East Bay Bantams

[FoxholeFarm]

This thread is for folks for folks from the San Francisco Easy Bay Area who keep bantams.

Bantams are a wonderful solution for many small backyard farmers and hobbyists who like variety in their flock. These days almost every breed comes in miniature and many are great egg layers too! Bantams do come with a unique set of challenges though, and a unique set or rewards. They are often the friendliest birds and make wonderful pets.

Let's talk shop, trade photos, share stories, tips, leads, and offspring!

 

[FoxholeFarm]

I will start by introducing myself! My name is Freya and I work for the Biofuel Oasis and Urban Farm Store in south Berkeley. I keep a mixed flock that includes hens as big as a barnevelder and an Orpington and as small as an OEGB and the smallest Cochin I have ever seen.

I have a living room full of chicks right now so my coop is about to get very crowded. My hens stay in a run most of the time, but they get to free-range in the winter. My smallest birds are new as of this weekend so I'm considering how to keep them safe while they roam the yard in a couple months. Anyone have ideas?

 

[dldolan]

Hi Freya,
I'm Dawn and I see you post on the Mille Fleur Cochin thread. I'm up in Healdsburg, and raise Splash Marans, other LF for eggs, and the Bantam Cochins. I currently have nine adult birds, six juvenile delinquents, and ten chicks. All seem to be getting along. Both Cochin mamas are fierce with the juvenile Marans kids, Ricky roo is kind to their chicks, and all seems copacetic at this point. This is my first foray into bantams, and they all seem fine together.
I used to have LF Cochins, and they were great mamas. Both Lucy and Ethel are very human-friendly, so have already taught the chicks to eat from our hand, etc. My niece thinks this is the coolest thing EVER!

 

[FoxholeFarm]

Thanks for joining me here! Is your roo a mille cochin too?

 

[dldolan]

My rooster is a Blue Mille Fleur. About 7 months old, and looking very nice thus far! And doing his job with the ladies, as 3 of 4 of the eggs that I had luckily saved before Lucy went broody did hatch! The others I ordered and got a 50% hatch rate, which is pretty good.





Babies are starting to show some pattern now in their wings. It is so cool to watch the patterns "unfold" as they grow!

 

[FoxholeFarm]

Beautiful birds! The pattern on your hen in the last photo is particularly striking, and that gentleman has really impressive saddle feathers! Lovely flock!

 

[dldolan]

Beautiful birds! The pattern on your hen in the last photo is particularly striking, and that gentleman has really impressive saddle feathers! Lovely flock!

This is a super fun project for me. I love the color genetics!

 

[FoxholeFarm]

This is a super fun project for me. I love the color genetics!

I'm looking forward to following your project!

 

[hippoatlarge]

I am looking to get some golden laced bantam cochins and I was wondering if they would be able to get along with standard size hens? I have a bantam rooster not sure if he is a serama or not but he gets along with the girls. I have one golden lace brahma, 1 barred rock, 1 white leghorn, 1 black sex link. He favorite girls are the black sex link and the golden laced brahma.

 

[hippoatlarge]

So do you have any little bantam cochin chicks at this time? I may be interested in one or 2