Dutch Bantams Breed Thread

[Embuck]

I'm entirely new to Dutch Bantams, and I was wondering; does anyone on here have experience with the Dutch Bantams from Ideal Poultry? Thanks.

 

[TeamCutler]

The breeders are going to flip! I couldn't find the colors I wanted from breeders so I should be getting blue and porcelains from ideal the end of the week (for pets). I can let you know

 

[Matt A NC]

From Ideal you are going to get Dutch/Old English Bantam crosses. They use Old English to get different colors then actually exist in the Dutch breed in the US as well as increase fertility.

Matt

 

[JeanR]

The reason you could not find the colors you wish from breeders of Dutch Bantams, is because they do not exist in Dutch in the US.
And Porcelein does not exist even in The Netherlands. You have crossbred bantams with some resemblence to Dutch, but are NOT Dutch Bantams. Some hatcheries breed their own crossbreds, really have no idea what they will look like when they feather. Others purchase eggs from ??and again, have no idea what they are hatching, as they go out as day olds. They never see them mature, and they destroy
the chicks that are not sold at hatch.

This does not mean that you should not enjoy your chicks thoroughly! Just do not call them DUTCH BANTAMS. They will be lovely pets and you may want the real deal sometime in the future, in varieties that ARE bred in true, pure Dutch Bantams. Good luck

 

[TeamCutler]

Actually I wanted ANY solid colored Dutch and started looking last sept-oct. There were no breeders in the Pacific Northwest that I could find and breeders that did have solids either didn't sell or didn't contact me back. Or people who contacted me saying they did actually didn't have any and didn't have any immediate plans. I have found no kindness in you people as breeders! You have all come off condescending and pompous- very quick to let everyone know they don't have real Dutch so they don't count! This is a great breed! Why wouldn't you be excited to open people to this bird?! I really would love to show and have a very small breeding operation here outside seattle. Every other chicken person I've encountered is wonderful and wants the best for their birds. You people are so cold! Seriously. And you may call my birds not Dutch bantams- I plan to call them whatever I like thank you kindly.

 

[TeamCutler]

And the porcelains were only to fill the order, I had requested blue, silver, black, self blue.

 

[reddichicken]

I got this hen (pictured below) from a friend a few weeks ago. My friend found her roaming around the neighborhood and began feeding her. She started roosting in a large bush outside my friend's house. After a while, she disappeared for a few weeks and came back with nearly a dozen chicks. Only 5 survived because of dogs, hawks, etc. My friend called us to take the hen and her chicks to a safer place. They currently live with our other birds in our back yard.

I think she is a Dutch bantam. She is very small, has white ear lobes, and orangish yellow legs. She flies extremely well and still prefers to roost in trees and bushes. Last night, she surprised us by flying up 20 feet into an oak tree in our back yard. We couldn't convince her to come down, so that's where she spent the night. She's generally quiet and gentle but does not allow our other hens to pick on her. She fights back and even chases them away despite their larger size. They leave her alone now.






Her chicks (pictured below) are definitely mixed and look quite different than her. They're around 6-8 months and are already bigger than her. The only indication that they came from her is that they still follow her around. They also fly fairly well but not as well as her. Any clue on what they're mixed with?

 

[Matt A NC]

I think she is a Dutch bantam. She is very small, has white ear lobes, and orangish yellow legs.

Sorry, but she is not a Dutch. Dutch legs are Slate, not yellow. Her body structure is not Dutch. The hen in the picture has Red earlobes. The white there is the feathers covering her ear holes. She looks like a Game mix. She may be just a mutt, but a good Broody and Mother is worth her weight in gold.

Matt

 

[reddichicken]

Matt, thanks for the info. I'm more of an "egg collector" than a breeder, so I appreciate you sharing. I was thinking of re-homing her, but I may reconsider depending on her mothering abilities. Thanks again!

 

[JeanR]

So sorry, Teamcutler, that you contacted only several breeders who did not give you encouraging information about Dutch in the varieties (colors) that you like. We sometimes forget the years ago, that we searched for Dutch Bantams in exactly the varieties we LIKED, but did not know anything about them in DUTCH. There are many Dutch breeders who would have greeted you with questions about what you needed, and offered sites where you could learn about them and maybe where you could find starters in the breed.--or offered birds for starters! The years of sorting out the crossbreds (mainly OEGB, but also Black Rosecomb, White Leghorn bantams, Phoenix) make the older breeders who have spent years of selection, and from more recently imported "true": Dutch, reluctant to offer "best" birds to beginners with Dutch. So many breeders have "lost" birds to the breed by sending top birds to "new breeders", who lost interest quickly and give or sell their Dutch (or lost them to predators)--no way to track them and they disappear from a fairly small genes pool. It is a real loss. You just were not able to reach the right Dutch breeders-- (No, I have no birds available and after 25 years of Dutch in several varieties, I now just hatch to order and most for pickup at the farm,) .At one time there were a number of Dutch breeders in the Seattle area (sadly, gone now) but none with the varieties you seek, because they were not in best Dutch type for exhibition--really not true Dutch. The Flagship varieties (Light Brown, Blue Light Brown) are easiier to breed "starter" varieties and are better for exhibition and breeding. You may already know more about breeding the colors you like best, in other breeds. And you know what you want!!

Enjoy those hatchery dutch in varieties that were never imported--and maybe you will hatch some that are good improvements in those varieties. Hope so. Others want them, too! Thanks to Pathfinder, who started the Dutch Bantam forum, and while she does not keep Dutch any longer--had great Dutch and knows the answers! And thanks to those others who know Dutch and help with questions.