BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[NanaKat]

Beaver tail aside.  Does anyone have an opinion about what bantam breed lays the most eggs.  About 8 years ago someone dumped off a few bantams of unknown breeding on my farm, and while I had them I was getting $3/dozen for "cocktail eggs".  Those birds eventually disappeared... probably due to a hungry hawk who just couldn't manage the standard girls.  Now I've got a small fenced garden outside my Florida room and wouldn't mind some yard ornaments to go with the rose bushes... especially if they could generate some income.  I love Sebrights but if I remember correctly they lay very few eggs.  I've heard that White Faced Spanish bantams are good layers.  Even Ameraucana bantams might work.  The color would certainly add to their sales appeal.  But I've got no idea how many eggs they lay.  Chime in if you've got any ideas.  

Back to bantams: They certainly can lay a huge egg in proportion to their size. I'd also be interested in hearing about any bantams bred for egg production- haven't read anything about that.

hmmm... who remembers the name of the chicken that only comes in bantam?? An old breed so perhaps it was bred for laying...

Sebright is a bantam only breed. Both male and female lines are needed when breeding. They are not great layers and are hard to hatch.
I have Rosecomb and Old English bantams that are great layers. Nice sized white eggs. While they occasionally go broody, they are great mothers and return to laying quickly.
Another breed I have is Delaware Bantams...beige egg, prolific layers, occasional broody.

 

[miss heny]

Also too, the roosters are mean SOBs... >_>

 

[NanaKat]

Also too, the roosters are mean SOBs... >_>

Recently acquired an adult Sebright cock. He has a reputation for flogging. While in quarantine, I have been show handling him and hand feeding. He is settling down some. The test will come when I pen him with a few bantam hens when he comes out of quarantine.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Recently acquired an adult Sebright cock. He has a reputation for flogging. While in quarantine, I have been show handling him and hand feeding. He is settling down some. The test will come when I pen him with a few bantam hens when he comes out of quarantine.

May I ask what you mean by "show handling"? Always interested in how folks manage roosters...

- Ant Farm

 

[member 373180]

I currently have a flock of golden sebrights plus one miscellaneous white hen who I think is a very good layer. For a while there I was getting about 11 eggs per day from 13 hens. They do like to go broody which reduces production. My biggest problem has been that the sebright hens are crowing ( I'm not allowed roosters). One girl decided to be boss and started crowing, she went to freezer camp and a month later the next one started. The forth one just started and I'm trying a collar on her because at this rate I'll be left with my one little white girl by the time the new chicks arrive in spring.

 

[Kassaundra]

Recently acquired an adult Sebright cock. He has a reputation for flogging. While in quarantine, I have been show handling him and hand feeding. He is settling down some. The test will come when I pen him with a few bantam hens when he comes out of quarantine.

Is that the little roo Robin got from me? If so sorry to hear he started flogging.

 

[NanaKat]

Recently acquired an adult Sebright cock. He has a reputation for flogging. While in quarantine, I have been show handling him and hand feeding. He is settling down some. The test will come when I pen him with a few bantam hens when he comes out of quarantine.

May I ask what you mean by "show handling"? Always interested in how folks manage roosters...

- Ant Farm

A judge takes a bird from its show cage and methodically checks the bird from head to tip of tail and wing tip to wing tip, as well as body and legs. This process is show handling. The bird is held in one hand with the head facing the elbow of the holding hand. This frees the other hand to manipulate the body sections for review. With a flighty or aggressive bird this routine of stroking and control is calming and good training. Ansel, a Silver Sebright, is becoming more agreeable and seems to now enjoy the stroking and handling. He also enjoys the hand feeding of a few treats....and he has dropped a wing and even danced for me...a great personality.

Recently acquired an adult Sebright cock. He has a reputation for flogging. While in quarantine, I have been show handling him and hand feeding. He is settling down some. The test will come when I pen him with a few bantam hens when he comes out of quarantine.

Is that the little roo Robin got from me?  If so sorry to hear he started flogging.

Yes, beautiful Ansel is now with my flock. He is coming out of quarantine this week and I have two lovely hens set aside as companions for him. Robin had some difficulty finding hens he would not flog. These two Bantam hens have been flying up to a hanging roost near his wall pen and chattering with Ansel. He tries to call them closer to share from his feed cup and has danced for them so it may be a match of his choosing. Robin now has my single Cochin Bantam cock for her Cochin girls. I agreed to give Ansel a forever home.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

A judge takes a bird from its show cage and methodically checks the bird from head to tip of tail and wing tip to wing tip, as well as body and legs. This process is show handling. The bird is held in one hand with the head facing the elbow of the holding hand. This frees the other hand to manipulate the body sections for review. With a flighty or aggressive bird this routine of stroking and control is calming and good training. Ansel, a Silver Sebright, is becoming more agreeable and seems to now enjoy the stroking and handling. He also enjoys the hand feeding of a few treats....and he has dropped a wing and even danced for me...a great personality.

This is helpful. I don't do this methodically or anything, but I have weighed each cockerel almost every week since they hatched, and they are used to being handled once a week. It is rare that they struggle against me holding them, but sometimes don't like being put down to stand in the shallow cardboard box on the scale for weighing, in which case I pick them back up and continue to hold and pat until calmer, then try again. At the same time, I feel their body for shape and quickly ensure there are no obvious wounds or injuries, since I don't handle them the rest of the week. I may try something more methodical as you describe when I do my weights tomorrow. I don't want to turn my boys into cuddlers, but it would be good to be able to handle them for their own well being as needed. They've been fine so far, I'd like to keep it that way.

- Ant Farm

 

[DesertChic]

This is helpful. I don't do this methodically or anything, but I have weighed each cockerel almost every week since they hatched, and they are used to being handled once a week. It is rare that they struggle against me holding them, but sometimes don't like being put down to stand in the shallow cardboard box on the scale for weighing, in which case I pick them back up and continue to hold and pat until calmer, then try again. At the same time, I feel their body for shape and quickly ensure there are no obvious wounds or injuries, since I don't handle them the rest of the week. I may try something more methodical as you describe when I do my weights tomorrow. I don't want to turn my boys into cuddlers, but it would be good to be able to handle them for their own well being as needed. They've been fine so far, I'd like to keep it that way.

- Ant Farm

Several of my boys are cuddlers. In fact, the majority of my cuddlers are boys....and some of them need to be culls. You're smart to avoid this. It's going to be really hard for me to cull those guys because they're so incredibly affectionate. Even my husband is charmed by them and has told me on more than one occasion, "You can't cull THIS one. He's too nice!" He's said that about six cockerels so far.

As of today I suddenly have FIVE broody hens. I'm really, really hoping the impending cold spell will break them, because I'm not equipped to break five broodies and I'm definitely not equipped to hatch more chicks right now.

 

[miss heny]

if not look like you'll need to get some hatching eggs! Any breed you want to hatch out?