Bantams vs Standard

[Building Bridges]

I do not yet have chickens....hope to start my flock spring 2021. But as I read and think about what chickens I'd like to have, I basically have skipped over Bantams....feeling like I'm not interested. But I'm not able to defend that decision without more information. Can you help me understand why people choose bantams? Is it basically a space consideration?? Are their temperaments different that the full sized chickens of the same breed? I've read that it takes two of their eggs to equal one from a standard size chicken. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

 

[PioneerChicks]

It depends on what you want them for.

If you plan on doing 4H Showmanship than you should definitely get a few bantams, especially if you are a beginner.

Bantams take up less room in the roost, and they also eat less.

Depending on what kind of chicken you get their eggs can be almost as big as a standard hen egg or much smaller. They can be consistent and good layers or not-so-good layers, it depends on the breed, but that is the same with standards.

Some are specifically winter or heat tolerant, others not so. It once again depends on the breed and is the same for standards.

I'm my experience it is fine to mix standards and bantams, as long as you don't have massive standard sized roosters trying to mate (and accidentally crush) tiny bantam girls.

If you have children it is fun to have bantams as they are smaller and easier for kids to hold. It is also just fun to see a tiny chicken half the size of the others in the coop!

Wishing you the best of luck with your future flock!

Edit: and welcome to BYC!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Bantams are more adorable, and easy going usually. I think they are chosen more as ornamentals. Some can have decent egg production, but most are sporadic.

Most bantams do excel as broodies, and mothers.

In general humans seem to enjoy smaller versions of their pets. It's like asking why keep a Chihuahua over a Labrador. It's a personal choice of what you like I think.

I keep a large breed flock and a separate bantam flock. My large breeds I think of as workers, they do bug control, and egg production. My bantams are mostly for looking at.

 

[Building Bridges]

Bantams are more adorable, and easy going usually. I think they are chosen more as ornamentals. Some can have decent egg production, but most are sporadic.

Most bantams do excel as broodies, and mothers.

In general humans seem to enjoy smaller versions of their pets. It's like asking why keep a Chihuahua over a Labrador. It's a personal choice of what you like I think.

I keep a large breed flock and a separate bantam flock. My large breeds I think of as workers, they do bug control, and egg production. My bantams are mostly for looking at.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[Building Bridges]

It depends on what you want them for.

If you plan on doing 4H Showmanship than you should definitely get a few bantams, especially if you are a beginner.

Bantams take up less room in the roost, and they also eat less.

Depending on what kind of chicken you get their eggs can be almost as big as a standard hen egg or much smaller. They can be consistent and good layers or not-so-good layers, it depends on the breed, but that is the same with standards.

Some are specifically winter or heat tolerant, others not so. It once again depends on the breed and is the same for standards.

I'm my experience it is fine to mix standards and bantams, as long as you don't have massive standard sized roosters trying to mate (and accidentally crush) tiny bantam girls.

If you have children it is fun to have bantams as they are smaller and easier for kids to hold. It is also just fun to see a tiny chicken half the size of the others in the coop!

Wishing you the best of luck with your future flock!

Edit: and welcome to BYC!

Thank you for taking time to reply. 4H isn't in my future....I'm a grandmother who has always wanted chickens. I'll be in Connecticut when I get them...and am interested in Bielefelders, Australorps, Dominiques and maybe Welsummer. I don't plan on having roosters. Of course there are lots of other breeds I'm curious about!!!

 

[Ted_Harrell]

I would recommend the Australorps if a gentle personality is what you are after. Both this breed and the others you mentioned are all solid choices in your colder climates...Good luck and let us know what you decide...Maybe with some pics...

 

[Building Bridges]

I would recommend the Australorps if a gentle personality is what you are after. Both this breed and the others you mentioned are all solid choices in your colder climates...Good luck and let us know what you decide...Maybe with some pics...

Thank you for letting me know I'm on the right track. I'm moving from Ohio to Connecticut in June and hope to get things set up for chickens in the fall....and will order chicks spring of 2021. Don't worry....I will post tons of pics and bore everyone with my exclamations of admiration for MY OWN chicks!! Can't wait .....can't wait....can't wait....

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Most of the breeds that you remember as having come from that part of the world should do just fine. You might want to avoid crested and feather footed breeds, just because of the extra care involved when the weather turns nasty(as I am sure it does up there)...So RIR, Delaware< Jersey Giant, Chantecler, etc. should all be fine in their native weather...

 

[Building Bridges]

Most of the breeds that you remember as having come from that part of the world should do just fine. You might want to avoid crested and feather footed breeds, just because of the extra care involved when the weather turns nasty(as I am sure it does up there)...So RIR, Delaware< Jersey Giant, Chantecler, etc. should all be fine in their native weather...

Thank you for the reply. Yes, I am not especially fond of the crested or feather footed breeds personally....and I do see that wet feathers on feet in extreme cold just isn't a good idea. I want peace and calm in the flock so sort of ruled out RIR because I thought they can be kinda pushy and stir up trouble? Maybe I'm wrong. I also like Partridge Chantecler (trying to avoid white birds)....but they are hard to find. So may folks seem to like bantams I thought maybe I was missing something....but I don't think so. I've sort of ruled them out as well. You have to cross things off the list to begin to get the choices down to a manageable number!! I'm only planning on 6-8 chickens.

 

[Shadrach]

I have bantams, so called dual purpose and mixed breeds here and have for the past ten years.
The bantams here have been excellent egg layers, easily outperforming the Marans.
Their eggs are smaller but not by much.
The important point about bantams that hasn't been mentioned is they tend to be flighty. If you keep them in a coop and covered run this may not be a problem, but note the word covered.
All the bantams here will and do go up trees at roost time. They will come down with a bit of bribery and encouragement and go into their coop, but it is extra work and essentially means you need to be there at roost time if you are not happy with them living in the trees.
Living in the trees sounds great to some but one quickly finds out that a rooster crowing at 4.30am in a tree a few yards from your bedroom window can leave you sleep deprived very quickly.
Some people write they mix bantams with other breeds and don't encounter any problems.
The bantams here will not tolerate other breeds.