Best laying Bantams?

[mrandmrschicken]

My banatm Americaunas have started laying since my last post. They are the best layers we have. Get 1 a day from each of them as long as I give them lots of layer feed. Not huge eggs but getting bigger!

 

[KayP]

Yay!! How exciting! What color Ameraucanas? Any pics?

 

[mrandmrschicken]

When this one was little we called her snowball cause she was all white. Now she is silver, with some very light tan feathers on her hackles. She is also very jealous. She thinks she's my girlfriend and my protector. Her two sisters are reddish/brown colored. All three are very nice birds.

 

[pascopol]

I like this thread. I want an answer to this question too, there is a prevailing opinion that bantams were not bred for egg production bla bla bla, but I believe that if you can get 150 to 180 1.5 oz eggs per year per hen, bantams might be more efficient than standard hens since they are 3 or 4 times smaller but some of miniaturized (originated from standards) breeds like RIR, Barred Rocks etc lay 1.5 oz eggs while standard hen large egg is 2 oz. So for their size their eggs are huge.

I am going to find that out, cause I just ordered:

RIR bantams 180 eggs a year (book data)
New Hampshire Bantams 180 eggs a year
Barred Rock Bantams 160 eggs a year
Dominique Bantams ??? rare, book does not say

also I am waiting for
Barnevelder Bantam eggs up to 200 eggs per year

By the end of this calendar year I should have the answer which breed (s) of bantams are worth keeping as egglayers, and weather they will produce eggs more efficiently than standart hens.

I will share my findings with this board.

 

[ursusarctosana]

Of my bantams, three Wyandottes and two Cochins, one of the Wyandottes have gone broody. My standard Faverolle and my Phoenix/RIR and Phoenix/Welsummer are the best layers I have.

 

[KayP]

Quote:
Thanks! Good work! I appreciate the more analytical/scientific types among us. We'll be waiting for your results.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

my bantams
Brahma laid more than my RIR
Cochins laid more than brahmas

So, for past few years I have been working on breeding
my bantam cochins (blues & blacks) breeding for personality & production!!!!
I have gotten them from 5 different sources!

I breed the girls:
who get broody only in spring! (not the ones that try to hatch a rock all the time)
who lay 3/4 times a week
who lay the bigger eggs
so the girls I have now average 160 a year!

they forage more & eat less

((feed to egg ratio is much better)) 3 bantam eggs = 2 regular eggs

I kept records on this - I bag of feed 50lb. would last me 8 weeks with giving them greens or yogurt (a plate size they could eat in under 4minutes would feed 20 B.Cohin
(they are in tractors & are only fed November to March this excludes pullets who always have feed available) their crops are always full when I close them in!

*All my averages are taking on Hens (I do not count a pullet year when they all lay better)
Interesting enough I have yet to hatch a Splash I was able to use for breeding!
Yes! we have Silkies I keep no data on them just fun to watch!

Hope this helps!
I am getting real 15 B.Ameraucannas in April I will be recording there info also

Joanne

 

[KayP]

Mrandmrschicken- Snowball is so beautiful!! I think she's an EE, though, not an Ameraucana. No matter.
Joanne- You and Pascopol are kindred spirits and the rest of us benefit. I didn't know that pullets lay better than hens. What color cochins do you breed and do you hatch any extra?

 

[AtRendeAcres]

KayP

My Cochins are Blue & Black!
I will hatch a few dozen March/April/May around September/October I cull ones I don't want to breed at that point I will sell eggs! I will also have eggs for the Bantam Ameraucanas

they are John Blehm's from the breeders club if you go to:

http://chickhatchery.com/FAQ.html#SEVEN

scroll down page

 

[laughingllama75]

I found my best layers are my:

Mille fleur belgian d'uccle
cochins (frizzle and straight)
R.I. Red
my silkies lay about7-10 eggs, before they go broody. and I take the eggs away, doesnt matter they still sit

all bantams of course