bantam??

[blckbrnfamly]

ok I really know nothing, first off....
A coworker of my husband is trying to give chickens away to us. He says they are bantams..... that's what 'breed' they are! I thought bantam was a term for small, or something like that. He also said that they are very small, full grown and don't lay eggs... are his marble lost in never never land or do I jsut not know anything??
I didn't get a chance to see them, he says they are brown and have feathering on their feet. Any thoughts?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Could be any feather footed bantam BREED...lol! Bantam refers to size, not breed. Your smart, they're well...maybe just not so much

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Oh, and if they don't lay eggs....likely a bunch of unwanted roos.

 

[blckbrnfamly]

Quote:
That crossed my mind!!

 

[Chris09]

OK.
As by American Standard of Perfection a Bantam is:

A diminutive fowl; some being distinct breeds, other being miniatures of a large breed or variety, approximately one-fourth (1/4) to one-fifth (1/5) there weight. Usually ornamental in character, some breeds have considerable merit as egg producers; a few as meat fowl.

They could be a breed called a Booted Bantams.
http://www.belgianduccle.org/

Chris

 

[evonne]

or it could be your friend doesn't know any better and is just calling them what the feed store called them... and my bantams are almost 8 months old and i have 4 pullets in the bunch, and they are not laying yet...

the feed store out here says they have banties.. all excited.. i say "oh cool.. what kind.." them "they're banty"... that's what kind...."
in other words.. we don't know chickens well enough to know that there are multiple breeds.... lol... they apparantly order the assorted banties.... i pulled 5 out of the box and got a smooth and a frazzle black cochin, a red cochin, and a pair of d'uccles....

ask for pictures and post them we'll help figure out the breed...
and if they want to get rid of them, why not take them.. you might find a new love.. lol.. i wasn't sure i'd like the d'uccles, but they've grown on me ssooo much.... and banty cochins are smiles on little legs.... my husband cracks up every time he sees one run across the yard...

*edit*
because i had no idea when i got my bantams and just had to wait till they got full grown to know, they're slightly bigger in body size than a dove... close to a pigeon.. but they look a little bigger becasue of body structure.. well the cochins do.. the d'uccles look smaller because they're not as fluffy...

 

[19hhbelgian]

Very good point - Could just not be old enough to lay yet, OR they could have stopped laying for the winter (just like in college, they get a winter break too!!

) But, Definitely make sure they are not all roos

That would stink

As someone else said, try to get a few pics to post and we can help you out a little bit more than bantams are small chickens