Bantam Owners: Do you let your bantys go out in the cold?

Hi, I have an assortment of banties I am babysitting for Haleyluna (another member here)...........they are in with my standard hens/roo ...........all have access to henhouse and are free to go where they please inside the run.so far.our nights are now at 25* and they are fine........I do put hay in henhouse ,and straw. I don't use a heat lamp either.....

 

Yup...mine go outside in the colder weather. I have Banty Cochin Frizzles. We have had nights in the 20's as well. They seem to be doing just fine. When they get cold, they go back inside....for a snuggle in the straw.

 

I open the door in the morning and if they choose to go out they get to go out.

 

Over the years, I've had many different types of bantams. Like the last poster, open the door and they will decide. I only let mine out around 4PM because of hawks. They have gotten 2 already plus a bunch of my helmit pigeons. I think they are migrating through.

 

I have 16 hens right now (15 standard 1 little banty ) and my roo is a banty- they all live together in the same coop I have looked in at night to check on them when the weather has been really cold and I noticed that instead of using the perches they all huddle up together and the banties are in the middle of this big feather pile. In the morning I open the door and if anyone wants out they go out and when they are done playing in the snow they run back inside. My little banties seem to be doing fine with the snow so I guess as long as they have a place to go to get out of it I figure they will be fine.

Julie

 

egh, what breed are they?

 

I can't vouch for other breeds but the mille fleurs I know do everything the big birds do. They go outside with the rest. This will be their 2nd Mich winter. These birds are free ranged and have the access to the outdoors and the barn where their coop is. Infact the mille's fly and can get up into the hayloft if they wanted to. I find when the weather gets really cold or nasty the birds choose to just hang out in the barn.

 

My peeps free range all day I have silkies, a bantie cochin, 2 d'uccles, and 3 OE mixes that come and go out of their house at will. Iowa winters are cold and windy which really makes it cold They eat a ton more in winter but that helps keep them warm.

 

I think those are Old English Game Bantams, the roo looks like he's been dubbed.

I would let out those bantams, as mine free range all the time (not the silkies). The thing you have to watch for with those single comb breeds is frostbite. That's where the OE have it good- males have their combs cut off and females *shouldn't* develope large enough combs to have a problem. I know our undubbed OEGB are having a heck of a time with the cold, but our EE's are fine b/c of that nice tight little pea comb.