Bantie eggs.....

[dancingmama]

So, I've been planning all along to get 3 hens for my little coop, but the coop looks on the small side, so now I'm considering 3 Banties. The downside would be having fewer eggs, and smaller eggs, for my family of 4. Do they lay much fewer eggs than, say, an EE? And are the eggs tiny? I've never seen one! This is such a hard decision!

Thanks for any insight!

 

[Keara]

Yes the eggs are about 1/2 the size (but the yoke is the same sizeinside the egg), and my banties lay about 4 times a week in the summer and not at all in our vermont winters.

 

[racuda]

Maybe I've just gotten used to them, but my bantam Cochin eggs don't look all that small, about a medium grocery store egg. They lay about 5 a week.

 

[muddyhorse]

It depends on the banty. the cochins are about a medium. but japs and serama eggs are super tiny. how big is the coop space ? the standard breeds need about 2-3 sq feet per bird. banties about a foot. bantam favorloes lay a decent egg.

 

[dancingmama]

Thanks for the replies so far!
It's an A-frame tractor, with 12 sf upstairs for nesting and roosting, and 16 sf underneath, in the "run." They'll get some free range time most days, too, though probably not all days. I want them to feel happy and not too crowded....

 

[muddyhorse]

that should hold 4-5 std size hens comfortably or 7-8 banties or 12 japs or seramas. keeping a flock block in with my confined birds (breeders) seems to reduce stress.

 

[dancingmama]

Just looked up flock block.... that looks like a great winter treat, thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
The amount of space needed actually varies depending on the amount of time the birds will be in the coop. According to The Chicken Health Handbook, if cooped only at night or inclement weather, heavy breeds need 4 sq ft per bird; light breeds need 3 sq ft and bantams need 2 sq ft. If confined to a coop much of the time, they need 10, 7.5 and 5 sq ft., respectively. Note that silkies fall into the "light" category as do larger bantams and smaller large fowl. (These sizes are for adult birds.)

For the tractor you describe that is 3 large, 4 light or 6 bantams. If they will get a fair amount of ranging time you could up the numbers by a couple of birds.

Some of my bantam eggs are pretty good sized; others smaller. However, the yolks are always relative to the size of the egg. How many eggs do you want per week? Maybe you should add a 2nd tractor?