wonders about the two. One is a tiny little Dutch guy...the smallest bird I have. He had a difficult start to life but is very healthy now. He tries to mate with the girls maybe once a day--not too often and they usually yell at him. The other is a big D'Uccle and he has never once shown signs of wanting to mate with the girls. He has always been stoic and serious in general and shy with me...He is a wonderful rooster who is always looking out for the girls. Really takes his job serious. Very cuddly with them but I've never once seen him try to mate with them. He is really good to the other cockerel, too. He will roost next to him at night (I have photo evidence on more than one occasion!) and he has only given the little guy dirty looks now and then and chased him a few times...but let's face it, the little Dutch is naughty and deserves it!
Are these boys just suddenly going to start mating with the girls non-stop? I'd rather they didn't of course! But I'm very attached and don't want to rehome them. At 4 months old, should they be showing more signs of interest in mating? Can I have reasonable expectations of peace?!
THANKS!

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

Thanks! It’s a Dutch Bantam. She’s about a year and a half old, so her comb is really nice.

Okay, maybe my girls who are just 4 months will eventually have bigger combs. These Dutch girls are sooo sweet. Really adore them.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

SQUASH!
Another random topic...
It's Halloween time and my birds haven't wanted to eat pumpkin the few times I've given it to them--raw and cooked. But from a very early age they have LOVED spaghetti squash! Do your bantams like pumpkin???

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

What pretty girls! I see they have little leg bands. I'd like to put leg bands on my Sebrights and Blue Rosecombs because it takes me FOREVER to tell them apart... and THEY HAVE NAMES!! I have to call them their correct names! But the others are a lot easier to tell apart! I've looked at leg bands and unsure about sizes and if it would attract pecking from other chickens. What advice do you have?

Oh, yes, I definitely understand needing to tell them apart for properly calling them by their names! I've never had pecking problems with leg bands over the years, so the only difficulty is finding the right size and getting them on. Sometimes those birds can really give you a fight when you're trying to band them!

The leg bands they're wearing in that picture were 9mm EZ Elastic Rings that I got from Foy's (link: https://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/leg-bands/2792-e-z-elastic-rings-starter-kit-size-9mm-20-of-each ), which were a recommendation of a friend and I honestly love them! They come in a bunch of sizes and are perfect for newly hatched chicks all the way up to tiny bantams! That said, I'm not sure how your Sebrights and Rosecombs compare in size to those OEGB girls, who are truly tiny, even smaller than my own Sebright hen.

You can also get small zip ties at a hardware store or sometimes even a general store in multi-color packs, and they work well for leg bands as long as you're careful not to tighten them too much. Zip until they're just tight enough that they won't slip off over their foot, and then snip off the excess so it's not dragging. With zips, you'll also want to keep a close eye on them just to make sure they don't get too tight. If your birds are older and fully grown, that's less of a concern, but still best to check every now and then to be safe. Those two OEGB girls are in zip ties now, only really because the EZ rings were meant for babies and they're not really babies anymore. This picture is more recent and shows Vega with her zip tie band on, loose enough to be comfortable without being so loose that she can get it off:

There are a lot of other leg band options, too, which I'm sure others can recommend or review. These are just what I've used with my birds here.

 

[Fueron]

Okay, maybe my girls who are just 4 months will eventually have bigger combs. These Dutch girls are sooo sweet. Really adore them.

My 4 month old Dutch have small combs too. Their combs will start to get larger and redder when they start to lay. What variety of Dutch do you have?

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

Oh, yes, I definitely understand needing to tell them apart for properly calling them by their names! I've never had pecking problems with leg bands over the years, so the only difficulty is finding the right size and getting them on. Sometimes those birds can really give you a fight when you're trying to band them!

The leg bands they're wearing in that picture were 9mm EZ Elastic Rings that I got from Foy's (link: https://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/leg-bands/2792-e-z-elastic-rings-starter-kit-size-9mm-20-of-each ), which were a recommendation of a friend and I honestly love them! They come in a bunch of sizes and are perfect for newly hatched chicks all the way up to tiny bantams! That said, I'm not sure how your Sebrights and Rosecombs compare in size to those OEGB girls, who are truly tiny, even smaller than my own Sebright hen.

You can also get small zip ties at a hardware store or sometimes even a general store in multi-color packs, and they work well for leg bands as long as you're careful not to tighten them too much. Zip until they're just tight enough that they won't slip off over their foot, and then snip off the excess so it's not dragging. With zips, you'll also want to keep a close eye on them just to make sure they don't get too tight. If your birds are older and fully grown, that's less of a concern, but still best to check every now and then to be safe. Those two OEGB girls are in zip ties now, only really because the EZ rings were meant for babies and they're not really babies anymore. This picture is more recent and shows Vega with her zip tie band on, loose enough to be comfortable without being so loose that she can get it off:

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There are a lot of other leg band options, too, which I'm sure others can recommend or review. These are just what I've used with my birds here.

Wow! Thanks so much! That will get me started, for sure. Gosh your birds are gorgeous!!

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

My 4 month old Dutch have small combs too. Their combs will start to get larger and redder when they start to lay. What variety of Dutch do you have?

I have Black-breasted Red Dutch and Blue Dutch (I think the Blue are actually Blue Splash?!) They are all really sweet. I just put a photo on my Avatar and that's Amy... one of the Blue Dutch.
Is yours a Gold Partridge or Red Dutch?