Choosing Bantams

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DaisyMilo

DaisyMilo

In the Brooder
5 Years
Sep 25, 2014
21
0
22
Hi everyone,
I'm asking for people's opinion on choosing a bantam. I have never owned chickens before and have a small area so I have decided to go with a bantam but I'm not sure what breed :idunno. I also don't know whether to get them from a day old-week old or at laying point. This is more for the pet not the laying.
 
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Silkies are great bantams to have BUT, are very difficult to sex before 4-5 mos. of age and sometimes not even till they crow or lay an egg. So if you buy as anything younger, you will most likely end up with too many males (it seems) and too few females. Bantam cochins are nice as are tiny seramas. Are you in mild climate or severe? That would make a big difference. Do you have young children? Let us know & we'll come up with suggestions. Welcome to BYC
 
Thanks. Hot climate and wanting something easy to care for. Have heard that Silkies go broody very easily. Is this true? Have older kids.
 
It can get up to 32 degrees Celsius in the height of summer and down to 12 degrees Celsius in winter.
 
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Hi DaisyMilo and Welcome to BYC
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Your temperature range is similar to what we experience.

I have 5 bantams + chicks and more chicks on the way
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I can help a little with the bantam breeds I have.

In my experience, those known as Pekin Bantam or Cochin Bantams or Pekin Bantam Cochin (depending on where you hail from) make beautiful pets but they do have a tendency to go broody, often! I have a buff and a black; the black tends to get a little hot in summer but she has survived a couple now without issue.

I have a Bantam Australian Langhsan, 2 year old, who is also a sweetheart, very friendly and has never been broody.

My Silkie is currently raising two chicks; she went broody! One of my Pekin Bantams also went broody and is sitting on eggs! I also have a Bantam Pekin Frizzle who is adorable and the clown of the flock.

I note that you have mentioned "one". While people have kept one chicken on it's own; my experience and reading that of others is that chickens get lonely and prefer company so, if you can, two would be a better option.

Having said that, I started with just two and as mentioned, now have 5 with chicks and eggs, more on the way! Beware of chicken math!
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I agree with Diva regarding getting them too young, before you can ensure they are pullets. If you are not allowed to have roosters where you are, there is the risk of heart break when you have to part with the little ones that you have grown to love. If you cannot have roosters, it would be preferable to get slightly older chickens that you know are girls.

Hope that helps!
Regards
Teila
 
Thanks! I will have a look at the older chickens. So there is no real bantam breed that won't go broody? I was planning on getting two. Some of the breeds at my local chicken place are Pekin, Silkie, Faverolles, Wyandottes and Frizzles.
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I've not had a lot of bantams in 50 years of raising chickens, but I have had Black Silkies, Mille Fleur D'Uccles, Buff Cochins, and Silver Sebright bantams and loved them all, however I would have to say the Silkies were probably my favorites. They were such sweet, friendly, gentle, and funny little birds. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can.Good luck in getting your bantams.
 
No problemo :)

I can't speak for all bantam breeds but Silkies and Pekins .. high risk of broodiness.

Frizzles are not a breed as such but a gene-thing with their feathers, so you can get Frizzle Pekins, Frizzle Cochins, Frizzle Australorps etc. Their tendency towards broodiness would probably be dependent on what breed of Frizzle they were.
 
Thanks for everyone's help. One more thing, how do I keep their feathering clean?
 
Ok, just another quick question, since I have never had chickens before(and because they don't break the bank as much!) could I get the chickens at 10months to 1year+? And how do I introduce 2 different breeds of chickens together(bantams)?
 

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